Hyatt Place Downtown Charlotte, North Carolina

The Hyatt Place Downtown Charlotte hosted us for a wonderful visit.  We adore Charlotte, our sister city, the Queen City.  She does treat you like royalty. 

The locale is so fun!  It was a little bit of big city with small town hospitality at the Hyatt Place. 

We felt the warm welcome from the moment we drove up. 

We were thrilled with the spacious and modern look to the rooms.  This was considered a 

(2) Queen Bedroom. Look at the space! And there was this den area that was wonderful.

There was even a little room divide.  The beds were very comfortable.

We went out on the town and came back to our beautiful downtown Hyatt Place.

I have to tell you it was very fun to have the urban feel of Charlotte.

One of our boys totally took over this den area. 

The bathroom was roomy and had a nice shower and tub with 

plenty of HOT water, and LOTS of great Linens! That is a bonus 

I LOVE plenty of high cotton linens. 

Happy face here as I checked it all out. The shampoo, conditioner and lotion 

amenities are premier. 

The Hyatt Place had beautiful decor throughout the Hotel. 

We HAD to check out the rooftop restaurant and garden. This is Charlotte! 

Late on a Friday night. :) 

The new Fahrenheit Restaurant was hoping with all the Charlotte 

young professionals and more. 

We LOVED a late check out! Noon is nice!  

We took a family photo overlooking Charlotte! It was too pretty. The city is so invigorating. 

Here is the beautiful lobby of the Hyatt. LOVE it. 

Everything is elegant and very clean and neat. The staff is very accommodating and 

friendly.  They met our every need. 

The front desk was welcoming and had a cafe and snack center available any time. 

The staff helped us with directions, parking and the restaurant. 

In the morning, we had a fabulous Hot Breakfast INCLUDED in your stay! 

Mrs. Diana was INCREDIBLE

at the Breakfast. She made all of the meals and they were hot and fresh. 

She had a wonderfully welcoming and accommodating team. 

The Breakfast Restaurant was clean and neat and inviting. 

The took pictures for us. :) 

Here is my man happy with a hot breakfast! He's so cute! :)

We loved all of the cold drinks. Milk, Juices and my favorite,

Starbucks for the Win! :)

Our boys always like the cereal bar and fruit! 

Check out our view of the City of Charlotte!  We loved sitting here for breakfast and 

looking at Charlotte. EVERYthing is one block away from the Hyatt Place. 

The Time Warner Arena is across the street!  How convenient is that! 

You can walk a few blocks to the Carolina Panthers Stadium. And the 

NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum awaits just a few steps away! 

Finally, we had to bid farewell to the Queen City until next time. 

Believe me, we cannot wait to enjoy Charlotte again soon. 

After all, Charlotte's Got A Lot and we were so thankful for Charlotte

Tourism for giving us so many great ideas like CowFish and Mellow Mushroom and more, to explore this visit and in the future. Next trip to Charlotte, we had to go back to the NASCAR Hall of Fame 

Museum. 

Charlotte, we'll see you soon. Thank you Hyatt Place Downtown Charlotte. 

Warmly, Carolina Mama

FTC Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Hyatt Place, Charlotte, North Carolina. All opinions are my own. We LOVED our time there. 

CowFish Charlotte, North Carolina - the Original CowFish

Cowfish South Park, Charlotte, NC  is the original CowFish locale.  We loved checking out the charter restaurant recently on a visit to Charlotte.  We love the energy and hip trendy fun of South Park, Charlotte. Believe me, Charlotte's Got A Lot and we love it is a short drive from Raleigh / Durham. 

"Born of a desire to create a fun-loving environment that anyone can enjoy, The Cowfish is a come one, come all operation. Whether you've just finished a workout at the gym, or you're dressed to impress for a night out on the town, The Cowfish has an atmosphere to suit all walks of life. A bright interior featuring custom artwork and vibrant music, a 600-gallon aquarium filled with live cowfish, a sushi bar with interactive computer monitors that allow you to build your own sushi roll, and a huge 125-seat covered patio are only some of the elements that make The Cowfish a memorable experience!"

We enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere.  The CowFish is for everyone.  The college kids, the yuppies dating, the Families, like us, out for a great meal and night out with children in tow. Our boys LOVE CowFish. It is energetic and fun and the food is terrific.  Children adore it. 

This collage pretty much sums it up.  My husband and my favorite sushi, our boys favorite burger and my love. We are very happy after this amazing food. 

Here we were eager to arrive for a Friday night dinner.  CowFish was our much anticipated first stop in Charlotte.

As soon as we walked into the door, we were welcomed with the Aquarium.  The signature CowFish in the Aquarium is like the CowFish Mascot!  We always look for him and say, "Hello" right away! ) 

So, our boys' have another priority, the Parmesan Truffle Fries as an appetizer.  They do represent.

Boulder Mountain Man and I enjoy the important things in life like the Ahi Tuna Spicy Nachos!! 

This is the appetizer. It could be a meal. 

Happy, happy, happy with this delectable appetizer with fresh guacamole 

and jalapenos. 

Then, our teenagers LOVE the Onion String and Parmesan French Fries as an 

appetizer.  They shared and yes, we love it, too. 

However, my Boulder Mountain Man, loved indulging in the Ahi Tuna Nachos best! 

The Dynamic Duo is a favorite among my guys! 

This Porky's Revenge is my son's all time favorite burger! 

Smiles all around for plates of favorites.  Love this. 

