Park at Imaginon (300 E. 7th St.) and visit the library for books, story time, quite indoor play space, a summer scavenger hunt and other activities. During this phase of reopening, parking is free in the Imaginon deck. But even during normal operations, it's only a few dollars for several hours with validation.
Hop on the Rail Trail and head north to find the first stop on the Uptown Charlotte Mural Tour. This 13-stop virtual walking tour is one of a number of fun tours created by the city of Charlotte and the UNCC Charlotte Urban Institute. We found it to be a fun and engaging way to traverse center city. The tour app makes it easy to navigate from one stop to the next and there's a scavenger hunt element to discovering the artwork -- especially some of the more hidden pieces. The kids, in particular, found this exciting.
Stop for a picnic lunch at Romare Bearden Park (300 S. Church St.) or The Green (435 S. Tryon St.), then take another short stroll to the newly-opened Golden Cow Creamery (601 S. Tryon St.) for a sweet treat.
Follow the Rail Trail back to Imaginon and pop across the street and spend some time at First Ward Park (301 E. 7th St.). If you pack a towel for the car ride home, a run through the fountains is a wonderful way to cool down and wrap up your outing.
All together, we spent a few hours enjoying this urban excursion. Of course, you can do an abbreviated version of this itinerary, or extend it with plenty of other fun things to do in Charlotte's Center City. However you do it, a trip Uptown is an enjoyable summertime outing.