Christmas Eve in Fayetteville (Charlotte, Raleigh: hotel, restaurants, military)

[deker0]

Hi all,


I'm planning a trip from the Northeast to see my cousin in Florida.

I'm looking at some different itineraries and one of them would have me ending up in downtown Fayetteville on Christmas Eve for about 6 hours.

So, leading to my question - are there things open in Fayetteville on Christmas Eve? Any good things to see? Any restaurants that would be open?

Any advice and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks, D

[poppydog]

I wouldn't expect anything except hotel restaurants to be open on Christmas Eve after about 6pm.

[deker0]

Got it, thanks. I'll actually arrive in the morning and head out by late afternoon.

Any attractions to visit? Any recommended must-see things?

[builder24car]

I work in Fayetteville but don't know that much about it sadly?
I do know the Fried Turkey Sandwich Shop has really good food
and I eat there whenever possible. I'm not sure about their
Christmas Eve hours?

This would only interest a railfan but the CSX main line runs right
through Fayetteville. If you set up on Winslow street you can see the
north and southbound signals to let you know when something is coming.

I've enjoyed many walks late at night down Hay Street taking in their
Christmas lights which they have up now. It's really nice I think. I'm slowly
learning more about the town and liking what I see. Good luck and have fun!

[poppydog]

Why the layover? Are you thinking of taking the train or something?

Fayetteville is generally not thought of as a tourist destination. Most people in North Carolina don't have too many nice things to say about it, although it's not that bad if you have to be there. It's a military town. There's a nice military museum downtown, but I don't believe it's open on Mondays and Dec 24 is a Monday. I'm sure stores will be open and busy, but most will close early.

You might check the calendar in the local paper and see if there are any events of interest then: https://www.fayobserver.com/calendar

[deker0]

Thanks for the food suggestion, builder24car. I'll give them a call to see if they'll be open for Xmas Eve.

Poppydog, yes, I'm visiting a friend a bit further away from Fayetteville and will pass by there so I can take the train down to Florida.

So, that will indeed be my layover as I wait for the Amtrak heading South.

[poppydog]

If you could layover in Raleigh or Durham there is more to do here. Amtrak goes right through here too.

[deker0]

I agree and you're absolutely right. Amtrak does pass right through those areas too. Unfortunately from a timing and scheduling perspective, my itinerary works best when taking the train from Fayetteville.

The specific train I need passes right past Raleigh and doesn't stop there, sadly. If it did, then I'd certainly plan my layover there.

[poppydog]

What are your other itineraries? Fayetteville would not be on my list of places to spend Christmas Eve day, but I'm sure you could find something to do.

[deker0]

So, my other option is to skip Fayetteville altogether.

From the Northeast, I'd go to Charlotte to visit one cousin, then Savannah for a day or two, and finally on to Florida to see my other cousin.

Are there like private shuttles/buses/jitneys that go between Charlotte and Savannah? I see Greyhound does it at 6:55 AM, so something a bit later with less stops might be more ideal for me.


Thanks again for all of your help.