A semester-end means two things; WINTER BREAK and a drive north!
I must say, I’ve become quite the fan of planning cool routes, with this being my journey home:
Our story begins at 5:45 a.m., the time I forced myself out of bed. Within half an hour, I was out the door and in my car barreling east on I-4.
I had a hint of sadness leaving Florida, but the majority of emotion was pure ecstasy. There’s nothing I love more than Christmas Break with my family in my favorite place on Earth.
I learned the traffic outside Disney truly never stopped, as I crawled down the interstate at 6:30 a.m.
Thankfully, the road opened up past the mouse’s domain, and the rest of the way to Daytona Beach was very uneventful.
I was off the freeway and crossing the intercostal before 7:30 a.m.
The final remnants of a fading Atlantic sunrise:
Flagler Beach is a quiet surfing community sitting about halfway between Daytona and Saint Augustine.
With a little over 5,000 residents, the small community has been shaded from the development the rest of Florida’s coast has seen. A quiet life filled with sunrises spent surfing sounded perfect as I passed the little bungalows.
A1A is the town’s main road, running parallel to the ocean.
In desperate need for more caffeine, I grabbed some breakfast at the town’s ‘Java Joint.’
The aggressively friendly waitress invited me to sit in a cushy booth, as she whipped up a Peppermint Latte she “promised I would love!” She also talked me into the mysterious Kahlua French Toast, with espresso beans and maple syrup whipped into the egg mixture. I watched the waves as the waitress excitedly asked about my trip while waiting for my to-go order.
Java Joint is open every day for breakfast and lunch, and probably serves one of the best breakfast experiences in Florida at unbeatable prices.
Taking my breakfast, I walked across the street to eat on the beach.
Flagler Beach’s sand is interesting. The small particles are traded in favor of larger pieces of shells.
It still retains the soft texture expected from the beach, but makes a significantly smaller mess.
Finishing up breakfast, I parted ways with the sea, and crossed back onto the mainland.
Passing a little park, I was delighted to find bright red lifeguard chairs wrapped in lights and garland to celebrate the holidays. (Note: No photo because I was driving.) [I say as if this post isn’t littered with photos captured behind the wheel.]
Passing through Jacksonville, I continued north and was in Georgia around 9:30 a.m.
Past Jonathan was enamored with this bridge.
I love how you can see the Sidney Lanier Bridge heading into Brunswick next to the paper mill.
Driving through the Peach State, I was at the palm-filled border of South Carolina at 11:15 a.m.
The state’s new rest areas are pretty cool, with an ultra modern design.
About an hour and a half later, I was exiting the freeway onto the backroads of South Carolina – quite literally the middle of nowhere.
One of the least visited national parks, Congaree is about 20 miles outside Columbia, SC.
The national park distinction feels a bit… odd, but the park is quite pretty!
Here’s a quick rundown on the park:
- There is NO entrance fee
- The park is 20,000 acres
- It is the “largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest ” in the southeast
- Dispersed over ten trails, there are 25 miles of hiking trails, 2.4 of which are by elevated boardwalk.
- A marked canoe trail follows Cedar Creek, but rentals are not available
- The Harry Hampton Visitor Center has small exhibits on the park
- There is a primitive campground, accessible via trail
I opted for the 2.6 mile appropriately titled Boardwalk Trail.
It’s pretty!
As it winds around the floodplain, some areas of the forest remain flooded.
Eventually it leads to Weston Lake.
There were some people on the little pier. I must’ve waited a good ten minutes for them to leave, just for them to stay!
Regardless, I followed the trail back to my car.
I stopped by the visitor center, but many of the exhibits were still closed, the COVID effect.
Seeing almost everything the park had to offer, I hopped back on the road towards Columbia.
This southern city is home to both the capitol and largest university of South Carolina!
This was my second time in the city, the first being on my LAST drive north. Just like this one, I had little time to explore.
