Uptown Charlotte N.C. & Meeting Carla at Whole Foods Market

Our final day and some sight seeing in Charlotte Uptown too!

It was not far driving from the Hyatt House Charlotte Airport to Uptown.
We had spent several nights in Charlotte previously, with our foster-daughter in 2004 at the Hyatt Regency and with my sister Diny and her significant other at the very same Hyatt House in 2007.
This very crane standing and working there, made our re-entrance to the parking garage complicated!
We did not realize it at the time of exiting through the door that would be SHUT for re-entering from the street for safety reasons...

Charlotte, North Carolina's Uptown is impressive!

Pieter standing next to the sign of Hearst Tower

We both loved this statue near Bank of America, against the blue sky

Again, near Bank of America and same statue

This is Il Grande Disco by Arnaldo Pomodoro, an Italian sculptor.
It sits near the Bank of America since 1974.
There are SIX of the same Pomodoro Sculptures in the world!!
University of Chicago 1968
Milan in front of Banca Populare in the Piazza Meda, 1980
Purchase, NY in the PepsiCo Headquarters' Donald Kendall Sculpture Gardens 1974
Milan at the Theatro Strehler 1972
Darmstadt. Germany part of the monument for Georg Büchner 1973...

Now from the side... the bright sunlight was too harsh for good photos!
A six tons of bronze disc spanning 15 feet in diameter or 4.6 m

Yep, we made us a shady WeFie in the mirrored glass...

As I mentioned early on, the street entrance door to the parking garage was CLOSED due to that crane working in the street... So we walked through the building to the elevator and captured this eagle statue.

Pushing the T for Tryon to get to the parking garage section where our Nissan Murano was waiting...
We were heading by car to Whole Foods Market to find us some healthy lunch to eat.
I would be in for a BIG SURPRISE...
Running into a former student, Carla, that went with me to Japan in July of 2007.
Via link at way bottom of this post, you can see her standing next to me in the 4th photo, on the roof of the YKK research center in Tokyo, Japan. Carla is 2nd from left and I'm the chaperon on the left...
Small world!

Lunch time at Whole Foods Market
Of all 10 days of travel, only 4 times my Nonagenarian could take his nap...!

Whole Foods Market...

Such lovely, sunny weather for driving home!

Short Relive video from this Charlotte Uptown visit from the Hyatt House Airport

Somehow, I've turned off my Relive App while eating lunch at Whole Foods Market so the journey driving home is not on it.

Only 408 km or 254 mile home...

That did bring the total of this Mountain Trip to 3108 km or 1931 mile...

Thanks for your visit and comment!

Related links:
Charlottesville Virginia to Charlotte North Carolina | previous post by me
Skyline Drive & Shenandoah River in Virginia | previous post by me
Monticello Gardens of President Thomas Jefferson and Mulberry Row | previous post by me
Mabry Mill Restaurant and Blue Ridge Parkway | previous post by me

Finally Taking my NONAGENARIAN up the Blue Ridge Parkway | previous post by me
Our 2nd Cabin Stay at The Hill on Cherokee Lake | previous post by me

SO Proud of my NONAGENARIAN | previous post by me

{News from Our Sister-City Osaki in JAPAN + Join NISSAN with Donation!} | previous post about me as chaperon

Charlottesville Virginia to Charlotte North Carolina

We felt almost like HOME after our 4 nights at Hyatt Place Charlottesville, Virginia!

But now we had to pack up and move to the next Hyatt, to Hyatt House in Charlotte, North Carolina...

Hyatt Place Charlottesville, Virginia has a pleasant exterior and there is free parking on the side and in the back.

Very courteous management too, this is what I got in reply to my review:
For any future guests, parking is always complimentary here. We even have car charging stations for those with electric cars (8 are Tesla specific).
~

It also was conveniently located for making our trips to Monticello and to the Skyline Drive. See links below.

Breakfast at any Hyatt Place is great!
Here I'm showing you their MONSTER-SIZED BLUE BERRIES...

The day sure started out chilly at 0ºC or 32 ºF but SUNNY!
So on November 2, we left our Hyatt Place 'Home Away from Home' for getting onto the I-85 and driving south towards Charlotte, North Carolina. No more scenic routes but still it is a beautiful area.
It would be ONLY 269 miles or 443 km!

Hyatt House Charlotte Airport in North Carolina click through

By 16:36 we were inside our Hyatt House One Bedroom King Suite with full kitchen etc.
Yes, we had done shopping, at Whole Foods Market the day prior, so we were all set for having our supper and an easy relaxed evening at home!

A beautiful view from our Kingsize bed!
Yes, we had sunny weather...

Our short Relive video of the day

My solo 4 hour 48 minute drive via Interstate and total of 443.4 km or 269 miles.

We would stay here only one night... stay tuned for the next segment.

Related links:

Skyline Drive & Shenandoah River in Virginia | previous post by me
Monticello Gardens of President Thomas Jefferson and Mulberry Row | previous post by me
Mabry Mill Restaurant and Blue Ridge Parkway | previous post by me

Finally Taking my NONAGENARIAN up the Blue Ridge Parkway | previous post by me
Our 2nd Cabin Stay at The Hill on Cherokee Lake | previous post by me

SO Proud of my NONAGENARIAN | previous post by me

Skyline Drive & Shenandoah River in Virginia

So after staying 'home' for the day of the tornado on October 31, we woke up on November 1, to SUNSHINE!

