Monday, April 13, 2015

100 Things to Do in Charlotte Before You Die by Sarah Crosland | Book Review

100 Things to Do in Charlotte Before You Die

Whether you're trying to check the boxes on becoming an official Charlottean or just hoping for a few fresh ideas on how to spend your next Saturday afternoon around town, look no further.  From kayaking on the Catawba to chowing down on famous fried chicken, this city is brimming with cool activities and must-visit spots.  In the mood to play outside?  Check out the numerous options at area parks and local lakes.  Feeling festive?  Mark your calendars for the featured family-friendly events and seasonal festivals.  Craving a taste of regional fare?  Make reservations at the restaurants and bars included in these pages.  Plus, in addition to great ideas for your next Charlotte adventure, this book also offers insider tips to make every experience even better.  Consider this your handy guide to discovering Charlotte and having a ton of fun while you do it.  -back of book

This book, written by a local entertainment guru, delivers just what the title promises:  a "bucket list" of 100 activities to experience around Charlotte.  Nearly all of the places mentioned are in Charlotte proper, with a small handful located less than 45 min drive away.  This is a brief book, but it holds no pretensions to anything more.  With a one-page introduction, the author dives right into the good stuff:  the list.  I think most people would be mostly pleased with this list.  There were one or two things that weren't on the list that I would've included, but there's many more on the list that were plenty intriguing and fresh to me!  I went through the book and read it cover to cover, but it could also be a fun coffee-table book for discussion starting, or a good reference book to have in your home to pull out when you have out-of-town guests visiting.

As I mentioned, I read straight through the book.  (It was a quick read.)  And as I read, I kept Post-It flagging funtivities!  I was pleasantly surprised to see that the hubby and I had already completed quite a few fun items on the checklist, such as "Take in Tunes at Uptown Amphitheatre" (we saw Counting Crows!), "Catch a Show at the Evening Muse" (we've actually seen three!), "Line Up for the Lights in McAdenville" (I definitely recommend this!), and "Shop 'Til You Drop at SouthPark Mall."  Then just tonight I checked off another item:  "Indulge in Amelie's Salted Caramel Brownies."  And WOW:  yup, another great recommendation:  these brownies are SO GOOD.  A few things I'm going to drag the hubby to (he can be a little bit of a homebody) over the next few months: "Get Lost in the Amazing Maize Maze," "Take You Out to the (Knights) Ball Game," "Back the Buzz at a Hornets Game," "Get in on the Food and Fun at the Greek Festival," "Witness the Miracle on the Hudson," and "Walk Through History at the Billy Graham Library," just to name a few.  You'll need to check out the book yourself to see more details about all these cool activities, and to find a few of your own to try!

*I checked out my copy of 100 Things to Do in Charlotte Before You Die from my local library.  (Sadly, my library isn't in the list.  Oh well.)

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