Spend the Weekend in Belmont

On the hunt for a weekend of outdoor adventure? If you can’t wait to hit the U.S. Whitewater Center, you should check out Belmont, N.C. and make a weekend of it. Belmont might seem like a quiet little town, but its got enough food, shopping and opportunities for outdoor exploration to keep you and your family or friends busy for days.

Here’s how you can spend your whitewater weekend with us:

On Your Way In

Drop your anchor (and your bags) at the Hampton Inn by Hilton Charlotte/Belmont@Montcross or Home2 Suites by Hilton Belmont and stop in at Sammy’s Neighborhood Pub for dinner and perhaps a drink. Check out their fried greens beans with horsey ranch sauce and help yourself to one of their large selection of draft or bottled beers. And definitely don’t miss their Tarheel burger, which is topped with American cheese, mustard, chili, slaw and onion. Also recommended — for the adults — The Jailhouse; situated in Belmont’s former downtown jail, this spirits and cigar lounge offers the right cocktails, bar bites and more to end an evening.

Morning

Charge your battery with coffee or tea at local favorite The Everyday Market. And as you stroll through historic downtown, take a walk along Main Street to Gigi’s Consignment Boutique for designer consignment clothes for ladies and little girls.

Afternoon

After a morning of rafting, zip lining, ropes courses, hiking or even mountain biking at the Whitewater Center, you’re going to be famished, so grab a table at The String Bean. You’ll love their selection of more than 200 beers and 400 wines and their fresh deli sandwiches and gourmet pizzas. Try their “Big Green Monster” fried green tomatoes and the delicious Angry Cow-Pig – an original burger topped with jalapenos, smoked onions and a ghost pepper jack cheese. Afterward, spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and enjoying nature at the 380-acre Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, where you can stroll under the West Pergola, enjoy the beautiful Canal Garden and shop the work of local artists at the Garden Store. From the Garden’s hiking trails, connect with the new 2.8-mile Seven Oaks Preserve Trail, part of the Carolina Thread Trail … that is, if you’re up for a longer stint in the outdoors.

Evening

For dinner, stop at Belmont’s The Captain’s Cap, where you can indulge in fresh catfish, deviled crab and homemade onion rings. Finish the evening with a stroll down Main Street to Nellie’s Southern Kitchen for one of their luscious desserts. Make sure you try the homemade carrot cake, the chocolate pecan pie or Nellie’s banana pudding — mouth-watering southern favorites that you cannot miss!

Before You Leave

Take a hike at Rocky Branch Park, where you’ll find 40 acres of beautiful outdoors and 1.5 miles of hiking and biking trails. Need a quick bicycle tune-up before bidding farewell? Make a pit stop at South Main Cycles for any cycling needs.