Five must-see places in Charlotte

Sharon Anderson
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Five must-see places in Charlotte

In North Carolina, Charlotte is the most populous city, and it is also referred to as “Queens City” by many folks. It is home to many historic sports teams like Charlotte FC in the MLS, Charlotte Hornets in the NBA, and Carolina Panthers in the NFL.

If you are a Motor Sports fan, the prestigious NASCAR Hall of Fame is one place you can’t afford to miss while visiting Queens City. Other points of attraction include the US National Whitewater Center, Billy Graham Library, Freedom Park, and Discovery Place Science.

Whether you are visiting Charlotte for the first time, or a returning tourist, there are dozens of things you can do and places to visit. In this article, we recommend a few top destinations. However, it’s up to you to decide based on personal preference.

US National Whitewater Center

Currently the largest artificial whitewater river in the world, this fantastic water park is located in Charlotte, South Carolina. It boasts over 1300 acres of playground and 50 miles of trails for mountain biking.

There are many things to do depending on individual needs. Sometimes, you get lucky to see some Olympic teams train which is quite exciting. The major activities include deep water solo climbing, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, rafting, and paddleboarding. You will enjoy deep water solo climbing in the park if you have what it takes to handle heights. You get to go as high as you can without any ropes, and if you fall, the water below becomes your safety cushion. 

Billy Graham Library

The Billy Graham Library is an incredible place to see for everyone who wants, including religious fanatics, school groups, church groups, young people, and anyone passionate about history. Unlike other libraries or historic museums, the entirety of the information revolves around the life and teachings of Evangelist Billy Graham

Situated on a 40,000-square-foot area of land, the library is completely open to the public. Journey through history with one of the world’s most influential gospel preachers ever to grace the planet. There are many pictures, artifacts, books, music recordings, and original voice extracts from his interactions before his death.

 Overall, the serenity of the place makes it a perfect spot for self-reflection.

NASCAR Hall of Fame

The NASCAR Hall of Fame features high-tech displays that replicate a typical race competition’s intense and fast-paced atmosphere. It is a top destination for both drivers and fans that enjoy motorsport.

Besides the Hall of Fame, the city is also home to the famous Charlotte Motor Speedway, often called the “beast of the Southeast.” It hosts major events like the Coca-cola 600 held on the weekend of Memorial Day. The event is the longest race scheduled by NASCAR (600 miles).   

The track also hosts the All-Star race. For many drivers, the Charlotte Motor Speedway is considered a “home game” because the city is the headquarters for most of the NASCAR racing teams. The track is 1.5 miles long, with 177 turns known as “roval.”

For a city with such a rich history of sports, all forms of gambling activities are currently illegal. So, it is impossible for tourists who fancy casino games to wager on their favorite games while in the city.

For a city with such a rich history of sports, all forms of gambling activities are currently illegal. So, it is impossible for tourists who fancy casino games to wager on their favorite games while in the city. 

Therefore, many resorts to alternative options accepting online deposits like Skrill Casinos, where you access different casino games and sports, including NASCAR events and many other options. Best of all, you can do it directly from your phone in any environment you prefer.

Discovery Place Science

Discovery Place Science is not a regular museum filled with old antiques. It is a science-themed destination that inspires curiosity and fosters scientific exploration and learning for visitors of all ages.

The exhibits on display cut across different fields of science like physics, chemistry, engineering, and technology. Here are many interactive displays and HD multimedia screens to make the presentations easily accessible and engaging.

Discovery Place Science is suitable for people from all walks of life. Student groups, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), can easily use the location for excursions to learn new things about science. The major attractions include the “Think it Up Lab.” It provides students or visitors with hands-on experience to explore their creativity and innovations in conducting experiments, designing prototypes, and thinking out of the box to solve real-life problems.

Freedom Park

Freedom Park is a peaceful, serene public park spanning over 9 acres of beautiful lush greenery, walking trails, and a lake. Visitors can go fishing in designated areas or rent a boat to enjoy the relaxation of paddle boats on calm water.

