Jesse and I spent the Memorial Day weekend with friends Jason and Marcela, renting an apartment in the Uptown neighborhood of Charlotte. While it rained on us all weekend; literally, we took ride-shares less than 10 minutes because, while we could have walked, it was raining too hard to not arrive at our destination soaking wet.
We arrived early in the evening on Saturday, and proceeded to the Buho Bar, where, 19 stories up, we enjoyed cocktails and conversation. They had a three cocktail tasting, which, of course, we had to get:
After that we were on our way to Korean BBQ, which is definitely best enjoyed when shared.
The next day the rain continued, we decided it was best to visit some museums, wanting first to visit the Mint Museum, but, as it was not open yet, went across the street to the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. I parked the car and walked through the Green Park, which has some interesting outdoor art work, including the three fishes statues seen below:
Once inside the museum, we took the stairs all the way up to the fourth floor, where a majority of the art was to be found. They have a nice collection, if a bit underwhelming, for the $9 per person entry fee. Here are a few of my favorite pieces, and Jesse in front of one she liked:
We were building up a hunger, and Jason and Marcella wanted to try some North Carolina BBQ while they were visiting, so we made our way to Midwood Smokehouse. We gorged on ribs, burnt ends, mac and cheese, hush puppies, pulled pork, greens and more. Just take a look at Jesse’s excitement ready to dig in:
Fully satiated, we were ready to walk the larger Mint Museum, which also features modern art over multiple floors. At a more costly $15 a person, it is well worth the price of admission. They have art by famous artists like Picasso, Warhol, and Chihuly, but also lots of other lesser known artists. If you enjoy art, it is a great stop in Charlotte. Here are some of my favorites:
From Left to Right: “Dorita” by Robert Henri, “The Garden at Giverny” by Marquita Gill (an American female Impressionist), and “Hemophilia” by Judith Schaechter (zoom in if possible)
From Left to Right: “Royal Blue Mint Chandelier” by Dale Chihuly, “Soundsuit” by Nick Cave, and “Pacific Rose” by Jon Kuhn
Still raining, we took a rest at the rental apartment for a bit, before venturing out for a sushi dinner followed by some cocktail bar hopping.
It was a really fun time and the vibe of Uptown Charlotte was very relaxed and friendly. We can’t wait to visit again!
Bonus artwork from one of the cocktail bars we visited:
Phil's WayPastCool 