Surprising Charlotte

For Father's Day, Elijah and Kim gave Justin a "surprise trip" to the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC.  Justin and Kim are enthralled with Reverend Graham's access to statespeople and the level of history he witnessed, and when Kim discovered the trip was a shorter drive than expected, it became the centerpiece of Father's Day weekend.  The trip was pretty perfect--and in one day, we had a "vacation feeling."

While Christians may be more comfortable there, we'd recommend the Billy Graham Library to any of our friends interested in religion, politics, American culture, and/or museum design.  The experience at the modern library is immersive--much video, exhibit rooms designed to give a sense of place, artifacts selected to appeal to a broad audience.  The videos are an effective montage of Graham quotes, but the museum is more about the reach of his ministry than him per se.  If you go, know the volunteers are very friendly.  There's a large bookstore with Christian classic titles and books by the Graham family--but for books about Reverend Graham by others, head to the nearby Barnes and Noble. 

And it was in driving around looking for said Barnes and Noble that we found the James Polk historic site--a tribute to a President who, as Justin points out, was efficient, honest, and productive (and perhaps sadly therefore, largely unknown in popular history).  We received a very warm welcome at the small complex, a vistor's center as well as a small museum.  A quick tour of the grounds, including an interesting cemetery, is possible in 30-45 minutes. 

We can't believe Charlotte, the "Queen City," had escaped our notice for so long.  It's more of a major city than we understood, and there's definitely more to do there than we realized.  We'll be back!  Nearby attractions on the to-do list:  Levine Museum of the New South and Reed Gold Mine.

Relevant Twitter Handles:
@TheBGLibrary
@Charlottgotalot