Hi friends! My name is Amber Miller, a lifestyle content creator at Pretty as Peaches blog! I completed the first ever “One Tank Challenge” with Hertz in Charlotte, NC and I can’t wait to share all about it. My fiance, Drew, and I met the Hertz team down in Charlotte, NC where we had 1 full day and 1 full tank to see all of the hotspots and explore around town. Thankfully, we documented it all from start to finish and now I get to share all of the spots we hit! Watch the full Youtube video recap below!
We started off the day at the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards member desk at the Charlotte International Airport! && YES, I got to whip around in an SUV that I’ve had my eyes on for quite some time now… the 2022 White Jeep Grand Cherokee! We loaded up the trunk and took off for the day!
We fueled up at Amelie’s French Bakery with a yummy latte and a famous pastry! I got one of their famous “OOH-LA-LA” drinks — the White Chocolate Raspberry, and paired it with a cookie dough macaron! Drew got a Vanilla Latte with the strawberry pastry. I truthfully could have ate at least one of each pastry, they looked THAT good! The Shadow Lion crew (the media team for Hertz), also joined in on the caffeine with coffees and matcha! The atmosphere inside of Amelie’s is unmatchable with it’s vibrant coloring and overall Paris vibe!
Charlotte’s historical arts and entertainment district was calling our name! This hub was jam packed with an array of talented artists and musicians — I specifically heard three Blink 182 songs and my heart was smiling on the inside! NoDa has lots to do such as enjoying craft beer, award-winning food, custom gifts, tattoos, shopping, impressive morals, and so much more! My favorite part was seeing the local vendors and how they hand crafted just about everything that was being sold at their table… pure talent!
You can’t come to Charlotte without getting some good ‘ol North Carolina barbecue from Noble Smoke! Their food was so DELICIOUS and some of our top favorites were: the brisket sandwich, classic barbecue sandwich, the yummy seasoned fries, the famous mac n cheese, and we finished it off with their signature banana pudding! Being the southern girl I am, this food clearly hit the spot! After we ate, they even took us around back to check out the room where the magic happens. We were able to see where the barbecue is smoked — both Texas style and North Carolina style! They put about 1200 pounds a day of premium beef, pork, and poultry on the smokers. Noble Smoke has a few locations across CLT and honor the “Legends of Barbecue” each and everyday in the kitchen!
You can’t go to Charlotte without visiting the heart of the city… UPTOWN CHARLOTTE! This district is business driven, energetic, and filled with lots of opportunity. It has on-street entertainment, pop-UP vendors, green parks, unique restaurants and bars, + so much more! Uptown is seen for almost everything… from family friendly activities to sporting events, to bucket list items and even some gnarly night life “go to’s.” You can even check out their event calendar to see what exactly is scheduled for the week and weekend! In Uptown the culture, arts, sports, dining, entertainment, living and business all mesh together as one and allows everyone to take advantage of the opportunities that it brings! On our way out we took a stroll by the Knights Stadium, a Triple A Minor league team for the White Sox, and WOW this field was gorgeous!
In the beautiful Belmont neighborhood, there is an All-America Rose Selections public garden — McGill Rose Garden! It’s a little slice of heaven and a quaint hotspot for a low key afternoon. We all explored around the Gardens and ended up finding an abandoned train with gorgeous art surrounding it — of course it called for a photo opp! McGill Rose Garden can be used as a wedding venue, for social gatherings, an afternoon of fun with family and friends, etc. It’s truly a hidden gem of Charlotte!
We also took a quick pit stop at Fahrenheit – a local American Cuisine rooftop with a gorgeous 360 view of Uptown! Fahrenheit has an extensive wine list, craft cocktails, local beer on tap, a seasonal herb garden, and so much more. If you’re looking for an upscale date night hotspot with a view, this is your place!
Last but not least, we ended the day at the US National Whitewater Center where we went white water rafting, zip-lining, and rock climbing! We had the absolutely BEST time rafting — I even had a signature blonde moment of completely falling in on a rapid and being saved by Drew and a complete stranger (shout out to him, the real MVP!). Rock climbing was super challenging and I made it all the way to the top of the second level! I highly recommend spending an afternoon here at the US National Whitewater center because there is a variety of activities and fun for the entire family such as: Stand up Paddle-boarding, mountain biking, trails, yoga, water deep solo, kayaking, rope courses, and so much more! after a full day packed of festivities, we ended the night enjoying their concert on the lawn while we all watched the sunset — it was an epic ending to an adventurous day in Charlotte!
The One Tank Challenge with Hertz was an unforgettable adventure! Reflecting on the day, I felt so impacted because of how the challenge is relative to our daily lives. We are given one tank in life and it’s important to use it wisely and enjoy it — and that’s exactly what we did in Charlotte! HERTZ “ONE TANK” CHALLENGE = COMPLETE! I highly encourage you to grab some friends/family, rent your dream car from Hertz, and go to a city you’ve never seen to explore and take on the “One Tank Challenge!”
THANK YOU, HERTZ, FOR HAVING ME BE A PART OF THE ONE TANK CHALLENGE IN CHARLOTTE!
To get a behind the scenes view, visit my instagram @ambermiller9 and watch my “Hertz” story highlight! Till next time….
XOXO
– Amber
