Nestled in the southern Piedmont region of North Carolina, the town of Belmont is flanked by two rivers, the Catawba River and its right tributary, the South Fork Catawba River. Adjacent to Belmont, the rivers make up two arms of Lake Wylie and form apeninsula on which the city is situated. Belmont's idea location near lakes, rivers and fast-growing city of Charlotte gives residents the best of a small, laid back town balanced with a lot of great activities just minutes away.

We spoke with some current Belmont Reserve residents about their favorite things to do and created this handy 7-day guide. Each of the following activities are within 10 minutes of Belmont Reserve.

Monday
Have a glass of wine and a steak at Old Stone Steakhouse, a 10-minute walk from Belmont Reserve in historic downtown Belmont. Downtown Belmont enjoys a commercial occupancy of 100%. New restaurants, boutique shops, mom & pop enterprises and various other businesses keep Main Street vibrant. Cross the street after dinner at Old Stone to Stowe Park and take in a movie or concert at Friday Night Live- a downtown festival that occurs every Friday during the summer.

Tuesday
Belmont Abby College is a five minute drive from Belmont Reserve. Take a stroll through this 130 year old Catholic College's beautiful, 600 acres, tree-lined campus. The original art glass windows of the Basilica were designed and executed by the Royal Bavarian Establishment of Francis Mayer and Company of Munich, Germany. They were painted then heat-fused, allowing for greater detail than was possible with stained glass. The windows were part of a display that won four gold medals at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1892.

Wednesday
Stowe Botanical Garden is a five minute drive from Belmont Reserve. Stowe Botanical Garden is a 450-acre world-class botanical garden located on New Hope Road southwest of Belmont. Daniel J. Stowe, a retired textile executive, set aside the property and established a foundation to develop the Garden. The first gardens opened to the public in 1999. On the way home, Visit the Belmont Historical Society- a 10 minute walk from Belmont Reserve. It features a museum in an old mill village house that has been restored to 1920s status.

Thursday
Take a 10-minute walk and pick up a unique gift at the old-fashioned Farmer's Hardware Store on Main Street. Grab dinner at The String Bean, downtown Belmont's first gourmet eatery featuring fresh organic fare and a large selection of wines and beers. After dinner, check out Caravan, a coffee shop on Main Street that hosts an open mike night on Thursday and Friday nights.Caravan's outdoor seating is also a perfect place for a morning coffee.

Friday
The US National Whitewater Center is a 10 minute drive- spend the day walking beautiful nature and hiking trails and riding your bike. If you're looking for more of a thrill, try rafting down the Whitewater Center's class 5 rapids or speeding down the Zip Line. Take a break and have lunch at the USWC's on-site gourmet cafe. If you're not too tired, swing by the Belmont Drive-In Movie Theater. One of the last remaining drive-ins, it's a great place to reminisce about yesterday while keeping up with the movies of today.

Saturday
Take the kids or grandchildren for a walk down Main Street and climb on the old stationary train.The train is a reminder of Downtown Belmont's heritage as a trade crossroads. Belmont was originally known as Garibaldi Station, a dropoffand service depot dating back to the 1800s. Walk across the street to Stowe Park, let the kids play by the fountain or on the playground equipment.. Top it off with an ice cream or hot chocolate at the year-round Ice cream/snow cone/treat stand at the Park.

Sunday
Relax riverside at the beautiful Catawba River, just a five-minute drive from Belmont Reserve. The Catawba offers fishing, canoeing or boating. The windy but spacious channels of the river make every bend seem like your own private cove and its a great place to unwind and enjoy the beauty of the Belmont area. Come home, shower up and take in one of the seasonal festivals held on Main Street- the Garibaldi Festival in the spring time, Autumn festival or Halloween Bash.