It was good foresight from me to book us 4 nights here at the Hyatt Place in Charlottesville, VA...

So off we went to our Skyline Drive in Virginia.

Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive and the other way driving south, you enter the Blue Ridge Parkway what we did for two days.

This was in Waynesboro, Virginia around 10:00 in the morning and look at the blue sky!

After a visit at the Visitor Center to pick up some brochures and maps, I had to capture our U.S.A. flag waving against the blue sky here at Lyndhurst, Virginia.

Oh, the gentleman at the Visitor Center told us that the ENTIRE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY was CLOSED! This due to lots of fallen trees because of the tornado...

How lucky we both have been for having had two sunny days when we rode it on October 28 and 29!

So here we enter SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK on the SKYLINE DRIVE...

At the entrance I showed our National Park Pass and that was all fine but the lady told us that we had to turn back around the building as there was a fallen tree on the narrow road and it could not be removed in time.

About one hour later, we entered, after using a regular road, at Swift Run Gap Entrance Station and turned north on the Skyline Drive to start our new adventure...

That way we missed about ⅓ of the entire Skyline Drive but it was not as bad as tourists that had come down from New Hampshire to enter the Blue Ridge Parkway and had to go back! Sad for those people who came in vain.

Shenandoah National Park, Elkton, Virginia

Oh, the golden colors of Autumn agains the blue sky!

Shenandoah National Park, Stanardsville, Virginia

Yep, at Stanardsville, Virginia the time and temperature 36ºF or 2.2ºC tells you that at that height it was cold! 
It even had been as low as 32ºF or 0ºC before...

Shenandoah National Park, Elkton, Virginia, so we are circling back and forth into certain sections.

Mighty views over quite a distance!

Shenandoah National Park, Stanley, Virginia giving you a better impression by this overview. 
Don't listen to my Limburgs... I just say: 'yesterday tornado and today beautiful clear weather. First section was closed but here we are!'

In 1968 the eastern hemlock tree was present in the Appalachian and they were over 300 years old. 
Sadly Ninety-five percent of Shenandoah's hemlocks are gone, killed by an invasive pest called the hemlock woolly adelgid. 
This was at Sperryville, Virginia.

Shenandoah National Park, Sperryville, Virginia
The gray, broken tree trunks of Hemlock Springs remind us of the hundreds of thousands already lost and the ecosystems forever changed.

Shenandoah National Park, Sperryville, Virginia

Shenandoah National Park, Bentonville, Virginia

Shenandoah National Park, Bentonville, Virginia with our Nissan Murano against the rocks to the left.

Shenandoah National Park, Washington, Virginia with some more dead Eastern Hemlock Trees...

Shenandoah National Park, Washington, Virginia - Yep, this was very close to Washington, D.C. the nation's capitol.

Shenandoah National Park, Front Royal, Virginia with Pieter standing against a gorgeous background where you even see Shenandoah River to the left and Shenandoah Valley...

Shenandoah National Park, Front Royal, Virginia
For seeing all The Overlooks of Skyline Drive click here
When exiting the Skyline Drive we were in awe of the sight of the Virginian Stack Train (yep, TWO layers of containers!!!) passing by!

What a sight at Riverton junction, VA just click through... Got more of this majestic Virginian on my Pinterest under FAVORITE PLACES I've Visited...

Shenandoah, Virginia and the Shenandoah River

Being more precise, South Fork Shenandoah River...

With my brother Jan at our home:

Did sent from Shenandoah River in Shenandoah, this short video via WhatsApp to my youngest brother Jan Van den Munckhof... This is us on July 27, 1999 singing along with John Denver - Take me Home, Country Roads click on link
Sweet memories of their 1st visit to the USA and Jan with wife Wilma intended to drive to Shenandoah, Virginia but got discouraged by the way too vast distance and never went all the way.
So I wrote to Jan: In my thoughts I took you along... and then sent him the location.

South Fork Shenandoah River as seen from the bridge in Shenandoah, Virginia

The other side of South Fork Shenandoah River in Shenandoah, Virginia
From there I drove back to our Whole Foods Market near the hotel, also to Trader Joe's and Costco to do some shopping and to gas up for next day when we would be heading to our next destination.

Both of us felt very happy and blessed with such great weather for all our outings.
Despite not being able to do any hiking, this was a great adventure!

The total km 353.1 km or 219.4 miles and the 9h 7m is total time, including our breaks for food and shopping etc.

Skyline Drive - Shenandoah National Park click it

Stay tuned for next part!

Thanks for your visit and comment.

Related links:
Monticello Gardens of President Thomas Jefferson and Mulberry Row | previous post by me
Mabry Mill Restaurant and Blue Ridge Parkway | previous post by me

Finally Taking my NONAGENARIAN up the Blue Ridge Parkway | previous post by me
Our 2nd Cabin Stay at The Hill on Cherokee Lake | previous post by me

SO Proud of my NONAGENARIAN | previous post by me