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Fun Day Trips From Charlotte

For most of us, vacation comes once or maybe twice a year. So it’s essential that throughout the other months of the year, we have some fun and maybe get…

A husband and wife and a car driving along for a day trip.
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For most of us, vacation comes once or maybe twice a year. So it’s essential that throughout the other months of the year, we have some fun and maybe get away but not too far.

Day trips and weekend getaways are the perfect quick excursions that don't require the time or money of an extended vacation. You can just pack an overnight bag or maybe just plan a day where you drive up a couple of hours have some fun, and drive back.

Luckily, in Charlotte, there are many places to get away for just a short while before getting back into the daily grind of work and life.

Let’s take a look at some of the best places to go from right here in Charlotte.

North Carolina Zoo

The world’s largest natural habitat zoo is just an hour and a half away from Charlotte. Located in Asheboro, the North Carolina Zoo is home to more than 1,700 animals and 52,000 plants. There are covered paths you can walk at a relaxed pace to take in each expansive enclosure, especially the one dedicated to Africa, which takes about two hours to explore.

Some of the upcoming seasonal events at the zoo include Pumpkin Palooza and Boo at the Zoo. There is also a new 5-month-old Porcupine

Rock Hill BMX Supercross Track

Charlotte Motor Speedway is not the only famous racetrack you can find near Charlotte. Just over 30 minutes away, you can experience the Rock Hill BMX Supercross Track. You can either ride the track yourself or you can stick around for scheduled races.

This is the first Olympic-standard BMX training facility that opened to the general public on the US East Coast.

They offer rider development, local races, and open practice opportunities. They also host some of the top state, regional, national, and international races.

Reed Gold Mine

Reed Gold Mine is the site of the first documented gold found in the United States, and you can pan for gold yourself. Located in Midland, a 40-minute drive from Uptown, the site offers guided tours of underground tunnels, glimpses of historic mining equipment, and 800 acres of grounds to explore.

Fun Fact: During its peak years in the mid-1800s, gold mining was second only to farming in the number of North Carolinians it employed. The estimated value of gold recovered reached over one million dollars a year.

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.