If you guys remember the ticket story, we were orginally going to go see the Green Bay Packers play in Charlotte as well later this fall, but it was impossible to get tickets. To be fair, the Steelers are still my favorite team, and having them as a second choice didn't exactly hurt my feelings :-)
Since I love going to Charlotte, Kevin and I decided to make a day of it. Check it out:
The obligatory gas station price photo. This was near the Virginia-North Carolina border. Farther south, gas was at least 30 cents higher, and thanks to a gas shortage scare in Charlotte, many stations had no regular unleaded at all. One Citgo station in Lexington, NC that had prices starting at $2.77 for unleaded literally ran out of gas!
I'm not exactly the target customer of Bass Pro Shops, but I stop by their Charlotte location at Concord Mills mall on occasion. I love this waterfall and fish tank, located at the rear of the store.
A casual shot of the Charlotte skyline from street level. The taller building is the Bank of America Tower, some 72 stories.
For our sign fetshists and adaptive-reuse fans out there, here is the restored former Coca-Cola factory in Uptown Charlotte. It now houses offices and (I think) apartments. It's a great gesture to repaint the old sign, adding character to an already beautiful building.
You know me. I can find retail anywhere! Here's a swanky new CVS on Graham Street in Charlotte, on the way to the stadium. Not exactly prototype, eh?
We walked eight blocks to get to Bank of America Stadium. It was good exercise and obviously we were not alone.
I'm no Carolina Panther fan, but the stone panther statues outside the stadium gates are pretty slick. Looks kinda like the hood ornament on a Jaguar.
This is what I saw standing and waiting outside Bank of America Stadium. Security was doing pat-downs on everyone who entered the stadium. This stretched things out just a bit.
Here's our nosebleed seats. Pittsburgh gave the Panthers a run for their money ultimately after starting off a little slow. A last minute touchdown with a two-point conversion erased Carolina's lead late in the game, leaving the crowd somewhat speechless. Pittsburgh won 21-17, and I went home happy.
Those are fun pix. I didn't take a vacation this year, and now gas is so expensive, so these pictures will have to suffice. That's one crazy fountain!
ReplyDeleteCool pictures, Steven! Looks like you had a good time and saw many interesting things.
ReplyDeleteThe ramifications of Hurricane Katrina on gasoline availability and pricing are just now beginning to be felt.
>>I'm not exactly the target customer of Bass Pro Shops,<<
ReplyDeleteHaha..
I don't even think I'm the target customer of Bass Pro Shops
Heather: Yeah, I had a great time. That fountain's unreal! It's crazy how much detail they go into for Bass Pro stores.
ReplyDeleteWith them serving a target demographic that's supposedly all about low prices and Wal-Mart, they are somewhat pricey and have a suprisingly sophisticated merchadise presentation. Goes to show you that stereotypes about rural outdoorsemen (and women) are just that.
Mitch: Those gas prices are going to get worse before they get better, too.
Anita: No, you're not 'country' enough for that store :-)