We woke up around 8 a.m. and knew we wanted to sneak in some exercise after a lot of sitting on Saturday. I talked Ryan into joining me on a 55-minute run around Charlotte. Oh my gosh it felt absolutely fantastic to breathe air that wasn’t ridiculously thick and hot! I also had to laugh when Ryan commented on how nice and soft the North Carolina grass is compared the the stiff, thick grass we have in Florida.
I thought this was such a funny thing to notice, but when my family and I moved to Florida from Illinois, I immediately commented on the difference in the type of grass since it wasn’t nearly as soft as Illinois grass. Random!
After our run and a quick breakfast, we drove through downtown Charlotte since I had never seen the city before and didn’t want to leave without checking it out. Ryan actually visited Charlotte for work last year and was semi-familiar with the layout of the city, so he had no trouble driving around while I took everything in. Charlotte was much smaller than I thought it would be and reminded me a bit of downtown Orlando.
While driving around the city, I saw lots of signs supporting the Charlotte Knights, the local minor league baseball team who apparently have both a mascot and team colors in common with my alma mater, UCF. I felt right at home!
Sunflour Baking Company
By the time we were done checking out the city, I started to feel a little hungry again, so Ryan and I made a quick pit stop for lunch at Sunflour Baking Company for hot drinks and a bite to eat.
I started with a cappuccino while Ryan ordered a dirty chai latte (a chai latte with two shots of espresso).
(And yikes, my lips look a little too purple! I was trying out a new lip color I received in this month’s Birchbox and I think that one will be immediately retired.)
My cappuccino was great but Ryan’s latte stole the show!
My goofy date (all hopped up on espresso):
For lunch, I selected an egg and avocado sandwich served on one of the most fantastic cheddar biscuits.
Everything was so incredibly fresh and absolutely melted in my mouth. Each bite overflowed with sharp cheddar cheese flavor. YUM.
Freedom Park
After lunch, we made our way to Freedom Park where my friend Caitlin encouraged us to park and walk around.
I changed into the “play clothes” I packed in the car just in case we felt like exploring which was a great decision since cartwheels aren’t exactly a ladylike thing to do when you’re wearing a dress.
(If we ever come back to visit Charlotte, I really want to rent the bikes you can see behind me. I think that would be such a fun way to see the city!)
We had a great time walking around the park, people watching and taking in the beautiful greenery. The weather was a bit cloudy at first, but eventually the sun came out and the afternoon morphed into perfect outdoor walking weather.
Ryan and I both noticed lots of kids out playing and even stumbled upon a lemonade stand where we had to stop to buy a glass from three adorable girls.
Drink up!
Cowfish
We walked around the Freedom Park and explored nearby neighborhoods (and saw some ridiculously amazing houses) and after a few hours, we were ready for an early dinner. We drove around for a little while before stumbling upon The Cowfish, a sushi and burger bar.
The concept intrigued us since neither of us had ever been to a restaurant that served burgers and sushi. I’m glad we decided to stop in because it was quite good!
(I love my husband!)
The atmosphere was upbeat and fun and the extensive menu offered no storage of delicious-looking entree options. I selected two sushi rolls and Ryan opted for a burger topped with ham and a fried egg. Both selections were wonderful!
It was a great end to a great day in Charlotte!
We will be making the drive back to Florida late this morning but have enjoyed our time in Charlotte very much. I’m off to sneak in a quick visit with Caitlin before we hit the road!
Hope you had a wonderful weekend!
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I love just taking my time, going around a new city, trying new restaurants. I feel like every time I travel I don’t have much time to ever do that.
I think the lipstick looks great on you … maybe you are just not used to the colour yet.
That’s funny that you noticed the differences in the grass! Your egg and avocado biscuit has my mouth watering. Looks like you had a great weekend!
Sunflour Baking Company looks absolutely adorable! Love the little cup they had for your cap. And that cheese biscuit is melting my heart right now…can you tell I’m from the South? 😉
So glad you enjoyed my town, it is a GREAT place to live!!
Haha I must have recieved the same gloss from birchbox and I immediatly wiped it off because of how bright it was!
I’ve never had a dirty chai latte before but it sounds like something I would like! I can’t even remember the last time I’ve seen a lemonade stand! It must’ve been several years ago! Looks like you had a great weekend!
I agree about the bikes! It would be an awesome way to explore a city 🙂
I want a dirty chai!!
I live in Charlotte, so this was really fun to read! I’m so glad you tried Sunflour – it’s right across the street from my house and is definitely a local fave.
We love your husband too. He always seems like a good sport in pix!
I love your blue shirt, where did you get it?
I LOVE Cowfish! And Charlotte. Such a fun city.
I used to do cartwheels and roundoff’s all the time, but last summer I did it for the first time in YEARS… and omg Julie, my inner thigh must’ve pulled a muscle or something, it was brutal. Lol.
What a fun weekend!!! I think I got that same color in my birchbox, I think it’s fun but definitely not something I can pull off! Birchbox gone wild 🙂
That’s where I run! Glad y’all liked Cowfish, it’s one of my sister and I’s favorites!
Looks like a great weekend, that sushi looks delish 🙂 Are those Nike trainers btw? x
Hi Julie,
I’ve been reading your blog for years from the state of Virginia. Last week my fiancé got a job offer from the Jacksonville Jaguars (he does athletic fields)! So we are moving to Jacksonville within the next month…
What can you tell us about life in Florida!?
Hey Julie– So glad you were able to explore the Queen City! I moved here about 9 months ago and absolutely love it! You definitely hit up some of my favorite spots — especially Cowfish! Glad to hear you had a good trip! 🙂
I visited Charlotte for the first time this year, and I loved it! It’s a clean, beautiful city. I would definitely rent the bikes next time also. I also want to hit up Cowfish. The wait was over an hour and a half when we tried to.
I definitely enjoyed your post!
What a fun day! I was JUST saying how much I was craving sushi – you just further solidified that! Yum!
Ahhh, wish I’d known you were here! 🙂 My little man and I love visiting Freedom Park, and I totally would have recommended Cowfish, one of my fav CLT restaurants. So glad y’all had fun!!