March in Charlotte, North Carolina is a magical time, and easily one of the most beautiful places I have visited. …Okay fine, it's really the BBQ that I love about it, and the fact that my sister lives there gives me the perfect excuse to visit!

I took a trip out to visit my baby sister so that we could celebrate our birthdays together. I am 1 year and 356 days older, except add one day each leap year. Yes, our birthdays are 9 days a part in the best month of the year, March.

My sister was coming in off a trip (she is a flight attendant) the day we were going to meet so we tried to plan my flight around that. We both got in late that night, and we were both starving when we landed. As we drove to my sister’s apartment, we picked up a Papa John's pizza so that we could start eating as soon as we got to her place. However, we decided to be somewhat responsible, so we settled in and unpacked before scarfing down a cheese pizza.

The next day was quite exciting. We had big plans, huge! We were going to the US National Whitewater Center to kayak the Catawba River. What I didn't realize was how amazing the center was. It sits several miles outside the city of Charlotte, but was well worth the drive. We went to Mayo Bird and picked up our to-go chicken salad sandwiches for lunch! It was so good. Their pita chips were borderline addicting! (My sister, and I go every time we are together there now!)

When we got to the Whitewater Center, we payed for parking and headed to the lot that sits in front of the park entrance. We walked to the ticket counter, and paid for our kayaking excursion. (You can white water raft in their man-made white water "track", or climb the rock walls, paddle board, kayak, bike, hike, or zip line... They also have a couple restaurants and a beer garden, and apparently, they play live music from time to time, and dogs are allowed!)

With tickets in handed, and wandered on back to the kayaking center to get outfitted. It was beautiful. The trees were blooming, and everything was so green!!! We got our life vests, grabbed our paddles, then got our kayaks. We took a seat, and the dock "master" shoved us off into the water. I think we easily spent 3 hours on the water, and towards the end the wind had picked up. I couldn't keep up with my sister. She thinks it was me, but I'm 100% certain it was wind... I'm a terrific kayaker! ...and I was giving it my all!. Afterwards, we grabbed a beer and watched the rafter practice on the olympian course.

For dinner, in honor of my/our birthday we went to Tupelo Honey. It was sooooo delicious, also. We got the fried green tomatoes that are, in my opinion, the best item on the menu. For dinner, I had the fried chicken. It is also, exquisite. I love going to the south, simply for the food! That night my arms were so fatigued from fighting the wind and current on the river earlier that day that I could barely sleep.

The next day was just a leisurely day. We started at Amélie's French Bakery & Café in Noda where I proceeded to have one of the best breakfast sandwiches of my life... Okay, so I have a love affair with all the food in Charlotte. My sister really knows how to find the good places!

After breakfast we made our way to The Sleepy Poet, a very large antique shop just down the road. We looked for potential goodies for my sister's new apartment, and she was able to find one item. A cute candle holder with a bird on it... it was so Erica! The shop was full of all sorts of finds for almost anyone, but you definitely have to be in the mood to “hunt”.

Dinner was left overs... and then we were off to a movie... Batman vs. Superman.... yeah, it was a waste of money just like we thought it would be, but what else were we going to do on a rainy, cold night in Charlotte? Afterwords, we headed back to my sister's apartment where we proceeded to watch another movie and bond.

The next morning, we had another relaxed breakfast before we went for a walk in the neighborhood behind my sister's apartment complex. We played the game "that one is mine" haha. We were like a couple of kids dreaming of our future.

With time winding down we headed to lunch. It was BBQ time, the real stuff. We stopped at a fun restaurant, with an old roadhouse feel... You know, the type with all sort of vintage looking pictures and signs on the wall, while you sit at a tall table with paper towels in the corner. The food was dynamite! …but that being said, I do have a weak spot for pulled pork sandwiches... If its on the menu of a BBQ restaurant, that's what I get... and I will rank it, and let you know how it makes me feel.

After BBQ nirvana, it was time to get back to reality... and time to go pack. I had an evening flight, and sadly it was time to go home.

ISSUE 18: Charlotte, NC, USA 2016