Driving into city center, I drove past the Gamecock‘s (ha) stadium.
I started my adventure at the Governor’s mansion after, of course, spending a good thirty minutes looking for free parking! It was 3:30 p.m.
As nice as eternal summer is, I find myself longing for the distinct colors a change in season brings.
Anyway, these gates guarding the mansion were ornately decorated with wreaths, fresh from South Carolina! (maybe, but probably not)
The grounds are open to pedestrian traffic with another fence blocking the immediate lawn of the house. There are a few other historic homes dotting the property.
Pictured is the Caldwell-Boylston House. Built in the 1820’s, it was home to a number of military generals through the years.
The Mansion is at somewhat of an awkward angle, you really have to peer through the trees to grab a glimpse.
Moving from the grounds, I crossed to Finlay Park and the namesake viewpoint that gives a great view of downtown.
Finlay Park itself is a nice little urban escape. There’s a lake below the cliff. I didn’t go down the stairs this time, but here’s some pictures from May 2021, when I last visited.
Back to December:
I drove down the stately Laurel Street to Columbia’s ‘Main Street.’
This road runs south through the city, bumping into the capital.
The city’s few skyscrapers are in this area.
The state’s Christmas tree was SO PRETTY! I’m writing in late April dreaming of November.
And right behind? The CAPITOL!
The elegant wreaths accent the building’s best features!
Across the street line the two rows of “skyscrapers.”
I grabbed a final picture of the oaks around the city,
before heading up to North Carolina!
Charlotte is only about 80 miles away from Columbia, directly up I-77. I left Columbia at 4:15, driving into the golden sunset.
By the time Charlotte’s glittering skyline broke the horizon, the sun was long gone.
I drove past the towering roller coasters at Carowinds, and swung by the North Carolina Welcome Center. I-77 was stopped with rush hour traffic.
Regardless, I made it into the city and, after a very chaotic process, was checked into my Airbnb by 7 p.m.
OH MY GOD was this the best Airbnb ever! I opted for a two-bedroom apartment on the thirteenth floor. It included a kitchen and two bathrooms with a balcony and sitting area. Surprisingly, this place was only about $150 – comparable to many of the hotels nearby.
Here are some photos from the following morning:
More amenities included a rooftop pool, garden, workout room and even a free parking garage!
Tell me where else in Charlotte you have a pool with a skyline view?!?
Being as it felt like negative 50 (it was really 45), I did not utilize the pool. I did however, enjoy the view facing west for a bit.
I love food halls, and Charlotte has one of the best, looking at you ORLANDO!
Optimist Hall was discovered by my good friend Amber when she was living in the city.
In the quickly developing and overwhelmingly eccentric Optimist Park neighborhood, the space utilized was once a textile mill! You can even see the old smokestack rising above. There are 24 vendors, each providing an incredible meal.
It does get pretty busy, so I opted for the empty(er) outside patio.
I got a waffle chicken sandwich from Boxcar Betty’s…
…and a fried chicken bao bun from Xiao Bao!
Both were delicious, but neither matched the BBQ Burger Taco I got from Velvet Taco back in July.
The hall is aesthetically pleasing and very much adds it’s take on the industrial-esque architecture trend!
The Christmas decorations only added to the charm:
The patio provides a nice view of the skyline.
The architecture of the exterior really gives “abandoned warehouse” vibes.
I opted for a blisteringly cold after-dinner walk around the city.
“There’s no rhyme or reason, your purpose is only to experience,” the steps leading to the Mint Art Museum say.
Back “home” I was on the roof taking pictures of the jaw-dropping views in every direction.
South:
East:
North:
I took one last photo before falling asleep gazing out the window.
It was 12:33 a.m. when I finally slept. I had almost traveled 500 miles, seen a national park, been in three cities, and even touched the Atlantic Ocean – all in one day! It was exhausting, but totally worth it.
To cap it all, I had 5.5 more BEAUTIFUL hours of driving the next day, which was quickly approaching.
