It's 95 degrees outside, your kids are restless and you don't want to spend a fortune!  Have I got a great idea for you.  Arboretum Theater and Stonecrest Theater both offer through the Summer, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday each week, a free movie for you and your kids.

That's right.  I said FREE!  Too good to be true?  No way.  I took my 2 year old to see Doogal (a cute cartoon dog story) on Thursday and it was great.  There were loads of other parents enjoying time with their kids in a nice cool environment.  Shows start at 10:00 AM and they show something different each week.  I believe next week at the Arboretum is Happy Feet, a favorite of my child.

One good thing about this is that if your child is too young to sit through an entire movie, you can get up and leave without feeling as though you've wasted a lot of money.  Also, at the Arboretum there are $1.00 drinks and $1.00 popcorn.  You really can't beat it.

Call 704-540-7558 for Stonecrest Cinema and 704-543-4581 for Arboretum Cinema for schedules.

I called Stonecrest and was told next week's movies are Doogal and Barnyard, the next week Jimmy Neutron and Hoodwinked and the next week Rugrats the Movie and Garfield - Tail of 2 Kitties.

Arboretum is set to show Happy Feet next week, Over the Hedge the week after and Hoot!

If you have any questions, visit our website at http://www.dreamhomescharlotte.com/ or email us at patty.reinert@allentate.com and we'll be happy to give you more details.

As you can imagine, Summer in Charlotte is jam packed with fun things to do for kids and for adults too.  As a parent of a two year old I am always looking for fun things to do with my son that may not be too boring for me.

Last Sunday we went to Gaston County to the Schiele Natural History Museum.  It was very inexpensive (free for my 2 year old) and there was plenty to keep him busy.  A T- Rex Dinosaur exhibit when you walk in is pretty impressive.  We also took in a Planetarium show called "Bear Tales".  It may have been a bit over the head of our 2 year old, but could easily catch the interest of older children.   Loads of stuffed animals to keep the little ones and us interested too.

After our journey to the museum we took the trail outside to see the Nature Trail, the Catawba Indian Village, Stone Age Heritage Site, Memorial Wildlife Garden and 18th Century Backcountry Farm.  We made the mistake of doing the outdoor features late in the day and it was HOT! 

The highpoint of the day was up the road about ½ mile from the museum, we found a little railroad for kids.  Our son is addicted to Thomas the Train so he was in 7^th Heaven.  It was run by the city and CHEAP!  Each person gets 3 times around the track for $1.00 each.  A SUPER bargain as far as I am concerned.   Don't miss that one!

Go to www.schielemuseum.org for more information on times and prices to get in.

From Charlotte (& points east of Gastonia)

• Take I-85 South to Gastonia.
• Take Exit 20 at New Hope Road and drive south.
• Turn right onto Garrison Boulevard.
• Museum is on the right just past Grier School.

From Columbia, SC (& points south of Gastonia)

• Take I-77 North to Charlotte.
• Take I-485 West to I-85 South.
• Take I-85 South to Gastonia.
• Take Exit 20 at New Hope Road and drive south.
• Turn right onto Garrison Boulevard.
• Museum is on the right just past Grier School.

From Asheville, NC (& points west of Gastonia)

• Take I-26 to Hwy. 74 near Tryon, NC.
• Take Hwy. 74 to Gastonia.
• Turn right onto Garrison Boulevard.
• Museum is approximately three miles down on the left.

From Hickory, NC (& points north of Gastonia)

• Take Hwy. 321 South to Gastonia.
• Turn left onto Garrison Boulevard.
• Museum is approximately a mile and a half down on the left.

If you have any questions about our journey or other things to do in Charlotte, visit our website at www.dreamhomescharlotte.com or email us at patty.reinert@allentate.com and we'll be happy to give you more details.

Have a great weekend!

We have seen a tremendous increase in people moving in to the Charlotte area.  And that is no surprise!  We moved from Las Vegas, Nevada where we had a very successful real estate company.  It was a tough decision to leave, but because of several factors we made the leap and moved.  We have never regretted our decision to leave. 

We LOVE the Charlotte area.  The main reason that we moved from Las Vegas was our son.  He is 2 years old and we wanted to raise him in a more wholesome environment than Las Vegas.  We did tremendous research on the Charlotte area and when we arrived, we just fell in love.

The people are warm, friendly and happy that you are here.  The schools are VERY good and some of them are top rated in the country.  We love the landscape and the 4 seasons with mild winters with little or no snow.  We have made friends here and hope to make more.  We enjoy being 3 1/2 hours from the ocean and 2 hours from the mountains.  We are a days drive to Florida or New York!  It is really a fabulous place.  If you are considering, think hard.  You can't beat Charlotte!

 Typical Rush Hour Drive To Uptown:

 Denver:  55 Minutes

Cornelius:  40 Minutes

Davidson:  45 Minutes

Mooresville:  60 Minutes

Concord:  30 Minutes

University City:  25 Minutes

Harrisburg:  30 Minutes

Mint Hill:  30 Minutes

Matthews:  30 Minutes

Indian Trail:  30 Minutes

Pineville:  25 Minutes

Weddington:  35 Minutes

Fort Mill, SC:  30 Minutes

Rock Hill, SC:  45 Minutes

Lake Wylie:  45 Minutes

Belmont:  30 Minutes

Southpark:  20 Minutes

Gastonia:  40 Minutes