Urban Adventure: Thrifting, BBQ & Line Dancing

When possible, I think it's best to turn errands into an adventure, tacking on stops for fun. Especially when you're already traveling to a different neighborhood, why not use that gallon of gas and make your time more worthwhile?

Here's my itinerary for a thrifty trip to West Charlotte, made for a Wednesday evening that includes dinner and dancing!

The perfect outfit for your outing...

Dance Hall Dress by Verabelle

Pony Necklace by Archives Chicago

Cowgirl Cuff made from a vintage belt by Lucky Junk 

Boots from Goodwill, photo by macdon512, 

from the Goodwill Hunting Flickr pool

STOP 1: Thrift Store Corner

Goodwill Outlet        Value Village        Community Thrift

2901a Freedom Dr.      2917 Freedom Dr.     3016 Freedom Dr.

                       Charlotte, NC 28208          

There's a certain area on Freedom Drive that I like to call "Thrift Store Corner," where you can hit a string of secondhand shops all at once. Goodwill Outlet and Value Village sit right next to one another, and Community Thrift is directly across the street. And the best part: you know that each store is going to have something completely different!

Start your excursion at Goodwill's outlet store, where clothes are sold by the pound. This is the ultimate stop for the thrifty scavenger; you'll get to dig through heaping bins for vintage and designer treasures, all at a low cost of $1.39 per pound. This shop also offers housewares and furniture, where most are priced at 50% off. 

Next door is Value Village, a grocery-store-sized thrift shop and one of my favorite of the thrifting chains. Scan the endless shelves of shoes and pick through the racks to see if you can uncover a Western shirt or a old cowboy hat to wear later for dancing. I've picked up many a vintage treasure at this spot!

Across the street at Community Thrift, you'll find a thrift store as organized as a department store. With sections for sports equipment, hand-picked vintage finds, and even a craft section, I never walk away from here empty-handed. My favorite finds from this store: a pair of vintage sunglasses and a brand new Bodin french press.

STOP 2: Barbeque King

2900 Wilkinson Boulevard Charlotte, NC 28208

After thrifting, make a dinner stop at Babeque King, a drive-in barbeque joint that has been serving Charlotte since 1959. This second-generation family establishment smokes their pulled and sliced pork in-house and smothers it with their homemade secret barbeque sauce. They're also known for their barbeque chicken, which Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives describes as a cross between fried and barbeque chicken and buffalo wings. If you need to, stop by the ATM, because this stop is cash only.

STOP 3: Coyote Joe's

4621 Wilkinson Blvd. Charlotte NC 28208

Gear up in any Western wear you uncovered on your thrifting marathon to get ready for a night of line-dancing at Coyote Joe's. Plan to arrive on Wednesday by 7:00 pm for the free line dancing lessons. Instructors will give you the moves to strut along the giant dance floor so that you'll be ready for the live band at 9:00 pm. On Wednesdays, ladies get in free and guys pay $3, with half-price drinks.


This entry has been adapted from my past post for the Wow! Goodwill blog... Be sure to read my other posts for Goodwill!