Charlotte sits at the crossroads of nearby fun

Rocky Shoal Spider Lillies at the Landsford Canal State Park in Chester County, S.C.

Short on time. Short on gas money. Sound familiar?

But if you're looking for super-easy pit-stop getaways – places to see that are just a brief detour from where you're heading – you're in the right place: The main roads from Charlotte to elsewhere have much that's close at hand. Some suggestions:

The N.C. Vietnam Veterans Highway Memorial is at a pull-over an hour north of Charlotte and 30 minutes south of Greensboro. Its brick-and-stone wall echoes the National Vietnam Memorial in Washington. It's a peaceful place with extensive landscaping, a walking trail and picnic tables.

Salisbury sports a well-preserved downtown. You may want to park and take a self-guided walking tour; details: www.ci.salisbury.nc.us/heritage_tour.html. Salisbury was also site of a POW camp during the Civil War; the grounds were long ago converted into a national cemetery. A visit there is a moving experience. www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/salisbury.asp.

Spencer, immediately north of Salisbury (at Exit 79), was once held the locomotive-repair works for Southern Railway. The facility is now the N.C. Transportation Museum – with the old roundhouse that holds about 40 restored engines/cars, a short-line railroad, a collection of antique autos and more. See exhibits for free; small fee to ride train or turntable. www.nctrans.org.

The Kings Mountain exit near the S.C. line (N.C. Exit 2) takes you quickly to Kings Mountain National Military Park, the free-to-see site of a game-changing American victory over the Redcoats in 1780. Revisit the Revolution by walking the paved, self-guided 1.5-mile Battlefield Trail Loop (moderate-to-steep). www.nps.gov/kimo.

A water tower put Gaffney, S.C., on the map, and you'll see it looming 135 feet above the highway between exits 90 and 92. It's impossible to miss the Peachoid: Its million-gallon tank is craftily painted to resemble an enormous piece of fruit. The Peachoid turns up in many books about oddball roadside attractions, so pull into the little park there and take a picture.

Wineries now operate across North Carolina but the Yadkin River area north of Charlotte is especially lush. You'll find eight of them between Hamptonville and Dobson that are just minutes off I-77. www.visitncwine.com/wineries.

Landsford Canal State Park wraps around what remains of 1820s Catawba River Canal and the trail at this S.C. park (a bit over a mile), walks you through the canal's brief history. The park's also known for spider lilies that live in the Catawba and bloom spectacularly in spring. Park admission: $2. Just take Exit 77 and follow U.S. 21 South. Watch for signs. www.southcarolinaparks.com.

Taking this interstate to Asheville or points west? Make a detour at Morganton and drive 10 miles northwest on N.C. 181 – especially if it's after nightfall. To your right is Brown Mountain, and its Brown Mountain Lights – mysterious nocturnal hillside illumination that has intrigued people since the Cherokees lived in the area. UFOs? Spirits? Natural phenomenon? Depends on whom you ask. www.brownmountainlights.org.

I-77 South to Columbia, then I-20 East to the coast may be the fastest route to Myrtle Beach, but take time to visit Camden – just 1.4 miles north of I-20 – to linger a bit in the past. The oldest inland town in the Palmetto State showcases Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site, a 107-acre outdoor museum complex that shows what life there was like in Colonial/Revolutionary times. www.historic-camden.net.

Lake Waccamaw State Park is close by the main route to Wilmington, 30 minutes shy of the Cape Fear River. The park's centerpiece is an unusual lake, 35 square miles but only seven feet deep. The lake is quite ancient (prehistoric whale bones have been found in it) and odd (rare mollusks live there). Anglers can try for bass and bluegill. Hikers can keep an eye peeled for Venus flytrap and four other carnivorous plants. www.ncparks.gov.

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