How I survived a bachelorette weekend in Charlotte
I woke up Friday morning skeptical. My inbox was filled with emails about my out-of-town friend’s bachelorette weekend, which was about to commence in Charlotte that afternoon.
I was still wondering: Why was Charlotte the pick for the weekend, when destination cities like Charleston, Nashville and even Asheville were within reach? And why were Buffalo Wild Wings at the EpiCentre and the Sea Life Charlotte-Concord Aquarium on the itinerary? And why was I, the resident writer focused on all things Charlotte, not consulted about said itinerary?
I mentally slapped myself on the wrist for being judgmental about the choices. But …
If I were consulted about planning a bachelorette weekend in Charlotte, I’d throw out some options to choose from. I’d suggest a wine-bar crawl with stops like Vin Master, Dilworth Tasting Room, Foxcroft Wine Co. and Napa on Providence.
I’d suggest sunshine-soaking activities like hiking the trails of the U.S. National Whitewater Center or Crowders Mountain, or plopping on a bench swing at NoDa Company Store or in a brewery beer garden for a more passive approach.
I’d suggest bopping in and out of galleries in South End or uptown if we’re feeling artsy.
I’d suggest a concert at The Fillmore, or The Neighborhood Theatre.
I’d suggest an elegant dinner at Kindred, or Customshop.
But I wasn’t consulted, so I was along for the ride and nudging myself to be upbeat about it. And to keep my mouth shut and opinions bottled up. Because this weekend wasn’t about me, it wasn’t about my city. It was about my sweet friend who is about to get married. It was about listening to her when she said, two months before walking down the aisle, “I just want to have fun.”
The bridesmaids’ job is to make sure that happens. And it did.
We had a blast catching up for hours over wine from Publix and Treehouse Vineyards, and pizza from Domino’s that I picked up and promptly dropped on the floor of the AirBnb. We dug into huge, fluffy omelets and breakfast casseroles at Terrace Cafe, took in sunlight and exotic plants at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, sniffed and sampled body butters at SouthPark Mall, sipped sangria at NoDa Company Store and cocktails on the patio of Kid Cashew (see, some of my suggestions did make it into the itinerary after all).
We got good sushi at Zen Asian Fusion and we got drinks into the bride’s hand at the EpiCentre. We got a dance floor under her feet.
We danced at Whisky River, we danced at Bubble, we danced at Rooftop 210. I took an entire tequila shot, bit into a lime. I survived a bachelorette weekend in Charlotte, and I surprised myself by having a really, really good time.
The best part: So did the bride.
Photos: Katie Toussaint
This story was originally published March 26, 2017 at 10:00 PM with the headline "How I survived a bachelorette weekend in Charlotte."