Great American Backyard Campout
U.S. National Whitewater Center
Charlotte
5 p.m. June 26-9 a.m. June 27
Come out and celebrate the Great American Backyard Campout at the U.S. National Whitewater Center! It’s just 15 minutes from Fort Mill. Play All Day with an All-Sport Pass and then camp under the stars on Belmont Abbey Island. Spend the day outside experiencing All-Sport activities including the exciting new Adventure Course, an aerial obstacle course! Dinner is included; campfire foil dinners and s’mores buffet will be served on Belmont Abbey Island.
Camp setup begins at 5 pm on Saturday; camp breakdown by 9 am on Sunday. Pre-registration through USNWC is required.
Adults (11 and up): $60
Children (10 and under): $40
To Register: 704.391.3900 or www.usnwc.org
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Young Explorers/ Ages 4-7
Garden Adventurers/ Ages 8-12
9 a.m.-Noon Mondays through July 23
For younger campers, the journey begins in a new ecosystem of the world each day where fun and exciting plant-tastic adventures await!
Older campers grab a new passport for adventure each day as they race to discover the diverse characteristics of gardens and cultures around the world.
Cost: $105 (members), $125 (non-members)
Registration: 704-829-1252 or www.dsbg.com
7th Annual Red White & Boom
Old Town Amphitheater
Downtown Rock Hill
6 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, July 3
One of the area’s biggest fireworks shows returns to downtown Rock Hill. It’s the 7th Annual Red White and Boom.
At 6 p.m., Cravin’ Melon kicks off the fun. It’s the band that ruled the Carolinas in the mid-1990s and its back for more. Singles from their debut CD Red Clay Harvest, “Come Undone” and “Sweet Tea,” received national airplay and the band toured with Hootie & the Blowfish, as well as Toad the Wet Sprocket.
Then, at 10 p.m., a large fireworks show will be choreographed to music provided by WRHI Radio. The show is free and open to the public.
Daytripping? Here are some options....
Schiele Museum Of Natural History:
Museum of natural history, American Indian culture and early Piedmont history; interactive permanent galleries; special hands-on exhibits and programs interpreting more than 400 years of Piedmont history. Located in Gastonia, www.schielemuseum.org.
Levine Museum Of The New South:
Permanent exhibit: “Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers: Charlotte and the Carolina Piedmont in the New South.” Located in Uptown Charlotte, www.museumofthenewsouth.org.
Mint Museum Of Art:
Permanent exhibits include pieces from the museum’s pre-Columbian, decorative art and European and American collections. Tuesday evenings are free. Eastover area of Charlotte, www.themintmuseums.org.
Carolinas Aviation Museum:
Museum/hangar featuring aircraft, including a fully operational Piedmont Airlines DC-3. www.carolinasaviation.org.
Charlotte Museum Of History:
Features the county’s oldest surviving home: Colonial Hezekiah Alexander Homesite, built in 1774. The Alexander Home, log kitchen and stone spring house sit on the museum’s grounds. Located in East Charlotte, www.charlottemuseum.org.
Charlotte Nature Museum:
Butterfly Pavilion, nature trail, puppet theater, other exhibits relating to urban nature. Myers Park, www.discoveryplace.org.
Charlotte Historic Trolley Museum:
Features exhibits and streetcars from the city’s early days. Guides share charming stories. Located in South End of Charlotte, www.charlottetrolley.org.
Historic Latta Plantation:
A circa-1800 restored and furnished Catawba River plantation house. The 62-acre farm of Scots-Irish merchant James Latta includes the original home, meat house and 11 outbuildings, as well as farm animals, gardens and occasionally costumed interpreters. Huntersville, just north of Charlotte http://lattaplantation.org.
Historic Rosedale:
A restored 1815 Federal house and gardens on 8 acres offering an interpretation of the antebellum period of backcountry plantation life. Noda area of Charlotte, www.historicrosedale.org.
James K. Polk Memorial Historic Site:
Includes a reconstructed log house and kitchen with 18th-century furnishings and a museum with film, exhibits and displays representing the life and times of James K. Polk, 11th president. Free. Located in Pineville, www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/hs/polk/polk.htm.
Vietnam War Memorial:
A concrete memorial engraved with names of the Vietnam War veterans, much like the memorial in Washington, D.C. Free. Thompson Park, in Uptown Charlotte. www.parkandrec.com (click on Parks, then Thompson Park).
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