25 Random Facts about Charlotte (from a mommy point of view)

By Guest Blogger, Krista W & Jen P:

I’ve been tagged, have you? Certainly by now everyone is familiar with Facebook’s 25 Random Things about Me. It’s hard not to be, as an estimated five million of these notes have been spread across Facebook over the past few weeks. The premise is simple – list 25 creative and random facts about yourself and share them (tag to all you Facebookers) with your friends. So, consider yourself tagged and enjoy this random list that all Charlotte mommies can appreciate!

1. Charlotte has giraffes. It’s true! Visit the Lazy Five Ranch (a privately owned animal park) and see for yourself. With 750 animals from 6 different continents, you are sure to find something exciting for every member of your family.
2. It was a twelve year old (Conrad Reed) who started the Gold Rush in Charlotte by discovering a 17 pound gold nugget while playing outside. Share this piece of Charlotte history with your children and teach them that little hands can make a big difference.
3. BRIXX pizza. It’s a pizza joint, but it’s practically a playground, and it’s just plain fabulous. Your kids can order a pie with nothing but cheese while you nosh on one with pine nuts. Half price bottles of wine on Sunday makes BRIXX a Charlotte staple.
4. The Greater YMCA of Charlotte; it’s truly my happy place. The YMCA offers ballet, gymnastics, and an assortment of creative birthday party options. You can enjoy a killer chicken salad sandwich at the Garden Deli, work-up a sweat while your children play with the wonderful staff at Child Watch, AND shower (something many of us can’t even get done at home).
5. Freedom Park. Think about it, Freedom Park is a park sandwiched between two parks. How randomly wonderful! A typical afternoon can include feeding ducks, walking trails, playing on an antique train, and possibly a music concert if you go to one of the dozen or so events the band shelter hosts every year.
6. Chick-fil-A. It’s meal time nirvana; you love it AND your kids love it. Here’s a helpful hint; you can trade-in your children’s meal “toy” in for an ice cream. Talk about fair trade!
7. What’s for dinner? Anything you want! With places like “Mr. Food: No Fuss Meals” and Simply Fresh to You, there is always an answer to this ever present question. They haven’t made cooking completely obsolete, but they are working on it. And, in these tough economic times, the options are more affordable than you might think.
8. Charlotte is home to 210 parks. An opportunity to get outside with your children is literally all around us! Randomly, the one closest to me doesn’t have a bathroom (Carmel Park).
9. The Charlotte Nature Museum. This quaint museum is tucked into the beautiful residential street of Sterling Road. For $5 per person you can enjoy the Butterfly Pavilion, numerous live animal exhibits, seasonal puppet shows, walking tails and countless activities.
10. Where am I? I’m far from my child being driving age, but I’m already nervous. I know at some point she will call me for directions from the intersection of Queens Road and Queens Road or Sharon and Sharon.
11. Charlotte was voted 20th among “Best Cities for Women” by Ladies Home Journal. Thanks for the nod Ladies!
12. Charlotte is 280.5 square miles. However, when you run out of the house without make-up on will see someone you know.
13. Charlotte is the 5th largest urban region in the U.S and if you’re looking good you will run into no one.
14. During the American Revolution, General Cornwallis famously wrote Charlotte was “a hornet’s nest of rebellion” which sounds like a description of bedtime in my house.
15. Finally Charlotte moms can enjoy a hot cup of coffee sans interruptions! Barnes & Nobles located in The Arboretum hosts “Dad ‘n’ Me Storytime” Saturday mornings at 10:00 am. Now this is a “coffee break” we can all appreciate!
16. Call the sitter. Nation’s Restaurant News named Charlotte one of the “Top 50 Cities That Sizzle.” Charlotte is one of four cities with the academic culinary giant Johnson & Whales, and our city boasts a wide variety of restaurants. Eating out at any budget is a piece of cake (literally).
17. Charlotte moves and it always has. The Charlotte trolley helped shape our city by creating opportunities for people to travel between neighborhoods. Bringing all different types of people together formed our city’s social and economic fabric. Today you can take your kids on a ride on the original Trolley which starts right in front of an old fashioned soda shop called PIKE’s. Cheers to city planning!
18. They say it takes a village, and I agree! Charlotte is loaded with opportunities to meet other moms and create a social network for you and your children. My playgroup is full of fabulous women who I’m blessed to call my friends and to think, it all started because we had children the same age!
19. It’s always the season for something in Charlotte. With four mild seasons, we experience the joys of a lovely fall, a mild winter, a blossoming spring, and enough heat in the summer to truly enjoy popsicles. Celebrating each season as a family is practically mindless! Enjoy ice-skating in Uptown during the Holiday season, go white water rafting in the summer, stroll Festival in Park during in fall, and hop to countless Easter egg hunts in the spring.
20. Charlotte was named after Queen Charlotte of England. Celebrate our history by enjoying high-tea with your little princes at La Tea Das. Enjoy a whimsical tea party and toast to Queen Charlotte!
21. Dora the Explorer summers in Charlotte. Well, almost. Dora and her buddy Boots the Monkey can be found at Carowinds. The 2009 season opens on March 28th. Now get your backpack and go, vámonos!
22. First in Flight for sure! Teach your children about North Carolina history at Carolinas Aviation Museum located at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Cap off the visit watching actual take-offs and landings!
23. For additional high flying fun, take your family on a hot air balloon ride! Balloons over Charlotte will give you a bird’s eye view of the fabulous Queen City. Children must be seven years or older, and I bet they will never forget the Wright brothers after this amazing experience.
24. Harris Teeter is taking over our city, and I think I speak for all of us when I say, thank you. Their cookies make my daughter sit still for five seconds and are often my lunch.
25. When you’re ready for a break from Charlotte, head to the Douglas International airport and hop a direct flight to Charlotte Amalie (the fabulous island with our namesake), surrounded by the crystal clear waters of the US Virgin Islands.

Thanks, Krista for this super Smarty list. I am certain I could not have done this good of a job!
Don’t forget to register for the $150 Nesting gift certificate giveaway! Click here to enter. You must be registered for our Smarty e-newsletter to enter. Good luck!