Since British and Germans settlers came to the area in the 1700's, Charlotte in North Carolina has been a hive of activity. Following on from the pioneers' discovery of Gold, Charlotte has maintained its financial heritage, being the second largest banking center in the world after New York and containing the headquarters to the Bank of America amongst others.

Surrounded by wide ranging ranches, plantation and great rolling country roads, Charlotte manages to maintain a feeling of space and freedom which is noticeably absent from the other usually congested major cities of America. This helps to lend a liberated sense of the old west cowboy spirit to the region.

If you are into sports, Charlotte has something to offer. With major basketball and football sporting venues, and the huge sprawling structure that is Lowe's Motor Speedway where speedway worshipers come to watch the Nascar races, Charlotte is a great place to get a taste of real American sporting life. Only by becoming a spectator at a live event is it possible to fully appreciate the sheer thrill and enthusiasm, and then be able to properly follow the sport on TV from then on.

For music fans, the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre plays a fabulous outdoor host to some of the biggest names and concert tours for rock, alternative, pop, country, jazz, and rhythm and blues, as well as big special events and festivals.

For a family experience there is always the interactive science and technology museum, while Rays Splash Planet or Paramount's Carowinds themepark which are situated slightly further outside Charlotte will all provide a fun packed day out.

While the city is a great destination in itself, with many attractions, it also provides a brilliant access point to the rest of Carolina. Simply find a hotel in Charlotte and take a daytrip to the Blue Ridge Mountains made famous by the films of Laurel and Hardy, or travel to Kitty Hawk where the Wright brothers first flew.

For anyone looking for something more eclectic, a visit to the Mount Olive Pickle Company, the historic House in the Horseshoe where regular civil war battle re-enactments take place, the lemur centre at Duke University, or a whitewater rafting adventure in the North Carolina Mountains all come highly recommended.

Whether you choose to stay in Charlotte or just visit the many attractions that the state of Carolina has to offer, you are assured of a great vacation.