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Tags: Killer New Music Venues / Live Music / Best-Small-New-Music-Venues-in-the-US / Music Travel / Charlotte Travel / → All Tags

Silversun Pickups at the Brand New Fillmore Charlotte

When you think of the Fillmore the first thing that pops into your head is sparkling chandeliers, thick ruby curtains, a wooden dance floor and legendary shows. The legendary auditorium on Fillmore and Geary hosted *everyone* in the sixites, and when it was reopened in the eighties it didn't skip a beat. We have been lucky enough to see plenty of shows at the SF Fillmore, thus when we heard Charlotte was opening a new Fillmore in June of 2009 we were anxious to check it out.

Charlotte is a millennial city in every way and in the midst of a ten year boom, so it makes perfect sense that the Fillmore brand chose the Queen City as a key spot for Fillmore brand expansion.

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Tags: Roller Coasters / Theme Parks / Amusement Parks / Nascar / → All Tags

Weeks Later, There's Already Another Dale Earnhardt Coaster

The Intimidator has already risen again. Just a few weeks after the announcement of a new record setting Dale Earnhardt themed coaster, another theme park in the south wants a piece of the NASCAR action. Carowinds, just outside of Charlotte, has revealed the details on their biggest and baddest roller coaster yet.

This new thriller is different than the initial Earnhardt ride, so coaster fans from across the country will have a couple new things to test out for the 2010 season. This ride will climb to 232 feet tall, and then pretty much drop you right back down, as the first drop is 211 feet towards the ground. Of course after that they’ll be plenty of twists, turns, and drops that will make anyone regret that corn dog that they had before boarding. Although not quite racecar speeds, the coaster will hit 75 MPH, which is not too shabby.

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Tags: New Routes / Airline News / Hawaii Travel / US Airways / CLT / → All Tags

US Airways Says Aloha All The Way From Charlotte

Despite the slowdown in the travel industry and flight capacity cuts, US Airways is moving forward with a new route to Honolulu. Beginning on December 17—ideal timing for Christmas vacations—the airline will be sending a Boeing 767 all the way to Hawaii from Charlotte. This will be the airline’s longest nonstop flight from its North Carolina hub, with the 10-hour flight easily beating out trips to Europe.

Tickets are available now, and if you really want to get on the very first trip, it looks like it will set you back about $964. We’d look for a better deal, since there probably won’t be too much fanfare to celebrate this inaugural voyage. At least it leaves at 9:45am, so you’ll be able to kick-off your tropical trip when you arrive at 2:59 pm Hawaii time.

Our biggest concern with this new plan is that it’s a really lengthy flight on an airline not known for their in-flight amenities. Remember that they just recently reversed their position on charging for drinks. And a quick reference check of our handy dandy in-flight entertainment guide reveals that we’ll be struggling with an overhead movie and 10 channels of rad music—if we’re lucky.

At least once the plane lands in the Aloha State, all will be well with the world—until you fly home.

Related Stories:
· US Airways To Offer A Nonstop Flight To Hawaii [Charlotte Observer]
· Sip Pre-Flight Mai Tais Upstairs In Delta's Newish 747 To Hawaii [Jaunted]
· Airline News coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: John Creasey]

Tags: Hotels / Airport Hotels / Business Travel / Hyatt Place / → All Tags

Hyatt Place Warms Our Heart While On Business

When we are away from the Jaunted office, there’s a short list of things we look for in a hotel stay. We want something that’s comfortable, clean, and accessible to whatever we’re in town for. We’ll leave all the fancy pants stuff up to our sister site, Hotel Chatter; they’re way better at that than we are.

On our recent Charlotte Field Trip, we got to try out Hyatt’s new offering—Hyatt Place—and we were really digging it, so much so that we’re willing to trade in our usual love for Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton Garden Inn. From now on, when it comes to a somewhat budget friendly business lodging, we say go Hyatt or go home.

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Tags: Charlotte Field Trip / Pizza / Restaurants / → All Tags

The Pizza Places Of Charlotte

On your next layover in Charlotte, don't be afraid to check out the city if you have the time. There’s a lot more to do than to just chill out on those rocking chairs between the terminals. Here are some tips for getting around quickly.

A trip to Charlotte isn’t all about checking out different neighborhoods and fooling around on the light rail. It’s serious work that creates some serious hunger, and we knew we wanted to check out the Queen City’s pizza scene while we were in town. Obviously, the city isn’t a place know for their pizza, but we did discover a few shining stars.

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Tags: Charlotte Field Trip / Attractions / Malls / → All Tags

Hanging Around Charlotte's EpiCentre

On your next layover in Charlotte, don't be afraid to check out the city if you have the time. There’s a lot more to do than to just chill out on those rocking chairs between the terminals. Here are some tips for getting around quickly.

Every city that wants its share of the spotlight tries to create some sort of downtown entertainment and shopping Mecca. We recently saw Los Angeles adding to its “arsenal” of downtown attractions, and during our recent field trip we witnessed what Charlotte has up its sleeve. After taking the LYNX Blue Line to Uptown, we stumbled upon the city’s newest complex—The EpiCentre.

