Wow this was a micro craft distillery at its best. Customer service, selection, and knowledge. They…read moretruly deserve being the face of the charlotte area whiskey. 1st entering, you walk into a small area with a gift shop area, bar area, and small separate sitting area on the first floor. The small sitting area also houses their original small still they currently produce their gin in. Pretty cool piece of history. So about the juice...They're really got some good stuff. You can do a curated flight for 10 dollars each pour, you can also do single pours of whatever they have available as well from their core products to the single barrels. I really love what they're doing with the "Story" line where they experiment with different finishes and blends. I'm not a huge rye guy but they are certainly doing it right. That says a lot for me to grab 2 to take home of their rye single barrels..my bartender was so cool and knowledgeable I even grabbed the one he actually picked. Overall 10/10. They're giving the bigger names a definite run for their money. You will not go wrong supporting and drinking local with them. Hands down the best in the charlotte area. They do offer shipping but, you NEED to go in for the full experience and the option to grab distillery exclusive bottles. #Foodierunner approved lol

It was a scorching hot North Carolina day in April when we arrived for the afternoon tour at…read moreSouthern Grace Distillery. We had paid in advance and made it just in the nick of time to join our group of about a dozen people. The crowd was a mix of adults and children; personally, I didn't quite understand the presence of kids on a jailhouse and whiskey tour, but the group was ready to dive into the history. The tour kicked off with chilling news of hauntings. Our guide mentioned that the show "Ghost Hunters" had even visited the site, certifying the old jail as haunted--though fortunately by "friendly" spirits. The sensory experience was a bit of a rollercoaster. I generally enjoy the scent of bourbon, and the initial aroma upon entering the distillery is quite pleasant. However, the main room where we spent a significant portion of the tour had a scent that was overwhelming and wholly unpleasant. That said, the content of the tour was good. It provided a well-balanced mix of intriguing historical facts about the prison and the technical side of whiskey making. The kids got restless during the tour and actually started brutally kicking each other in the shins. They each had on shell toed Crocs, so you could hear the crunch of bone and flesh beneath each kick. Their parents let it go on indefinitely. The hour passed quickly and was well worth the $14 adult admission. The tasting at the end is not for the faint of heart. They serve hard liquor, and I do mean HARD. My lips were numbing and my face was next. I had to tap out after the third swig! On the bright side, the gift shop is fantastic. They have the most darling items; we walked away with two tote bags and a delicious pink lemonade drink that will be perfect for sharing with friends this summer. This is a unique, affordable way to spend an hour, provided you can handle the heat and the high proof!

With monuments from Pennsylvania and Maine, dedicated to the soldiers from those states who came to…read morethe South to fight in the Civil War, this is a peaceful and quiet place. I was here on Memorial Day Weekend with all of the flags laid out. A great tribute to our military. Prior to being a cemetery, the land was an abandoned cotton mill before it was converted into a military prison. At one time, it held as many as 10,000 men and in such a tight area, there was disease. Many died from malnutrition and were buried in mass graves. It is a column place and I was glad to have visited on this weekend. You won't be able to miss the Federal Monument to the Unknown Dead, a 38 foot tall granite obelisk. There are a number of context markers that explain the layout and history. [Review 1123 of 2024 - 3618 in North Carolina - 22147 overall]

This cemetery is the historic, original national cemetery. It's operated and run by the main annex…read moreon Statesville Blvd. near the VA Center, but is worth stopping by for the historical significance. The minute I drove in I could see the difference: the large cast iron gates and stone perimeter fence, the multiple plaques and monument to the unknown soldiers, the Maine and Pennsylvania monuments honoring the soldiers from those states that died in the prison camps of the 1860s. There's a lot to see in this 12 acres. The trees and vegetation are larger, more established, and there's less of frenetic pace here than in the newer location. It's what you would expect, the immediate emotion evident in the newer locale is here replaced by the bittersweet sadness of monuments to those who may no longer have living relatives or any who can come by regularly. There were only a few people at this spot, all elderly, paying respects to Korean or Vietnam war vets, buried here just before the new annex opened. There's a stateliness about this spot and a more intimate feeling. It's beautifully maintained. The state has kept this location as well groomed as the newer national cemetery annex. It's a fascinating location to visit and pay respects, before or after visiting the new cemetery, and it matters little if you're a history buff or not.

