MediterraneanGrocery Wholesalers in Charlotte, NC

North Carolina is a popular destination this time of year, especially for those who want to admire the vibrant colors of fall foliage.

From the mountains, parks and even some lakes, there are plenty of places around the state to see the autumn leaves changing color this season.

But if you want to go leaf peeping on the road, North Carolina also has some of the best scenic drives in the country, according to a new survey.

Gunther Volkswagen of Coconut Creek surveyed 3,000 people about their favorite routes to see fall foliage across the U.S.

Out of 140 routes, three in North Carolina were included on the list: the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Cherohala Skyway, along with the Boone and Blowing Rock area.

The Blue Ridge Parkway was the top pick in the state and voted in 63rd place nationally. Hailed as “America’s favorite drive,” it is the longest road planned as a single unit in the country. Stretching 469 miles through the region, it connects Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Shenandoah National Park via some of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.

The Cherohala Skyway, which stretches across the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, was No. 85 on the list. The highway, which crosses through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests, winds up over 5,400-foot mountains for 18 miles in North Carolina and descends another 23 miles into Tennessee. Aside from the scenic overlooks around every corner, there are also several hiking trails and waterfalls.

The third North Carolina spot that was top-favored for fall foliage wasn’t a singular route but the entire Boone and Blowing Rock area. According to the survey, it was voted 105th nationally. Located about 2 hours outside of Charlotte, the towns have several hiking trails, parks and more where you can admire the fall foliage.

Overall, drives near Northeastern states were among the best scenic drives for fall foliage. You can find the complete list of top routes for travelers this season online in the report.

While most people tend to venture out for a vacation during summer, there are several fun fall destinations to visit in the Carolinas this season, too.

You can find cities and towns that are perfect to visit during this time of year, especially if you want to go hiking, pumpkin picking or leaf peeping for fall foliage — even for a day.

Here’s a guide to popular places across the state to road trip to this season that are within a 2.5-hour drive from Charlotte:

Distance from Charlotte: 26.8 miles

What to do: Take a hayride and pick a pumpkin at Cherry Place Farm, go apple picking at Windy Hill Orchard & Cider Mill or plan a YoCo Brew Trail brewery crawl.

Distance from Charlotte: 32.1 miles

What to do: Hike to the top of Crowders Mountain, sign up for a wine tasting at Veronét Vineyards & Winery or go to the Great Pumpkin Parade.

Distance from Charlotte: 37.4 miles

What to do: Go pumpkin picking at Carrigan Farms, book a boat cruise to see fall foliage or stroll through the corn field maze at Rural Hill farm.

Distance from Charlotte: 79.2 miles

What to do: Explore the trails at Pilot Mountain State Park, take part in a scavenger hunt around Salem Lake or visit Winston-Salem’s most haunted historical sites.

Distance from Charlotte: 91.3 miles

What to do: Take the Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad, zip through the treetops at High Gravity Adventures Zip Line & Aerial Park or go fishing at a local lake, river or stream.

Distance from Charlotte: 92.2 miles

What to do: Explore Riverbanks Zoo after hours at Boo at the Zoo, shop for fresh fall produce at the South Carolina State Farmers Market or catch a movie at The Nickelodeon theater.

Distance from Charlotte: 99.3 miles

What to do: Take a scenic drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, admire the fall foliage along a waterfall trail or shop for seasonal foods at a farmers’ market.

[RELATED: Fall bucket list: Pumpkin picking, haunted houses and other activities around Charlotte]

Distance from Charlotte: 101 miles

What to do: Stroll around Falls Park on the Reedy, admire art at the Greenville Center for Creative Arts or check out Vault & Vator, the city’s first and only speakeasy-style cocktail lounge.

Distance from Charlotte: 111 miles

What to do: Walk across the Mile High Swinging Bridge at Grandfather Mountain, take a thrill ride through the forests at Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster or enjoy a glass of wine and live music at Grandfather Vineyard and Winery.

Distance from Charlotte: 128 miles

What to do: Stroll through the 434-acre North Carolina Arboretum, sign up for a haunted ghost tour, or check out work from local artists in the River Arts District.

Distance from Charlotte: 143 miles

What to do: Plan a picnic at Falls Lake, pick the perfect pumpkin at Holder Hill Farm or take a trolley tour to see seasonal blooms at Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

It’s no secret that Charlotte’s food scene is constantly growing with new restaurants and bars every year.

We shared 10 hot restaurants earlier in the year, and those spots probably haven’t slowed down much. But nothing stays still in Charlotte.

Over 180 new food and drink spots around town have opened or plan to this year alone, adding to the long list of beloved restaurants in the area. So it can be pretty difficult to narrow down where to grab a bite to eat when we’re blessed with so many food options to choose from.

Whether you’re going out for dinner, drinks or even brunch, here’s a new list of some of the hottest restaurants in Charlotte right now:

Location: 15906 Old Statesville Rd, Huntersville, NC 28078

Location: Ballantyne Village, 14825 Ballantyne Village Way, Suite A-150, Charlotte, NC 28277 (opening this fall)

Want to try out classic Cuban cuisine with a twist? Check out Azúcar and enjoy a variety of dishes, drinks and small bites for brunch, lunch and dinner. The family-owned Lake Norman restaurant opened last year in Huntersville but has become so popular that the team is expanding to Ballantyne Village and opening a second location this fall.

