Charlotte, NC

(Billy Graham Library, Uptown Charlotte, Romare Bearden Park)

For our first full day in Charlotte, we had a chock-full agenda to make the most of our time!

The first designated destination was a stop at the Billy Graham Library.

If you haven’t heard the name Billy Graham, he was one of the most influential Christian evangelists of the 20th century. Born in North Carolina, he rose to international prominence in the late 1940s and went on to preach to more than 200 million people across the globe through his large “crusades,” radio and television broadcasts, and extensive writing. Known for his clear, accessible style of sharing the Christian gospel, Graham became a spiritual advisor to multiple U.S. presidents and a trusted public voice during times of national crisis. Beyond preaching, he emphasized unity across denominations, integrity in ministry, and spreading the message of hope in Christ worldwide.

When we visited the Billy Graham Library, I was struck by how much the exhibits captured both the simplicity and the global reach of his life’s work. The barn-shaped building that serves as the library’s welcoming centerpiece reminded me of his humble beginnings on a dairy farm, which made his worldwide impact even more powerful to think about.

Walking through the displays, I loved seeing how his message spread through radio and early television—things we take for granted now, but at the time were groundbreaking ways to share faith. The large wooden cross stood out to me most, such a simple yet powerful reminder of what he built his ministry on. And the replica of the Berlin Wall really stuck with me, showing how his preaching reached people even in places of division and hardship. The whole experience made me reflect not only on his legacy, but also on how one person’s faith and consistency can ripple across the world.

We then took our own mini driving tour as we made our way back to the hotel. The temperature for the afternoon as we were returning to our room for a little mid-day siesta hit a high of 101 degrees.

The heat was enough to zap the energy from anyone, but it seemed to hit little Rebekah especially hard, and she got the jump on sneaking a quick nap in as we made the drive.

We parked and made sure to give ourselves time to relax and cool off before jumping right in to our next adventure. I couldn’t get over how stunning our hotel was. They even had a lovely fountain outside that helped stay cool while we collected ourselves to start exploring again.

Then it was time to do more exploring on foot. Our hotel was located in a great location that made a good chunk of uptown walkable for us.

Coming from a South Dakota town, all the tall buildings were an exciting enough view and landscape for us. We come across several lovely parks or sitting areas with more fountains and water features. This helped make our walk manageable and allowed us to not overexert ourselves.

The afternoon passed by quickly, and before we knew it, it was time for supper! We stopped into a place called City Smoke. Both Tyson and I got the Mighty Bacon Burger and had a race to see who could finish their meal first. If you’ve ever met me, you’ll know I am one of the slowest eaters of all time, so Tyson very easily defeated me. Luckily, it was still delicious!

We ended our day at Romare Bearden Park in the heart of uptown Charlotte. It was surrounded by more gorgeous water features and tall architecture that was new and exciting for us.

The dusky evening sky absolutely stole my breath away. The faint glowing blue turned the reflective glass buildings into stronger appearing obelisks that jutted out like a mountain as opposed to the way they seemed to lightly tickle the sky when they were surrounded by fluffy clouds.

We ended our evening at a fountain within Romare Bearden Park. It was a ground level one, so many younger kids had opted to play and run around in the cool splashes and sprays. Rebekah didn’t have a swimsuit, but she was young enough that whipping off her shirt and flouncing around in just her shorts was completely acceptable.

While she splashed about, I took my own mini walk along the park path and took my absolute favorite picture from this trip of the Charlotte city skyline.

Although writing it all out makes it seem like we didn’t do very much, I know it was a very full day and that we were absolutely wiped and ready for bed by the time we returned to our hotel room. We had another fun, exciting, and full day ahead of us!