As an early Christmas gift, Danny received tickets to the ACC Championship in Charlotte, NC to cheer on his Tigers at their big game. This was their first appearance at the playoff game in twenty years and we were so excited to be there. Neither of us having spent time in Charlotte before, we both ended up loving the city, its friendly people, and the great cuisine.
We drove in late Friday night after a pit stop in Clemson (Danny had to get some new team apparel) and hit up Selwyn Avenue Pub, which was recommended to us by Danny's friend at work. It was in a trendy area which I compared to a mix between Virginia Highlands and Buckhead. Immediately we were welcomed by other guests and engaged in friendly chit-chat. The bar was really cool with multiple fire pits on the patio, and people gathered all around. We wanted to stay longer but we knew we needed some rest for the big day ahead of us.
Saturday morning we took Lynx, Charlotte's train system, farther downtown to the stadium. Contrary to Atlanta's Marta, Lynx was clean and tickets are based on the honor system. Fanfest kicked off right as we approached the stadium. Danny got to test out his QB skills, as he tried throwing footballs through the tiny target, we won lots of prizes at the little promotional booths, and got photos with some ACC mascots. As we ventured to find a place to watch the SEC game, somehow Hooter's appeared right in front of us, and we ended up inside. That could have been Danny's choice. Nevertheless, we had a good time, returned to fanfare to people-watch, my favorite pass time, and then again wandered around their artsy downtown and into a nearby restaurant for dinner. It ended up to be another winner, authentic Italian style thin crusts pizzas. Oh, so delicious!
You would have thought we went to Charlotte to eat, but actually it was for football ...which brings us to game time. Inside Bank of America Stadium, where the Panthers play, was a record-setting crowd, very evenly divided between Clemson and Virginia Tech fans. Danny & I sat next to a really fun couple from Greenville. We enjoyed the Tigers' AWESOME performance and I could not have been more excited for a team that wasn't really "my" team. Danny was of course over-the-moon, getting so pumped up that he was warm enough in the 40-degree weather to wear a only short sleeved shirt. Silly guy! However that enthusiasm helped the Tigers to a 38-10 victory! Danny was so proud of his team and nearly brought to tears as the crowd chanted, "Dabo! Dabo!", supporting the coach and the team that many have continually doubted.
Sunday morning we stopped at Bad Daddy's Burger Bar before heading home. Sadly, it put Nifers, our favorite Auburn burger joint, to shame. Danny and I both ranked Charlotte on the list of places to re-visit. I'm not sure what touristy things we would enjoy there, as neither of us were too keen on visiting the Nascar Hall of Fame, but it was a great weekend getaway to a "smaller Atlanta".
