I've lived in Charlotte all my life. But I'm not just a citizen of Charlotte, I'm a citizen of the Carolina's.
I pay taxes in both states; sales tax and highway fuel tax of course, but also property tax, a lot of property tax. I pay business income tax and a whole list of use taxes and fees in both states.
I promote both states with little bias. I prefer North Carolina's Mountains and South Carolina's beaches. The Outer Banks are great and the western tip of South Carolina has some of the most remote mountain wilderness around.
North Carolina has John Edwards and South Carolina Mark Sanford, in the past Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond held each state's political spotlight for a much different reason.
Amazingly diverse except pretty much the same from coast to mountains.
Charlotte has become the power house of the Carolina's with Columbia and Raleigh as minor players.
But Charlotte isn't the Carolina's anymore than Atlanta is Georgia.
If you do anything this weekend you need to get out of Charlotte and explore the Carolina's. I promote Charleston a lot, but this weekend you need to go a little bit farther removed.
Bat Cave, and Flat Rock, Franklin, and Highlands, Little Switzerland and Boone, or Sparta and Elkin, Fletcher, and Asheville. Conway and Kingstree, Orangeburg, and Beaufort, Camden and Lancaster. Albemarle, Troy and Asheboro, Wilmington and Southport, or Florence and Pinehurst.
Explore your Carolina's this weekend. Get off the interstate leave the malls and chain restaurants and hit the back roads.
The back roads offer, a glimpse of the Carolina's many people have forgotten. And it makes me wonder why we all live camped on top of one another? It will make you wonder too.
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