We are huge fans of live music but our budget doesn’t allow us room to see everyone we want to. Over the years we have fallen in love with Groupon concert deals. Especially those for lawn seats at outdoor arenas. I like my own space and sometimes arena seats are crammed in on top of one another and no matter how hard you try, you end up all in the personal space of the stranger sitting next to you. Lawn seats, as it turns out, typically offers the opportunity to spread out a little more. We have learned to take our low beach chairs and a large beach towel and spread out a little, not a lot as it take up so much room that others are cramped but we have figured out how to spread out enough that other’s are not trampling all over the top of us. There are very few acts that I need to see up close and personal anyway. Seeing them from afar and hearing the live music works just fine for the both of us.
Last year before Christmas, Sugar, snagged two $20 lawn tickets for the summer tour featuring Train and goo goo dolls. Originally we were going with a group to celebrate a friends birthday but their circumstances changed, so it ended up being just the two of us visiting PNC in Charlotte, NC.
Normally, travel to and from Charlotte for concerts in one night and don’t make it an over nighter. But this time we found ourselves with a free weekend so opted to book a room and enjoy Saturday in the City as well. The Hilton University Place, Charlotte was literally 5 minutes from PNC. I had no idea when I booked it that it’s situated on a large lake and has a boardwalk that features a shopping center and many great restaurants. We pulled into Charlotte on Friday evening in time to grab a bit at Boardwalk Billy’s, just across the boardwalk from the hotel. Such a pretty view and their Shrimp Tacos were quite tasty.
Getting in and out of PNC is always fairly easy. General parking is free and it’s a short walk to the amphitheater itself. We settled in on the lawn and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Somehow the rain bypassed us during the concert. We were prepared but lucked up.
On Saturday we enjoyed having nowhere to be and took our time before checking out of the hotel and heading out for Brunch. A friend that lives in the area recommended that we try Community Matters Cafe. I cannot say enough about this place. You’ll have to read all about it here: Communitymatterscafe.com Definitely look at that menu while you are on the site as well because oh my word, the food is out of this world. If you choose to patron this establishment you will receive way more than a wonderful meal, you will receive an experience that will touch your heart and at the same time you will be offering someone hope by allowing them to serve you and learn new skills that will get them out of the situation they have found themselves in for whatever reason. While it’s downtown the Cafe was very easy to get to and from, there’s plenty of parking, it’s super clean and decorated so nicely. The food was WONDERFUL and the service was sweet. If you aren’t in the market for a meal they have the cutest coffee/pastry shop as well and they also offer a few take away items in their “shop” . It would be magical if every single metropolitan City in our nation could have a Community Matters Cafe. I simply adore this concept.
We walked off brunch at Concord Mills and made a brief stop at South Park mall before heading back to Columbia. That visit to Community Matters will stick with me for a very long time. There’s so much to do in Charlotte, that one overnight visit definitely doesn’t do it justice. I am normally not much of a mall girl but coming off of vacation and it being so hot and rainy, we just didn’t have it in us to check out their many other offerings. We’ll do that on another trip. #charlottesgotalot
The Southern Curious Itinerant Blog 