This weekend my in-laws where in town. One of our favorite things to do with out of towners is take them them to some of our favorite places. Our day was packed full of fun today!~ We moved to the Charlotte area around 4 years ago. The very first time we came to the Carolinas we knew it had a sense of home feeling. The people are awesome, friendly and warm. The food is outstanding, and the history is unbelievable here. One of the first places we stumbled across was a once old time pharmacy, now turned Ice cream/food parlor. Seeing my husband is a pharmacist, he certainly appreciated the nostalgia…..
Were it not for the evolution of the health care industry, the generations-old Pike family drugstore might have remained just that. Luckily for us, Elizabeth and Jesse Pike were forced to find creative ways to draw customers to their mom-and-pop pharmacy, the most successful of which involved an old-fashioned soda fountain and Mrs. Pike’s homemade desserts. In this way, the current soda shop eventually stole the show from the original venture. Although no longer under original ownership, evidence of the old family business adorns the walls of the present-day Camden Road location – the antique display cases of pharmacy bottles and medicinal creams add to a pervading sense of nostalgia. But the new shop offers no medicine. Pull a stool on up to the granite counter top and enjoy some good old-fashioned comfort food (such as grilled pimiento cheese sandwiches or meat loaf). Or brace yourself in a booth for one of their hand-stirred fountain beverages, spoon-necessary malts (including peanut butter and banana) or hot sundaes as rich as Pike’s history. The house-specialty Black Cow (root beer syrup over three scoops of vanilla ice cream in soda) is highly recommended, especially for first-timers. Arrive early for a seat, as Pike’s packs in a consistently large lunchtime crowd.
Of course has to be different, no ice cream or malt for him! A big fat cookie with sugar frosting all over it!
This bunny was really cute, all paper, not bad at $12.00
This jewelery was so pretty too.
I did some major linking up here!~ Thank you to all you lovely hostess for such a great day! I love Monday’s a lot more than I use to……and Shadow Shot Sundays…has opened a whole new world for me! Thank you! Have a great day, and as always, thanks for stopping by.
http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com
http://www.dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com
http://smilingsally.blogspot.com
http://heyharriet.blogspot.com
I tried to edit my typos, etc….is that a crab or spider? Well whatever the critter that is a shadow shot….because this post is so large it is taking forever to load the post to edit…so it is what it is typo’s and all:)!
I have never heard of Pike’s. Will have to check it out! I like that rabbit at Birds of a Feather. I may have to stop there on the way to the beach for Easter & adopt him! 🙂
Debbie! This sounds and looks like the most fun day! Beautiful pictures. I actually felt transported to there. I’d love to visit that old drug store and the home turned coffee shop. Beautifully warm!
What a fun time! I would love to visit the Carolinas some day. I have a friend who lives in North Carlolina and she LOVES it there. We met when we both lived in Phoenix and she was so ready to move back. She’s back home now and loving every minute of it! She said the people are so warm and friendly.
The people are seriously so nice here. In fact when we first moved here we went to a burger place….my younger boy was not hungry that day…when we where leaving the cashier came over to us with a bag and said here maybe he will hungry later….for free and for no reason at all!
Looks like so much fun…luv that old drug store…my kind of place! HAPPY EASTER!
Blessings,
Linda
Wonderful pictures. I love getting to see a glimpse into each others lives and see amazing pictures like these. I would love to travel out there sometime!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend Debbie!
Glad the in-loves visit is fun packed. Backintyme is such a charming place. Take care and continue the fun.
Love & Hugs
Duchess
Loving the drug store..all of it. I love old places. My sister in law lives in Chapel Hill…we have not been to visit yet, but when we do, I want to take extra time to go to places like this.
I love the South. You are in an awesome area to be so close to so many different places! I think that Pike’s looks awesome! My cousins used to run the local drug store/soda shop. We would go to pick up my Granny’s medicine and hop up to the counter and my cousin would always make the best cheeseburger!!! Oh the memories. Wouldn’t it be great if there were more places like that?
How amazing is that pharmacy store, absolutely love it!! oh and that paper bunny too bit of a bargain that I reckon!
alicia
Debbie,
Thanks for taking us on that tour. NC is friendly and such a nice place to live. Maybe sometime ya’ll can go up to Mt. Airy and look in the small town shops and eat at the cafe . Its where Oprah went for a pork chop sandwich, so it must be good.
Sonny
It looks like a great day! I love old fashioned soda shops!
