After a few days of pure R&R, we packed a lot of action into a couple of days…
Rosedale Plantation – This was our first stop (glad it wasn’t a sign of things to come….) – the house was closed and no tours were available because the site was rented out that day for a wedding (“Ya’all can come back for a tour tomorrow”).
We did wander the grounds and garden area. The oldest tree on the property, a Swamp Chestnut Oak, is dated 1894.
We noticed many of the trees had tape banded midway up around the trunks with hundreds of inchworms, also known as cankerworms, trapped. Apparently, after mating in December, the female moths crawl up trees to lay their eggs on twigs and small branches. As the leaves come out in the spring, the eggs hatch leaving small green caterpillar-like worms to feed on the leaves. Usually, the cankerworm does not kill the trees; however repeated defoliation can weaken trees and make them more susceptible to other stresses, such as age, drought, other insects and disease. The worms are gross – they are very light and easily fall of are blown from the trees onto those passing by. (Yep, we had to fling many off of us….yuck).
Levine Museum of the New South – This is an interactive history museum depicting life in this area from 1865 (post Civil War) to today.
Men, women and children, black and white, rich and poor, long-time residents and newcomers made up this southern society.
Visitors can check out a one-room tenant farmer’s house, run hands through a pile of seed cotton, listen to the churning of the cotton mill, play checkers on the front porch of a mill house,
sit in Good Samaritans Hospital Chapel (one of the first African-American hospitals in the South), walk down main street and try on a hat in an early Belk department store
or sit at a lunch counter and hear personal accounts from local sit-in leaders.
…Hard to believe the racism and segregation that was in the South during our lifetime…
Queen St. Q BBQ – This was our 3rd BBQ place we ate at. I have had pulled pork at all 3 (Sonny’s is my favourite to date). Todd got to finally try a Louisiana Shrimp Po Boy – a prelude for our upcoming New Orleans Adventure….
While having lunch we notice a crowd of men dressed in all styles of red dresses (Gay convention???). Turns out this is becoming a worldwide phenomenon. (google it or click on this link “Red Dress Run“…) Men dress in red dresses, partake in a run on a marked trail for an average of 5 miles, then meet up and (over)indulge in beverages.
Uptown – Although not Toronto, Charlotte does have some pretty tall skyscrapers with interesting architecture.
While wandering in the uptown a crowd of people gathered outside a hotel caught our attention. We were told that the Miami Heat were getting ready to board the awaiting bus. Dwyane Wade stopped, chatted, and signed a few autographs.
LeBron James just bee-lined it onto the bus amid the cries for his attention from his eager fans.
US National Whitewater Center (Tuck Fest Weekend) – so much fun!
click picture to view full size panorama
A manmade rapids course is laid out for kayaker and rafters.
They also had other water events, zip lining, mountain bike trail races in the bush, high rope events, rock climbing, and more.
We definitely want to return and participate in some of the activities!
Carolina Raptor Center – We took the self-guided tour along the 1.2 km trail and saw over 20 species of raptors.
Some of the centre’s residents include hawks, falcons, eagles, buzzards, vultures, and owls.
The collection changes as birds are rehabilitated and released into the wild. Birds permanently living at the center are ones that wouldn’t survive in the wild on their own.
Historic Latta Plantation – Latta is the last remaining Catawba River Plantation open to the public. James Latta had the home built for his family in a Philadelphia townhome style in 1800.
click picture to view full size panorama
The home was part of his 742 acre cotton plantation.
The plantation house was occupied by the Latta family until 1837. In 1800 Latta owned 2 slaves. By 1830, he owned 34 (23 adults and 11 children).
Dinner – After a great day of exploring, Todd and I enjoyed a barbequed steak with Caesar and potato salads. (…nice perk having a barbeque at the hotel).