The park also features a large playground area with swings and slides for kids, suitable for visitors with families. There are also designated areas for picnics equipped with grills and tables for small gatherings.

Next Year Duke Will Give Free Tuition To Carolina Students W/ Family Incomes Under $150K

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Next Year Duke Will Give Free Tuition To Carolina Students W/ Family Incomes Under $150K

Duke University has just announced one of their largest scholarship expansions in the history of the university.

Starting in the fall 2023 semester, the historic university will grant full scholarships to any student who’s family makes under $150,000 per year.

“This additional financial support for undergraduates reflects Duke’s commitment to our students from the Carolinas,” said Duke President Vincent Price in a press release. “By providing even more equitable access to a Duke education, and ensuring students have the resources they need to truly thrive while here at Duke, we will also make our campus community stronger.”

For more information about the program, visit a FAQ on the Financial Aid website.

Joey Logano’s $255 Million Mega Development in Huntersville Approved

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Joey Logano’s $255 Million Mega Development in Huntersville Approved

Huntersville’s Board of Commissioners have just approved one of the largest developments the town has seen in decades.

Yesterday the board overwhelmingly voted to rezone a 70-acre mixed-use development near the corner of Hambright and Mt. Holly-Huntersville Roads that’s being financed by NASCAR legend Joey Logano called ‘Town 1’.

via Town of Huntersville

Town 1 would be located at 11101 Hambright Rd, nestled at the southern end of town and is bordered by I-77 on the eastern side. The site enjoys easy access to Mount Holly-Huntersville Road and a CATS station outside the main Hambright Road entrance.

According to documents from the Huntersville Planning Department, the project would include at least 747 multi-family homes, a 7-story office tower, a 7-story parking structure, and 3 2-story commercial buildings with a total of 419,300 square feet of non-residential space. The overall project spans a total of 72 acres.

The project plans indicate a whopping 419,300 square feet of non-residential space. This includes an allocation of at least 126,000 square feet for office establishments, 96,500 square feet earmarked for restaurants and assorted retail outlets, and a considerable 172,000 square feet designated for warehousing purposes.

The project’s rezoning request was just approved by the Huntersville Planning Board and is now due to be considered by the Huntersville Board of Commissioners on June 20th.

What do you think about the new project?

“That Brunch Life” Arrives Ballantyne Today With The Opening of The Area’s First Ruby Sunshine

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“That Brunch Life” Arrives Ballantyne Today With The Opening of The Area’s First Ruby Sunshine

All-day brunch restaurant Ruby Sunshine opens its doors today, June 21, in Toringdon Circle Shopping Center in Ballantyne, N.C. Born from the undeniable soul of the Big Easy to celebrate the creative, craveable spirit of brunch, Ruby Sunshine Ballantyne offers playful twists on Southern brunch staples along with eye-opening cocktails.

“We are thrilled to open the doors of Ruby Sunshine Ballantyne,” says Jennifer Weishaupt, founder of Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group. “Ballantyne is the perfect neighborhood to bring even more of Ruby Sunshine’s all-day, family friendly brunch to the North Carolina community. Our Krewe can’t wait to serve you.”

Situated in Toringdon Circle Shopping Center, Ruby Sunshine offers an accessible, delicious brunch option for residents and visitors within the greater Charlotte area. Guests can expect free parking and plenty of shopping around the restaurant to complete the perfect brunch outing.

Giving a taste of #ThatBrunchLife before food even hits the table, Ruby Sunshine Ballantyne features wall-to-wall murals, hand-painted by Ruby Sunshine Krewe member Buurbon Mitchell, and art throughout the restaurant from multiple New Orleans based artists for a vibrant, Instagrammable atmosphere. With seating inside for almost 150 guests and an expansive outdoor patio, the restaurant is an inviting neighborhood destination for families and friends alike to gather around the brunch table.