Location: 510 E 15th St, Charlotte, NC 28206

Bird Pizzeria was recently named one of Southern Living’s best new restaurants in the South. After serving slices as a pop-up, co-owners Kerrel and Nkem Thompson opened their brick-and-mortar in late 2021. Nestled in a small takeout space in Optimist Park, the couple’s local pizza shop is known for its East Coast-style pies made that you can personalize with your choice of meat and veggies.

Location: 1942 E 7th St #106, Charlotte, NC 28204

Catalina Kitchen & Bar is one of the newest spots to hit Charlotte’s food scene, owned by NFL Hall of Famer and television commentator Mike Ditka. The restaurant opened last month in the Elizabeth neighborhood, serving up seafood, salads, protein bowls and pasta, plus specialty cocktails, 60 wines, and 10 local and regional beers on tap. Right now, the restaurant is only serving dinner, but lunch and brunch service will soon be available, too.

Location: 400 S Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28285

Whether you’re stopping by for breakfast, lunch or dinner, Coquette will make you feel like you’re in an intimate, French countryside cafe right in the middle of uptown. The new restaurant, which opened in August, offers a spin on traditional French dishes with a long list of bar snacks, small plates, dishes, fresh pastries, cocktails and more.

Location: The Line in South End, 2151 Hawkins St, Suite 120., Charlotte, NC 28203

Chapter 6 is bringing a taste of Western Mediterranean cuisine right to South End. The new spot, which is part of the Rare Roots Hospitality restaurant group behind Dressler’s and Fin & Fino, overlooks the Rail Trail. Expect to enjoy small plates that showcase the flavors of the coasts and fields of Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, France and Italy.

Location: 1120 S Tryon St #100, Charlotte, NC 28203

Culinary Dropout, a popular Arizona-based restaurant, just opened its first East Coast location in Charlotte. The new spot in South End serves “classic comfort food done right”with charcuterie boards, sandwiches, pasta, pan pizza and more. There’s also a 360-degree bar, pet-friendly outdoor patio and a stage for live performances.

Location: 327 W. Tremont Ave., Charlotte, NC 28203

Location: Optimist Hall, 1115 N Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28206

Location: The Alley at Latta Arcade, 320 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202 (coming soon)

The Dumpling Lady has long been a hot spot in town from its early days as a food truck back in 2017, before opening in Optimist Hall. But now you can also get your dumpling fix at the second and largest location in South End. The local restaurant is also expanding to uptown next year in The Alley at Latta Arcade to serve up its popular dumplings and other Sichuan staples.

Location: 4905 Ashley Park Ln, Charlotte, NC 28210

Celebrity chef David Burke is no stranger to Charlotte’s culinary scene, and his newest restaurant just opened in SouthPark. The Fox & The Falcon, is designed as an elevated modern steakhouse. You’ll be able to find some popular items from Burke’s signature menu at the Sharon Square eatery, including Tomahawk steak, lobster dumplings and his famous clothesline bacon.

[CHARLOTTE’S HIDDEN GEMS: After reading about our city’s hot spots, check out 20 of the best underrated restaurants.]

Location: Ballantyne Village, 14819 Ballantyne Village Way Charlotte, NC 28277

There are several rooftop bars and restaurants around Charlotte, but Hestia Rooftop offers a view like no other. Check out uptown’s skyline, Carowinds’ roller coasters and even the foothills off in the distance when skies are clear while enjoying signature cocktails, sushi, steak and more. The upscale Asian restaurant now also offers brunch service every Sunday.

Location: The Market at 7th Street, 224 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28202

Craving some seafood? Make a trip to The Market at 7th Street and grab a bite at Jimmy Pearls. The fast casual, coastal-inspired restaurant offers crab cakes, fish sandwiches, grits topped with shrimp, fish or veggies, and more. Jimmy Pearls has also welcomed a new lunch concept, Luxury Lunches, into their space on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Location: 1415 Vantage Park Drive #100, Charlotte, NC 28203

Want to get the experience of wine country without traveling? Head to Sixty Vines in South End. With more than 60 wines on tap, shareables, small bites and seasonal entrées inspired by vineyards around the world, Sixty Vines is designed to give guests a taste of wine country culture whether they’re grabbing a drink or sitting down for a meal.

Location: 3521 Dewitt Lane, Charlotte, NC 28217

Grab a bite, play games and listen to live music at the newest food and entertainment venue in town: SupperClub SouthEnd. The new spot will have a menu heavily influenced by French and Italian cuisine, along with craft cocktails and a beer and wine program, plus a gaming area with duckpin bowling, pool tables, shuffleboard, air hockey and more.

Melissa Oyler and Heidi Finley contributed to this report.

This story was originally published October 17, 2023, 6:00 AM.

