More than anywhere else in the region, CHARLOTTE , at the junction of I-77 and I-85 near the South Carolina border, can genuinely claim to have made it: a banking and transportation center that has become the largest city in the state, "boosted," in much the same way as Atlanta, by ambitious business and city leaders. They like to project the image of a sophisticated, fast-lane cultural metropolis in fact its center is somewhat soulless, though many nearby neighborhoods are delightful and stuffed with good places to eat. Served by direct British Airways flights from London, however, it does make one of the best and most manageable arrival points in the region.

The chief attraction in downtown Charlotte,known as "uptown," is Discovery Place , 301 N Tryon St, a kids-oriented science museum with an indoor rainforest and an OMNIMAX theater hosting a planetarium (tel 704/372-6261 for hours and prices). There's also the Nature Museum at 1658 Sterling Rd (MonFri 9am5pm, Sat 10am5pm, Sun 1pm5pm; tel 704/337-2671), geared toward children seven years and under, and replete with rabbits, hamsters and ponies, as well as puppet shows and a butterfly room. Another major landmark, on the east side of downtown, is the massive Ericsson Stadium , home of the NFL team, the Carolina Panthers.