The menu echoes New Orleans’ original Ruby Slipper Café, the sister restaurant of Ruby Sunshine, featuring award-winning dishes like The Trifecta, which plates together three crowd-favorite benedicts: Eggs Cochon, Chicken St. Charles and Bayou Shrimp. Popular appetizers include pig-candy bacon bites and French toast bites. Pair these with a seasonal mimosa flight or an award-winning Bloody Mary crafted with a house-made mix and choice of regular or bacon-infused vodka or tequila Blanco for the ultimate way to start the day. With seasonal mocktails, gluten-free and vegetarian dishes, and a wide variety of pancakes, sandwiches, salads and sides, there are fresh, flavorful options for everyone to enjoy.

Available until August 27, guests can enjoy Ruby Sunshine’s summer seasonal menu. Specials include the seasonal beignets, featuring a mixed berry cheesecake topped with triple berry coulis, whipped cream, sweet biscuit crunch, fresh strawberry and powdered sugar; Shrimp Cortez with griddled corn cakes loaded with roasted corn, bell peppers and sweet onions served over a bed of spinach and poached eggs, and topped with award-winning Cortez cream sauce made with Gulf shrimp, artichokes, tasso, corn and peppers; and Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes, with sweet cream pancakes, fresh pineapples, cinnamon-butter and brown sugar, topped with whiskey cream sauce, whipped cream, fresh pineapples, maraschino cherry and powdered sugar.

Ruby Sunshine Ballantyne is located at 12330 Johnston Road and is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday–Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday & Sunday. Ruby Sunshine welcomes walk-ins, or guests can join the line on its website, rubybrunch.com. To learn more, follow along @RubySunshineBrunch.

Rats in the House: How to Get rid of Pests

Sharon Anderson
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Rats in the House: How to Get rid of Pests

The appearance of rats and mice in the house or in the yard can significantly mar our lives. And how many cases of rats attacking people and children! So you can not hesitate and when the first traces of their vital activity appear, you must immediately declare war on the gray brotherhood.  

The most common animal to enter attics in many areas, including Missouri is the rat. Once inside the home and in the attic, rats and mice cause many problems. 

Therefore, many people want these pesky rodents caught and removed from the attic. The company Critterstop – https://critterstop.com/safe-wildlife-removal/ will help you to solve the problem quickly and efficiently!

Where Do Rats Come From

Rats can get on almost any surface. They can get where they want to go. They can squeeze through surprisingly small holes and crevices. They can get in through sewer pipes or through any possible crevice or opening in the house, from the foundation to the tip of the roof. They can also gnaw. If a rat detects even a slight breeze coming from inside, they will climb inside.

How to Recognize the Presence of Rats 

Rats leave tons of droppings, sometimes tens of thousands of feces in the attic – they look like 1/3 inch brown thick grains of rice, very similar to squirrel droppings. They also leave tunnels and marks in the insulation. They also leave chewing marks, and interestingly enough, they leave brown grease stains on their fur, and this runs the rat’s often-used routes. You may see chewing marks on pipe insulation, wood, or electrical wires.

However, rats are especially aggressive about getting inside a warm attic in the cold winter.

How Do I Get Rats Out of My Attic

Follow these steps:

  1. Inspect the entire house or building and look for any open holes or crevices through which rats are entering the structure. These could be vents, gaps in eaves, roof lines, etc. Check everything from the top and definitely the entire roof. Once inside, rats can get through any part of the architecture, walls, ceiling and get into the attic where they like to live and nest. Read about how rats get in, or you can call Wayne’s pest control. 
  2. Seal all these entry holes using steel that rats can’t chew through. Secure the steel with bolts. Use sealant to block all airflow and discourage rats from trying to get in (they can smell air coming through the gap).
  3. Only after everything is sealed should you start catching and removing rats. Install snap traps. These are definitely the best type of traps to use – on rat passages in the attic. Read more about how to trap a rat here.
  4. Remove rats from traps until you can no longer hear sounds in the walls or attic. This is how you will know the rats are gone.