Now that fall has arrived, the weather in Charlotte is finally cooling off. This week, there’s been a break in the warm weather with highs in the mid-70s, and dropping down to the 40s and 50s overnight into the mornings.

As the year wraps up, it’ll only get colder. But is there a chance of snow in the forecast as the year wraps up?

Historically, climate experts say the chances of any snow before the end of the year tend to be lower than the chance of snow that might come later in the heart of winter.

According to Corey Davis, an assistant state climatologist from the North Carolina State Climate Office, only about 14 percent of previous snow days in Charlotte happened in November or December. Most have been in January, February, March or April.

“Looking at data from recent years, we have recent history on our side for getting snow but we also have our longer term climatology that kind of works against the odds of snow before the end of the year,” Davis told The Charlotte Observer.

“We are going into an El Niño pattern for this coming winter. Those tend to be a little bit wetter for us in North Carolina in really getting more of those storm systems kind of up across our state or along the coast. They can bring wintry effects sometimes.”

In June, NOAA declared that El Niño conditions had officially developed, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. According to the NC State Climate Office, it typically has the strongest impacts on the weather in the Southeast in December, January and February.

The last time we went into an El Niño winter back in 2018, Davis said the Charlotte area got 2.9 inches of snow during the first week of December. But it’s still too early to say for certain whether or not there will be snow before it’s time to ring in the new year.

“El Niño has historically been, at least, wetter for us. In some cases, they’ve been a little bit snowier. But also, the last few have been pretty warm as well so that certainly doesn’t guarantee snow this year,” Davis explained. “I remember back then [in December 2018] thinking ‘this could be a good winter for snow’ and that was really the only snow event that we saw the entire season.”

The Charlotte area didn’t get any snow last winter when the Carolinas were “locked into a warmer weather pattern for a lot of this year” like La Niña, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

“There are similar cycles that we can get locked into for weeks or months at a time,” Mike Rehnberg, a meteorologist at the NWS in Charlotte previously said. “It just so happened that we were locked into these cycles for a huge portion of the 2022-23 winter season that lowered the opportunities for winter weather in the Carolinas.”

The last time it snowed in Charlotte was January 2022, when 4.3 inches fell. Since 1878, there have been 12 winters where Charlotte has recorded no snow.

While it’s still unclear what’s in the forecast for this winter, there are parts of North Carolina that typically do get snow every year, and some aren’t too far from Charlotte, like Boone and Banner Elk.

“Our higher elevation areas, especially the top of Grandfather Mountain, the top of Mt. Mitchell, these places that are more than a mile up in elevation, they’re pretty regular in getting snowfall every year,” Davis said. “Last year was a snowless winter across most of the Piedmont. It was really only those mountain areas that picked up any snow.”

But if Charlotte does get snow, it likely won’t be much in comparison to the mountain areas.

“The annual snowfall in Charlotte is 3.5 inches,” Davis said. “We could easily see that much in a single storm. There have also been years where we’ve had only two or three more minor storms that haven’t added up to 3.5 inches. So in terms of telling whether we’d be above or below that average, it’s really hard to do going into a winter because it’s so dependent on the types of events we get.”

Charlotte Observer reporter Evan Moore contributed to this report.

Sept 19 (Reuters) - Charlotte, N.C., has been among the largest U.S. cities without any legal education options since 2017, when the for-profit Charlotte School of Law shuttered amid pressure from the American Bar Association and federal and state regulators.

But another North Carolina institution is aiming to fill that gap. Elon University said on Tuesday it plans to offer a part-time juris doctor program in Charlotte starting next fall, pending approval by the ABA. Students in Elon’s Law Flex Program would be able to complete their law degrees in as few as four years and would be able to work full time while also attending classes, officials said.

Elon University President Connie Ledoux Book said during a press conference on Tuesday that the law school’s faculty has been planning its expansion into Charlotte since 2018.

Elon University School of Law opened in 2006 and is located about 90 miles from Charlotte in Greensboro. The school in July filed an application with the ABA to open a separate campus in Charlotte. ABA Managing Director of Accreditation and Legal Education William Adams said ABA officials have not yet considered Elon’s application. The part-time program would operate out of Elon’s newly established regional center in an office building in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood.

North Carolina has six ABA-accredited law schools. Elon and Wake Forest University School of Law in Winston-Salem are the nearest to Charlotte.

The Charlotte School of Law operated from 2006 until 2017 and was one of three for-profit law schools run by the InfiLaw chain of schools. All three, which included schools in Phoenix and Jacksonville, Florida, have since closed, during a decade of falling law school enrollments.

The Charlotte school’s problems escalated in 2016 when the ABA placed it on probation for not meeting its admissions and bar passage standards. It had about 700 students at the time. After being placed on probation, the North Carolina attorney general’s office began investigating whether the school had misrepresented its accreditation status to prospective students, and the U.S. Department of Education stopped issuing federal student loans to current students.

Read more:

Judge rejects whistleblower lawsuit over Charlotte School of Law

Newest U.S. law school has big plans, few students so far

Reporting by Karen Sloan; editing by Leigh Jones

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.