12. Forget your diet at Carolina Cones.
Eat an ice cream cone — new flavors include peanut butter pretzel, moon pie, play dough, spumoni and chocolate amaretto — at this cute, non-chain ice shop that opened in 1981. If you're lucky, the mechanical train that runs along the upper walls will be going when you come by. Choo choo! 20801 N. Main St. 704-892-8190.
13. Discover your inner Picasso at Cornelius Arts Center.
Take an art class — there are plenty of ongoing pottery, painting and mixed media classes. Also, check out rotating exhibits such as Bryant Holsenbeck's Markers of Our Lives, an intricately arranged installation of colorful, recycled bottle caps, inspired by mandalas (on view through April 30). 19725 Oak St. 704-896-8823. www.cornelius.org/parc.
14. Prepare for the zombie apocalypse at The Range at Lake Norman.
Go for target practice and test your shooting skills, especially on Ladies Night, which includes gun time and appetizers/beverages afterward. 10913 Bailey Road. 704-895-3155. www.therangeatlakenorman.com.
15. Sit on the deck at Rusty Rudder and reflect on life (or your age).
Take in a live jam and relax on the big deck with views of Lake Norman. 1990s cover band Gump Fiction performs here on occasion and will make you feel like you've entered a not-so-distant time warp with tunes from Gin Blossoms, Cranberries, Smashing Pumpkins and Rage Against the Machine. Eek, are '90s tunes really a music genre now? 20210 Henderson Road. 704-892-9195. www.therustyrudder.net.
16. Celebrate Christmas anytime at Our Daily Bread.
You don't have to book a trans-Atlantic trip to try the crispy, sugary goodness of kürtskalács (chimney cake). The treat spins on a wheel to get its twisted cone shape and is then topped with sugar and cinnamon. The treat is especially popular at Christmas markets in Eastern Europe, but this Romanian-owned bakery serves it up year-round. It also has a variety of fresh bread and pastries, too. 20124 W. Catawba Ave. 704-892-1360.
17. Row, row, row your boat (or just watch others do all the hard work) at Ramsey Creek Park.
Get back to nature here. The park offers trails, picturesque views of Lake Norman and has a boat launching area. It's also home to the annual Charlotte Dragon Boat Festival (held this year on May 17). The ancient Chinese tradition of boat racing ripples through Lake Norman waters with canoe-like vessels that have been adorned with dragons. About 24 folks per boat will paddle hard — if that's not team building, then I don't know what is — in the fast-paced race that's probably more fun to watch than participate in.18441 Nantz Road. 704-896-9808. www.charlottedragonboat.com.
18. Find your Celtic roots in traditional Irish grub at Galway Hooker Pub.
Are you Irish? Not so much? It really doesn't matter because bangers and mash are for everyone. This large Irish pub does them right, with a cute little addition of crispy onion strings on top. Wash it down with a Guinness (duh!). 17044 Kenton Drive. 704-895-1782. www.galwayhookerpub.com.
19. Be a drama queen at Warehouse Performing Arts Center.
Local talent shines in a number of seasonal productions at this low-key community theater. The setting is intimate and usually the cast is relatively small. Theater guru Marla Brown lends her creative expertise to the shows and, if you're lucky, she'll be starring in a performance, too. 9216 Westmoreland Road. 704-859-5930. www.warehousepac.com.