I have been to this museum several times through the years. They are constantly making…read moreimprovements, and expanding their collections. I brought my 7 year old goddaughter and her family recently. In honor of my dad, who was a huge train buff, I splurged for tickets to ride in the engine with the engineer for 2 of our party, and the rest rode in the caboose. There were interesting things to see for every member of our group. The 7 year old loved the interactive exhibits, so did her older brothers. I was pleasantly surprised by the prices in the gift shop. A lot of museums mark their merchandise up a lot. I found the prices very reasonable here. I was also glad to see that they had bathrooms at good intervals throughout the museum, with the newer ones including water fountains with a bottle filler. This museum is perfect for people of all ages.

This was all about John- I love a good museum and I do love Trains and planes and such- but John…read morecould've spent all day here exploring! We spent about 2.5 hours. It is a massive museum, the grounds sprawling, so many massive buildings to explore! I particularly loved the train lights and gates you can test out when walking up. I seriously want to bring the grandkids here soon! We explored, rode the train, explored some more and grabbed a couple of train souvenirs for the kids!

Such a GORGEOUS park in the middle of small town North Carolina just outside of Charlotte. Lake…read moresports, fishing, children's parks and events, the place is HUGE. Camping hours locks you in after closing with private access should you need to exit. Ranger is a friendly bloke that was so helpful. Peaceful, full hookups and onsite black tank disposal. Note, it's a public park - so you're not going to have control over whom your neighbours are, but we got lucky and the possible problem guests were leaving as we arrived (yay!).

Nice, spacious park!!! The playground areas, alone, is worth the drive, it's huge and great for all…read moreages!! There's also a carousel, a barnyard to pet farm animals, an aquarium/exhibit with live animals inside of it in the nature center, a splash pad, mini golf, trails for walking, and some wildlife habitats outside that have wild animals as well. We didn't get to do the train, as it was closed; but there was still so much to enjoy at the park. Me and my bestie brought our kids and they had a blast! We spent a solid 2-3 hrs there and had a great time. It's also very inexpensive!! Some things that I will say is that the bathrooms are not very clean and don't even work but it's an old place, so that's to be expected and we're not there to use the restroom, we're there to play! Bring cash for extra things, like carousel, barnyard, animal exhibits, etc...sometimes their card reader doesn't work and they can only accept cash. There's even a cute place to shop where you purchase tickets for everything with toys and snacks inside! All in all, we had a great time! Keep in mind this place is old, but it definitely still has charm, and stands out against the other parks around. The animal exhibits, including the barnyard petting activity is a hit or miss, because this place is not a zoo. The animals have plenty of room to hide and/or roam to get space, which is a great thing!!! But some people might be upset after paying and not really being able to see the animals. Highly recommend!!! Go if you haven't!!!!

It was my first visit back since the ownership and name change, and I have to say I really enjoyed…read moremyself. The owners were tending bar, and they had an awesome musician and a food truck (side chicks). We went for two flight/tastings, which came with five 1.5 ounce pours of your choice. We opted for three whites (Sauv Blanc, Viognier, and Riesling) and all the reds (Merlot, Montepulciano, Chambourcin, cab Sauvignon, and a couple of blends (including a meritage). They are in the process of releasing a new Monte/nebbiolo blend, which I'm thrilled we were able to try. All the wines were delightful, but I was particularly fond of the mystique (Chambourcin), meritage, and the cab. Good s were vice, friendly atmosphere, and tasty wines to please any pallet await you a Gioia Dell Amore!

Spent a lovely afternoon here. They have a cozy log cabin tasting room where you can taste your…read morechoice of 5 wines for $15. We shared two tastings so we were able to taste 10 wines. There is a large offering of over 20 varieties. One of the current owners led our tasting and gave us detailed explanations of the history and thought process behind each wine. There are 11 wines that were the original Autumn Creek wines and then the new owners have added some new wines and new blends under the label Gioia dell'Amore Cellars. We liked all of the wines that we tasted. Our favorites were the Diamond Girl White & Red Blends and the Embrace Meritage red blend. After our tasting we purchased a bottle of Diamond Girl Red to enjoy on property. Outside the tasting room are a large deck and a brick patio with sweeping views of grapevines, a pond, a waterfall, a gazebo, a covered area and an event venue (where an anniversary party was taking place). It made for a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon.

Have to say I was not impressed at all with this place. A lot of gimmicky items for sale, and while…read moreyou can find that at any store, the vibe here was just off for me. The sole employee there standing behind the counter and flirting with some girl the whole time by do a fake tarot reading on her. Amateur. Meanwhile not doing his job or helping in any way. Hard pass.

Went today and met a wonderful lady who took The time…read moreTo explain the crystals. They were out of what I was looking for but found a wonderful alternative. Will definitely be back