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Tags: Charlotte Field Trip / Neighborhoods / To Do in Charlotte / → All Tags

The Queen City's South End Neighborhood Shines

On your next layover in Charlotte, check out the city if you have time. There’s a lot more to do than to just chill out on those rocking chairs between the terminals.

If you’re not feeling hip enough to hang out with the cool kids in NoDa, there’s always Charlotte’s South End neighborhood. A mix of urban development and historic mills allows even the most timid traveler to find something to call his own. There area is a lot bigger and spread out than we imagined, but if you stick to Camden Road and the side streets you’ll be all set.

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Say Meow To The Charlotte LYNX

On your next layover in Charlotte, don't be afraid to check out the city if you have the time. There’s a lot more to do than to just chill out on those rocking chairs between the terminals. Here are some tips for getting around quickly.

Late in 2007, Charlotte cut the ribbon on its new light rail system. The LYNX Blue Line connects Uptown (which non-residents would think of as downtown) with a portion of the outer 485 beltline to the south. Of course the initial response was positive, but as things moved forward the criticism began to roll in. Some even wondered if the whole project was worth it and questioned its profitability.

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Tags: Charlotte Field Trip / Art Travel / Galleries / Neighborhoods / → All Tags

The South Shows Off Its Trendy Side in NoDa

On your next layover in Charlotte, check out the city if you have time. There’s a lot more to do than to just chill out on those rocking chairs between the terminals.

Escape the shackles of your business lodging in Uptown and drive straight up North Davidson Street until you hit something a little trendy. NoDa starts, and pretty much ends, towards the finale of North Davidson around the intersection of 36th Street. The historic arts neighborhood is a funky collection of shops, galleries, and restaurants. It’s refreshing, especially when compared to some of the more cookie cutter offerings in suburban Charlotte.

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Tags: Bad Seatmates / Airline Hell / United / Maria Esther Castillo / → All Tags

United Crew Duct Tapes Woman To Seat After In-Flight Ruckus

A 45-year-old woman flying from Puerto Rico to Chicago on United Saturday was duct taped to her seat by the crew after she allegedly slapped a flight attendant on the butt, threw a wet cloth across the cabin, poked and prodded her fellow seatmates and stumbled over another passenger before pulling her hair.

Eventually, the pilot decided to divert to Charlotte to toss Maria Esther Castillo from the flight. Once on the ground, she racked up a charge of resisting arrest to go with her count of interfering with a flight crew after, apparently, resisting arrest.

She's headed to a detention hearing in federal court tomorrow at 10 am, during which we'll hopefully learn more about what exactly was on that "wet cloth." We're so hoping it was just water.

Related Stories:
· Passenger Jailed in Flight Disturbance [Charlotte Observer]
· Bad Seatmates coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of what's probably behind all this: prettywar-stl]

Tags: Theme Parks / Roller Coasters / Amusement Parks / → All Tags

Theme Parks Travel: The Carolina Cobra Strikes (Again)

Everyone loves when a theme park snags a killer new ride. But a recycled coaster that's coming from a now-closed park isn't what fans of Carowinds were expecting. Sitting on the border of the two Carolinas, the park recently announced that new for the 2009 season will be The Carolina Cobra, a ride from the now-shuttered Geauga Lake in Ohio.

The park, acquired by Cedar Fair in 2006, is at least planning a total overhaul of the ride at a cost of $4 million. The coaster is a boomerang type and will turn guests upside down frequently during the ride around the track. Thing is, there are already 60 similar coasters across the country.

Apparently, the marketing campaign--including a mysterious crate outside the main gate, webcam and a coaster page on MySpace--has only yielded the Cobra 12 Facebook friends. We'll try to contain our excitement until we can experience it in person.

Related Stories:
· Coming to Carowinds: This Cobra Will Bite Again [Charlotte Observer]
· Carowinds [Official Site]
· Theme Parks coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Carowinds]

Tags: Active Travel / Summer Travel / Hiking / Rafting / → All Tags

Active Travel: Training for Your Olympic Dreams

Now that you've earned a gold medal in sitting--for parking yourself in front of the Olympics all weekend--it's time to get moving. You can work on your own dreams of 2012 in London with a trip to the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte.

Celebrating its second birthday this month, the $38-million facility promotes active and healthy relationships with the outdoors. The center has whitewater rafting and kayaking, hiking and even a climbing gym. Eleven miles of trails for both hikers and mountain bikers surround the central buildings, and there's even an "eco-caching" area for a green-focused spin on geocaching.

As you test out your skills on the world's largest artificial whitewater river, you'll be able to walk away with an increased knowledge of rafting, no matter what your experience level. After working up an appetite, there's even the River's Edge Bar and Grill, where you can enjoy a locally grown meal. You may not be ready for 2012, but at least you'll have fun.

Related Stories:
· US National Whitewater Center [Official Site]
· Active Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: US National Whitewater Center]