The U.S. National Whitewater Center plans to open phase II of its Wildwoods activity area this September, complete with a historic fort, mining cave, event space and expanded treehouse village.

Why it matters: Wildwoods will more than double in size to meet the demand for kid-focused space.

Between the lines: Many of the Whitewater Center's other activity areas have age or weight limits for safety, such as whitewater rafting. In response to visitor feedback, Whitewater CEO Jeff Wise challenged his team to recreate the dreams they had as five-year-olds.

Flashback: Phase I of Wildwoods opened in July 2024 with a treehouse village connected by floating hammocks, a boulder garden, a low-rope challenge course and a balance-bike trail. The first phase also included a cabin offering snacks, drinks and activity passes. There's also a covered pavilion.

What to expect: Wildwoods phase II will expand the area to roughly 4 acres. It will include an elevated treehouse village that is connected by nets and reaches the original treehouse village.

• There will also be a new enclosed event space with a large fireplace. It's ideal for the winter, the Whitewater team tells Axios.
• Phase II will also include a rock amphitheater for kids, plus a front porch stage.

The circular fort will represent life in the late 18th century into the 19th century, complete with a fort wall with a parapet (the walkway near the top of a fort).

• In the settler's village, which is inside the fort, there will be seven structures of varying sizes, including a post office, school house, a residence and an operating blacksmith.
• There will also be a mining cave outside of the fort as a nod to the area's gold mining history.
• A new barn will be built to house chickens, sheep and goats for educational purposes (this is not a petting zoo).

The bottom line: The goal is for kids to unplug from screens, Wise tells Axios.

Zoom out: The Whitewater Center includes the Tuckaseegee Ford, which was the first recorded ford crossing the Catawba River in Mecklenburg County, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission.

• The Tuckaseegee Trail, also located there, was a key trading route for Native American and later European settlers. This history inspired the settler's village idea at the Whitewater Center.

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💼 See who's hiring around the city.

1. Community Relations Supervisor at City of Raleigh.
2. Director of Auxiliary Programs at Charlotte Preparatory School.
3. Legal Operations Coordinator at Kliebert Law.

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Summertime travel is in full swing.

The latest: JetBlue returns to Charlotte Douglas International Airport this month on July 9 with three daily nonstop flights to Fort Lauderdale.

• Plus, American will add twice daily service to State College, Pa. starting Oct. 5 and Naples, Fla. starting Dec. 2.

As for July, here are the top five domestic and international destinations, according to CLT:

Domestic:

🏰 Orlando

🏙️ Chicago

🤠 Dallas/Ft. Worth

🏝️ Miami

🌃 New York City

International:

🫖 London, England

🌮 Cancun, Mexico

💃 Punta Cana, D.R.

🥨 Munich, Germany

🍁 Toronto, Canada

Zoom out: If high flight prices feel discouraging, don't fret. There are plenty of day trips with stunning views within a few hours of Charlotte.

Direct flights from CLT

Coffee cart 777 Coffee is now open outside of Local Loaf in NoDa.

What to expect: Creative specialty lattes and matchas.

• Current latte flavors include banana bread with cold foam, blueberry pancake (what we ordered) and cherry.
• Any latte can be made with matcha.

Stop by: 777 Coffee is open Wednesday-Friday 8am to noon and Saturday-Sunday from 8am-3pm.

• Local Loaf is open Wednesday-Friday from 8am-9pm and for its popular weekend brunch Saturday from 8am-4pm and Sunday 8am-3pm.
• Find both at 800 E 35th St.

Check out our guides to Charlotte's best brunch spots and local coffee carts

😋 Kids eat free on Thursday after 3pm at Grey's Diner (orders must be off the kids' menu). (Instagram)

🥢 Southeast Asian food stand Uncle's has closed in Plaza Midwood. (Instagram)

🎰 The Catawba Indians have identified the locations for two additional casinos they plan to build. (Observer)

News you can use from our partners.

• Now open: "Brick Masters Studio," a one-of-a-kind exhibition at Discovery Place Science. Tackle hands-on LEGO® challenges, design colorful creations and see incredible sculptures built from over two million bricks. Build like a pro.

From World Cup watch spots to concerts, there's tons of fun to be had in Charlotte this week.

⚽️ Monday: Watch the USMNT take on Belgium in the round of 16 in the World Cup. | Free | 8pm | Details

📚 Tuesday: Catch up on your reading at Lenny Boy Brewing's silent book club. | Free | 6:30pm | Details

💃 Wednesday: Tango at The Long Room. | $15+ | 7pm | Details

🍿 Thursday: Catch a film at Independent Picture House. | Prices vary | Times vary | Details

🎤 Friday: Jam out with J. Cole at Spectrum Center. | $64.13+ | 8pm | Details