Other Interesting Sites to Visit While Attending a NASCAR Race in Concord, North Carolina

For the next two weeks, the small but growing town of Concord, North Carolina, will be the center of NASCAR country. People from all over the United States will be converging onto the city, with a population of about 72,000, to view and participate in the activities associated with the NASCAR All-Star Event and the main attraction, The Coca-Cola 600.

What many of the visitors may not know is that there is more things to do in Concord than attending NASCAR events. The motor sports industry is a part of life for many families calling Concord home and they know the city has much more to offer than just stock car racing.

HISTORY OF CONCORD, NC

The history of Concord dates back over 200 plus years. Founded in 1796, Concord, which means "harmony", was established after a disagreement between German and Scots-Irish about where the county seat of the newly formed Cabarrus County should be established. After a compromise was reached, the city of Concord was born.

Concord has a wealth of historic events that happened within its borders. One historical fact that many visitors probably do not know is that the first major gold rush actually happened right here. In 1799, 50 years before the California Gold Rush,

John Reed's twelve year old, Conrad, found a shiny "yellow rock" while fishing. The shiny yellow rock would later be determined to be gold and history was made. Today, you can visit Reed's Gold Mine and it would be a excellent day trip for those attending the NASCAR events.

AREA ATTRACTIONS

Other attractions you may want to visit is Concord Mills Mall, located right down the road from Lowe's Motor Speedway, on Concord Mills Blvd. What my shock many who visit the area is that Concord Mills Mall is the #1 tourist attraction in the entire state of North Carolina. The mall has over 200 stores and is a very unique place to visit.

Another fun attraction is the newly built Great Wolf Lodge, located near both Concord Mills and Lowe's Motor Speedway. Great Wolf Lodge is new to the area and can be described as a resort lodge that is designed to bring family fun. The lodge has a indoor water park that is only open to its guest. It offers a variety of other activities such as the Northern Lights Arcade, Howl in One Mini Golf, Magi Quest and even a kids day spa.

This place offers so much that you do not have to ever leave the facility. With its 6 restaurants, exercise facility and retail stores, you and your family can just unpack and enjoy everything Great Wolf Lodge offers. Oh, did I mention they have a build your own Croc store? Yes, this place has it all.

Another attraction is the newly built zMAX Dragway, which has been described as the "Bellagio of Dragstrips." It is a state-of-the-art drag racing facility and is the only dragstip in the U.S that has 4 lanes of concrete. The design of the 4 lanes was developed to allow a variety of opportunities, including racing 4 cars at a time. Though it is not a NASCAR event, it is directly across the street from the famed Lowe's Motor Speedway.

One of my favorite places to visit is the old Bost Grist Mill. Established around 1810, the Bost Grist Mill has been serving the community and counties surrounding Concord. Today, they still use the same 48'' French Buhr Millstone to grind their cornmeal and grist, a southern staple. Growing up in Concord, most of us remember going to the old Bost Grist Mill for a school field trip. It takes you back in time and has always been a place I recommend tourists to visit.

As you can see, there is a lot more to Concord than being the heart of NASCAR. Though the motor sports industry is a vital part to our city, the city of Concord has a lot more to offer than just speed. So the next time you are in our area, please get out and enjoy everything it has to offer.