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 -House Smoked Trout |
Ever since they found gold in 1799, this place has been bound for glory. A U.S. Mint coined gold here until 1865. And today it's the financial center of the South.
It is not a gaudy glitter that adorns Charlotte, however. The region shines because it was polished faithfully and carefully, true to the personality of its namesake, Queen Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who assumed control upon the madness of King George III, her husband. (Mecklenburg's patriots, nevertheless, defied the British during the American Revolution causing Lord Cornwallis to give up his occupation of the "damned hornet's nest.")
Today's Hornets, a professional basketball team, buzz in a top-notch coliseum. And the young Panthers, a professional football team, play in a downtown stadium. These world-class sports teams are in the same league as the region's art and performance organizations and its business institutions.
Greater Charlotte leads North Carolina's commercial and industrial enterprise. You see its foundation in the outlying communities of Belmont, Concord, Gastonia and Kannapolis. You see its gentle and stately nature farther out in Waxhaw and Salisbury. You see its eager heirs around Monroe and Wadesboro. You see its fun spirit at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Carowinds. Because of the shine, you can't miss it.