Summer Road Trip 1st Stop: Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Our pick for our summer vacation this year was our first family road trip. My sister recently moved to North Carolina with her family so that gave us the idea. In addition, I thought our children were over the hump of bad traveler stage now at 8, 5, and 4 years old.
Discovery Place Science
Our pick for a day of fun in downtown Charlotte while we were there was Discovery Place Science Museum. My kids love science science museums and this was a great place to go for a variety of ages. There were interactive exhibits and fascinating displays that brought science to life.
Upon walking in the cousins snapped a picture by the Marvel exhibit. This was an add-on exhibit that we decided not to pay for since it didn’t seem to fit all our kids ages for interest.
One of the first exhibits we stopped by was the Kid Science area. There was a lot to play with in this area! The Mazing Airways wind tunnel where you watched colorful scarves whiz through a maze of clear tubes was one of my boys favorites.
The Cool Stuff exhibit was another favorite for us. We learned why things do the things they do through by learning about physical phenomena. Everyone was working together on the Gizmotron to scoop, fill and turn the wheels of this giant contraption. This was fun to watch the teamwork among everyone!
Suffolk Punch
After the Discovery Place Science museum we were more than ready for lunch. We headed to Suffolk Punch Brewing in the South End neighborhood.
We opted to sit outside in the beer garden. Although it was hot the atmosphere was good with children with the picnic table style setup and more space. The overhang covered us from the sun and the adults enjoyed the brews. Cheers!
Lake Norman State Park
In order to try to miss a big crowd we had planned to go to Lake Norman State Park on a weekday. After grabbing sandwiches from a local grocery store for our beach lunch we headed north to Lake Norman. The namesake lake is the largest manmade lake within the state.
Along with a swimming area that is terrific for kids of all ages there are fun trails and spaces to explore. There is concession stand for buying snacks and convenient bathrooms and showers for removing the sand before heading home.
Cousin Fun
In addition, to seeing some of the sights around Charlotte we enjoyed all being together. The humid, sunny days in August in the state of North Carolina defiantly require a pool and lots of sunscreen!
On our last night together we went to dinner at Hello Sailor. A fun and retro themed restaurant that is high-end located right on Lake Norman in Cornelius.
The last sunset in North Carolina before we left in the morning. We made many great memories with family. It was a great first part to our family’s summer road trip.
Pin It!