At 7:33 a.m. I woke up to this:
Miraculously, I was able to fall back asleep for a solid 30.
Up again, I took the elevator down to Queen City Grounds, a local coffee shop IN MY BUILDING! It was AMAZING!
Caffeine-induced, I ran back upstairs and hopped in the shower, which also had a view of the city.
Last visiting, I found this little bakery in the Villa Heights neighborhood. I have been looking forward to the chance to return to Amelie’s, and the time had come.
They offer a selection of pastries, macarons and a quirky Parisian theme.
I will forever regret bypassing the Christmas ones…
Only seven minutes from the building, I was there and back in no time!
I could stare out the windows all day, and I almost did!
I do love the shadow cast by the building.
A further scan of the horizon found the airport’s ATC tower :O!
I went back up to the roof to take some pictures of the view with sunlight.
West:
On the horizon I saw something I hadn’t seen in MONTHS… M O U N T A I N S!!!!!!!
Looking North:
A zoom on Optimist Park and Optimist Hall, from my room:
Alas, check-out had arrived and back to Earth I went.
The process was really easy, just locking the keys back up!
Driving around the city, I saw this cute Christmas Tree Farm, and subsequently blasted Taylor Swift’s song.
Before leaving, I had a few things to check out. The first was Freedom Park.
This is Charlotte’s take on a city park, similar to Atlanta’s Piedmont and New York’s Central.
It has a lake,
and acts as an entry for the Sugar Creek Greenway. Sugar Creek itself passes right through the park, over some rapids.
I biked the entirety of the trail in July, it’s a really nice ride!
Passing just south of Uptown, I drove towards the Lowe’s building, or the epicenter of the South End.
This area of the city has seen massive growth recently, and is starting to rival NoDa as the place to be.
Trendy shops such as Marine Layer and allbirds have taken up residence in this neighborhood.
Craft donuts, beer and other food trends also find their Charlotte outposts here.
The area sees two concentrations of shops, the Design Center and Atherton Mill. Atherton Mill used to be one of the city’s largest textile mills, while the design center has a cute courtyard beer garden with a water-tower.
Particular to note are Pepperbox Donuts (Design) and Not Just Coffee (Atherton).
I finished my time in Charlotte at the CLT Airport Overlook, a small lot with runway views of departing and arriving planes.
This is one of the best spots for plane spotting, the aircraft are so close!
I left the city at noon, and hopped on I-85 north towards Greensboro. Similar to 95, 85 is an uneventful drive.
I arrived in Greensboro about an hour later.
I was surprised to find a relatively large downtown.
More time would’ve granted me a visit to the International Civil Rights Center & Museum. The museum sits on the former site of the Woolworth Department Store, where four teenagers staged a sit-in that inspired over 70,000 others to do so around the nation, fighting for equal rights. It houses the counter which used to sit inside the store.
I grabbed an iced mocha from The Green Bean on Elm as I walked around downtown.
Heading north on 29, I left the city at 1:45 p.m.
I crossed into Virginia and pulled into Danville at 2:30.
I heard about Danville growing up, and had always wanted to make a stop.
It’s still a very industrial city, with a small Main Street and large warehouses surrounding.
I really wanted to love the city filled with riverside bricks and lined with cobblestone, but it just felt… odd.
I don’t get spooked easily, but I was almost unsettled walking around town. Everyone seemed to be staring at me, the sole pedestrian, and it was incredibly off putting. These fears were heightened by an odd incident in the bathroom which resulted in someone following very close behind for a few blocks.
I was on my way out by 2:45 p.m.
I caught this beautiful sunset on the ridge of mountains right outside Lynchburg,
and was back home by 8 p.m.
Overall, it was a really fun itinerary! The AirBnb will be one to remember, and Charlotte was as lovely as ever.
I’m really not sure how to end this, as it was almost as long as my drive. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!
Turquoise Skies 