All wild animals are known for their share of damage and destruction, but in the case of rats, the damage can really spread far and wide. It can also have far more serious consequences than you think.

After that, clean out the attic space.

As mentioned above, the first step to successfully catching rats is to seal all entry points into the house. Only then should you proceed with the trapping – if you don’t seal up all the holes, new rats will continue to appear. If you need help dealing with a rat infestation, always turn to the professionals.

Reflecting on Jon Rahm’s Emotional Masters Triumph

Sharon Anderson
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Reflecting on Jon Rahm’s Emotional Masters Triumph

On what would have been Seve Ballesteros’ 66th birthday, and on the 40th anniversary of his second Masters triumph, it was fitting that fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm laid claim to the green jacket at Augusta National. The poignancy and significance of the achievement, and its timing, will not be lost on Rahm, a player guided by the light of Spain’s golfing heroes of the past.

“History of the game is a big reason why I play and Seve is a big part of that history,” Rahm reflected. “For me to get it done on the 40th anniversary of his second Masters win and on his birthday was incredibly meaningful.”

Setting aside the historic significance of Rahm’s victory, it is a seminal moment in his golfing career. His triumph at the US Open back in 2021 got the monkey off his back as far as winning a major championship was concerned, and this Masters triumph is another bucket-list item for Rahm to tick off. He follows in the footsteps of compatriots Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal in donning the famous green jacket.

Rahm can now call himself a multiple major champion, and given his form this season you wouldn’t be surprised if he added another major or two to his record this year. The PGA Championship, US Open and British Open are all still to come in 2023, and Rahm will be amongst the favourites in the sports bets for all of those tournaments.

There was a nervy moment for Rahm on the very first hole of the tournament, where he four-putted to record a worrying double bogey. However, the Spaniard barely put a foot wrong for the rest of the tournament, carding rounds of 65, 69, 73 and 69 again to claim an impressive triumph, reeling in Brooks Koepka to win by four clear strokes in the end. 

At one point, it looked as though the tournament was Koepka’s to lose. A sensational opening two rounds of 65 and 67 set him well on course, but the American’s form deserted him over the weekend, with a 75 on Sunday the final nail in the coffin. Fellow LIV golfer Phil Mickelson enjoyed a sensational surge up the leaderboard on the final day, carding a sensational 65 to earn a tie for second with Koepka. 

With Patrick Reed finishing tied for fourth, it was a good week for those representing LIV Golf, and proof perhaps that the alternate format featured on the Saudi-backed tour will not prevent its best players from competing when push comes to shove at the major championships.

But this Masters Tournament was all about Rahm. The win brings him back to the summit of the world rankings, and he will be the man to beat for the rest of the season. Rahm now has four wins to his name in 2023, and the Spaniard is showing no signs of slowing down. 

There is still so much to play for this season, and while Rahm was visibly emotional as he donned the green jacket, there was very much a feeling that this was only a stepping stone on his journey towards becoming one of golf’s all-time greats. 

The Legendary ‘Corpse Flower’ Is About To Bloom in North Carolina

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The Legendary ‘Corpse Flower’ Is About To Bloom in North Carolina

The legendary ‘Corpse Flower’ or titan arum, the largest unstemmed inflorescence flower in the world, is about to bloom campus of NC State’s botanical gardens.

The titan arum typically requires between 7–10 years of growth before it will bloom for the first time, and the massive bloom only usually lasts 12-24 hours before wilting.

Here’s a time-lapse video of its development and bloom;

The plant is native of the jungles of Sumatra, where it can produce massive flower structures in excess of 10 feet in height. When cultivated, the structures typically range between 5-8 feet tall.

