Charlotte on 2 wheels
The Charlotte Rail Trail is a 3.5 mile cycle/walking trail which runs alongside the light rail in downtown Charlotte. It's an urban experience which allowed us to experience downtown in a fun way. The trail passes restaurants, breweries and small boutique shops and winds its way through the busy, arty area of South End.
We drove to the local station on the outskirts of Charlotte with our bikes on the back of the car. The light rail system is a great way to get into Charlotte without having to negotiate the manic road system. It's cheap, clean and whilst I probably wouldn't want to be travelling late at night, it feels safe enough during the day.
We managed to board the train with our bikes and hop off at Bland Station to visit Optimist Hall. This is one of our favourite places to pop into and grab a bite to eat. It's an old mill, just a couple of stops before the downtown area, which hosts a range of eateries and Undercurrent Coffee which serves the best coffee.
Following our coffee and food, we cycled to pick up the trail and pedalled through Charlotte avoiding the walkers and buggies. It's a great way to explore the city and we'll probably be back to do again.
