Days 8 & 9 in NC — Is Charlotte Really This Boring? 🥱

After saying goodbye to my bestie’s family, we headed to Charlotte—and, well… let’s just say expectations weren’t met. 📚 Imagine On Children’s Library 🕓 4PM visit | Adorable spot for little kids or early readers! Features a mini theater (likely hosts kids’ plays/clubs 🎭). 📖 The books showcased impressive diversity—so different from my grad school days when Ed Young was the only known Asian-American children’s author. Progress! 👏 🍣 Dinner in South Park Searched hard for Chinese food… failed. Settled for a Japanese-Thai fusion spot. Meh. 🌧️ Rainy Day = Plan B 🚈 Light rail ride (kid’s request)—south to north & back. Killed half a day. 🎳 Bowling to salvage the afternoon. Verdict: Charlotte felt underwhelming—lacking both vibes and good eats. We cut the trip short and headed back to RTP early. ⛏️ Detour Adventures! 🌾 Passed cotton fields—cue historical plantation vibes. 💰 Mountain Creek Gold Mine (the private one we could visit—Eureka Mine was closed 😤). Met hardcore gold hunters who showed off their finds + gear, then geeked out about NW gold rushes (since we’re from Seattle!). Their passion was contagious! 🔥 #NCAdventures #CharlotteOrBust #GoldRushVibes #ParentingWinFail 🚂⛏️📚