The plant is nicknamed the ‘corpse flower’ because of it’s extremely strong and extremely unpleasant scent. The chemicals released by the spadix include dimethyl trisulfide (limburger cheese), trimethylamine (rotting fish), isovaleric acid (sweaty socks), benzyl alcohol (sweet floral scent), phenol (like Chloraseptic), and indole (like human feces). The plant uses all of these foul scents to attract bugs and beetles to help it pollinate.

Dole Offering Free Pineapples to Charlotteans Who Donate Blood on Nat’l Pineapple Day

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Dole Offering Free Pineapples to Charlotteans Who Donate Blood on Nat’l Pineapple Day
Dole Food Company, based in Charlotte and one of the world’s largest pineapple providers, is offering a free DOLE® Pineapple to anyone participating in a National Pineapple Day Blood Drive on Thursday, June 27, at the Harris Teeter Store at 3333 Pineville-Matthews Road in Charlotte in partnership with the American Red Cross. The drive is part of a “Pine for a Pint” national network of June 27 blood drives and volunteer opportunities in Dole cities across the country in honor of the pineapple’s universal themes of hospitality, compassion and kindness.
Dole Food Company maintains its corporate headquarters in Charlotte.
Those interested in donating blood on June 27 are asked to make an appointment in advance at https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=DOLECLT.

There Have Now Been 64 Earthquakes In A Small Town Between Charlotte and Columbia Over The Past Year

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There Have Now Been 64 Earthquakes In A Small Town Between Charlotte and Columbia Over The Past Year

This morning at 7:39am, another earthquake struck the small town of Elgin, SC, located between Charlotte and Columbia, bringing the total to 64 quakes around the small town in the past year alone.

According to the USGS, the quake had a magnitude of 2.0 and a depth of 7km.

The earthquakes around Elgin have been increasing in number and magnitude since they first started in late 2021, with the largest being a magnitude 3.6, which knocked out the power for hundreds in the area.

Earthquakes have been increasing in frequency around the Charlotte region over the past few years. Last year, we experienced the largest earthquake in over 100 years when a 5.1 magnitude quake hit Sparta, NC, and since then, dozens of aftershocks have continued to rattle our state.

According to USGS.gov, “Moderately damaging earthquakes strike the inland Carolinas every few decades, and smaller earthquakes are felt about once each year or two.”

Have you felt any of the quakes? 

Michael Jordan Selling Majority Ownership of $3 Billion Charlotte Hornets Team

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Michael Jordan Selling Majority Ownership of $3 Billion Charlotte Hornets Team

NBA legend Michael Jordan has just announced plans to sell his majority share in the Charlotte Hornets.

The exact sale price has not yet been announced, but the entire franchise is currently valued at around $3 billion and Jordan currently owns roughly 97% equity in the team.

According to a press release from the Hornets, the majority stake will be sold to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, with Jordan planning to keep a small minority stake in the team.

Jordan originally bought his majority stake in the Hornets back in 2010, but despite his historic NBA career, Jordan’s decisions as an owner were often questionable, starting with a disappointing trade in 2011. The team swapped Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston, and the 19th draft pick for Corey Maggette and the 7th pick, Bismack Biyombo. Although the team managed to draft Kemba Walker, a key player for the franchise, the team’s performance still declined significantly.

His management style was heavily scrutinized. He often favored players who demonstrated hard work over those with innate talent, a bias which influenced his executive decisions. He was also involved in the 2011 lockout, leading a group of owners aiming to cap players’ share of Basketball Related Income at 47 percent. This stance was seen as a betrayal by many players and was widely criticized by the media.

Further, Jordan was condemned for surrounding himself with advisors who didn’t challenge his decisions. This environment led to questionable coaching appointments and draft choices. One infamous misstep was the team’s choice to draft Frank Kaminsky ahead of Myles Turner and Devin Booker. Additionally, Jordan’s detached style of management and instances where he questioned his players’ skills were also subjects of criticism.

What do you think about Jordan’s record and his decision to sell?

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