Favorite!

Blackened Tuna Roll Lump crabcake mix and cream cheese inside, coated in tempura flakes. Topped with seared blackened tuna, avocado salsa and jalapeño

All the happy faces of great food and good times.  Love seeing our boys enjoying the night

out in this fabulous atmosphere. 

 And I will admit, I love that my Boulder Mountain Man loves the Nature Boy's Woo-shi Buffaloo-shi!

And then all of the plates were completely empty. :)  That's a sign of an amazing meal. That and the smiles, again!

Our Favorite Dessert is the Fresh Berry Tall Cake!  It is tall and serves, at least, four people! We enjoy endulging like this. :) Four Forks!  What could be better than a wonderfully moist Southern Lemon Pound Cake with Fresh Berries and Cream.

Thank you CowFish for hosting us and for all of the awesomeness you serve up in 

Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina! 

Warmly, Carolina Mama

FTC Disclosure: This post is sponsored by CowFish Charlotte. All opinions are our own. LOVE CowFish. 

Christmas at the Billy Graham Library and Other Events

"Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion - it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ."

                                                                         Billy Graham 

Growing up, I was fortunate that my heritage included Billy Graham.  One of my earliest memories is of Billy Graham on the television in our living room.  Seriously, I remember how his sermons ended with "Just As I Am" and the alter call where thousands came to Christ.  We would always watch right up to the part where "If you have questions, one of our Counselors is waiting to answer the phone and help you or you may write Billy Graham… Winnipeg, Minnesota."  :) Do you know Jesus? Click here.

I was so blessed to recently visit the Billy Graham Library for Christmas at the Library.  What a delight! 

Here is a look at the gorgeous real Christmas tree that greets you at the Library entrance! 

                                              

And on one of those amazing nights, I sat with my mother in my Daddy's big red chair and asked Christ into my heart. I am so glad she sat with me and prayed.  Whether you have just become a Christian, would like to be or if you have been raised in a Christian home, your conversion is the most important decision you'll ever make.  

Billy Graham Library, Charlotte, NC

With my Christian heritage and including Billy Graham, it is an immense honor to work with The Billy Graham Association.  Just before Thanksgiving, The Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, hosted a Bloggers Luncheon and "Girl's Night Out" there at the Library.  It was so lovely.  The Library was all Christmasy and beautiful.  Peaceful.  And I got to travel there from the Raleigh / Durham area with this sweet friend, Megan from Character Health.  Her blog and ministry has been such a blessing to so many.  She is a Mom of many, so her advice is helpful to Moms everywhere, especially since she is grounded in God's Word. 

Once we arrived, we bloggers had lunch there with some of the Staff.  We learned more about the Library and their goals and history.  It was all fascinating.

We toured the Billy Graham Library and learned so much more about Billy and Ruth Graham and his ministry.  Their family and the history.  There was so much peace there. 

As we learned the history and toured the Headquarters and Library, it was wonderful to see all 

of the media awards and other recognition received through the years.  I recall reading 

The Hiding Place in junior high so this was interesting to me.

Yes, this was intriguing to watch the Media reels from days of yore.  And to visualize how 

it has all changed so dramatically and how fascinating for this Social Media Mom.  

You can also tour the Billy Graham Home on the property.  It is beautiful and you can see all of the momentos of his early days and their married and family life.

We had such an extra- exciting Girls time at the "Ladies Night Out with Casey Schutrop.  She is an awesome speaker and author.  She was inspiring and we LOVED receiving her book, Grandma's Christmas Legacy! :) 

We even did a little shopping.  I LOVE this verse so this was my Coffee Mug. 

I am so happy they gave us this gift, the "Billy Graham, God's Ambassador, A Lifelong Mission of Giving Hope to the World." Our family is enjoying reading through this and looking at the inspiring pictures.  The boys are intrigued with the daughter named, Bunny. :)

Hey, Ladies, just so you know the Billy Graham Library knows how to treat Ladies Night Out, check out these treats that were in abundance.  Carrot Cakes, and so much more.

These Chocolate Chip Cookie Pies were yum as well.  

This table was my favorite, okay, not just because of the sweets because look at the 

Tartan! :)  LOVE It.  Everything was so festive. 

Even the Punch Bowl was lovely and convivial.  My mother would have been thrilled with all

the garland, and decor and the Southern crystal punch bowl.  Great recipe, too. 

Megan and I met another fabulous Christian devotional writer, Gail. And got to visit during our 

afternoon in the "Dairy Bar."  We all loved the community and camaraderie that we have and 

can share together.  

Visiting the Library is FREE.  Plan your visit now.  Plan on a lot of time well spent.  And you will want to shop Ruth's Attic Book Store.  There are so many wonderful resources and whimsical offerings there.  You could plan on visiting fore the 7th Annual Teddy Bear Tea with your children or your girlfriends.  This would be a grand time.  The next Teddy Bear Tea is December 6, 2014.  There are more Girls Nights Out planned and there is a 2nd Annual Men's Breakfast in September.  Maybe send the man in your life for this time of uplifting and encouraging fellowship.  And the food sounds great, too. 

Thank you so much to the Billy Graham Library for including me in the Bloggers Luncheon and Events this year.  I look forward to seeing you all soon.  Cheers 2014!  Thank you for spreading the gospel and sharing the Love of Christ globally.

Warmly, Carolina Mama

FTC Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by The Billy Graham Library, Charlotte, North Carolina.  All opinions are my own.