Great pictures, Debbie!
Pike’s looks great. I’ll have to remember that if I’m ever down that way.
Glad you had fun. 🙂
What a splendid post, Debbie! Gorgeous photos, and the information on your world is priceless to me. Love it!
Those places just ooze charm, Debbie! I would have had quite a time…and I’m sure I would have stopped at every shop along the way!!
Lovely, lovely photos!!! I loved them so much 🙂
Marinela
This looks like such a fun day spent with family! Thanks for sharing, it was sort of like being there!
Your post makes me want to move down South!
Pikes looks like a happening place.
& your shadow is great too.
Happy Sunday.
Sounds like a fun type of day and thanks for the tour. Lots of eye candy – love lunch and shopping trips like that.
wow was so cool to see all the new places you have found and Alex even had a great smile lovely pics cant wait till Ang and i come to go to that house for lunch it kinda reminded me of the tea house you use to take us in Fl:)
Sounds like a fantastic place to live!!! As for the vacuum- no she has a Dyson but after reading a comparison here http://consumer-reporter.blogspot.com/2008/04/dyson-versus-miele.html
Sounds like I’ll keep using hers while I save my money for the Miele! 😉
Hey Debbie sounds like you had a wonderful weekend with your family!! Great Post! Martina
very cool Debbie. It’s funny because I was about to post color schemes of antiques and just older things – similar to what you have. I’ll have to link up to your site. Maybe you can suggest the best way to do that. I’ll be sending you an email!
That was a fun road trip, I love seeing where others live! The little coffee shop/house looks adorable. My fiance liked the retro Pepsi signs in the pharmacy, he works for Pepsi:)
I’m glad you liked my new background:)
Pike’s looks like my kind of place! I love that it has a history and it looks like a fun place to spend the evening! Your hometown sounds wonderful too, we often vacation in South Carolina and love it! Beautiful photos!
Kat 🙂
What an absolutely marvelous day! I want to be there. The little drug store with the sweets is so inviting. I’m sure a fun time was had by all!
Debbie, I haven’t ever been to Pike’s. I will add it to my list of things to do this summer after we finish our house to do list!
Great post … thanks for coming to get me. Not sure how I missed it. So glad you had a great weekend!
BTW, your photos have been looking really great lately(not that they didn’t look great before). Did you get a new camera?
I don’t why, but I thought you lived somewhere around Columbia. I didn’t realize you were so close! Pike’s is sooo good. Every time we go I swear I’m gonna save room for those ginormous cupcakes in the case up front.
I’ve always wanted to visit the Carolinas. Seems like a very charming place to live too.
Talk to you soon 😉
Bunny Jean
Hi Debbie, Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment, I loved that umbrella also, It is from cost plus you can go here to see it….
http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3928050
Let me know if you get it, I love it too!! Kathysue
Thanks for taking me along on the trip, so much fun. Linda is a regular at my blog, but I have not seen her lately. When you go MIA I go looking…
Wow I love all the displays and everything around. Happy Monday!
MYM~ Yellow tulips
Really cool post Debbie! I love looking at things like this. Looks like a great place to live!!
Oh my gosh Debbie, it’s like a capture of my childhood, signs, rexall store, candy and hmmm..candy.
VERY pretty!
Looks like a fun and adventurous journey.
Yummy Yellow
Pike’s looks like a great place to visit, the antiques and memorabilia would be fun to check out.
When I lived in Georgia exploring places like the ones you have pictured was a favorite pastime of mine.
I counted eight legs, it must be a spider.
Funny that you mention how you feel about Charlotte, that is exactly how my husband and I feel….Like we are coming home! We always say it’s a possibility to move there. You go to some great places, and are a terrific tour guide. I am soooo surprised there wasn’t a pic with you and that 4-way necklace! Spider or crab, it was a neat piece:)
Wow that is a fun adventure hehhe. I am 3.5 hours from Charlotte…Happy mellow yellow Monday.
My goodness! We’re only about 40 minutes from Charlotte, yet we rarely go.With three kids,games and practices take up most of our free time…but we need to just take a day and tour!Pike’s looks like such fun!
Fantastic Photos… enjoyed seeing them…
Biggest Eagle in the World
The Royal Mandaya Hotel
Hi Debbie…
Ohhh…what fun this must have been! I wanna go…I wanna go!!! Hehe! I loved going through all of your fabulous photos…loved the Pikes Old Fashioned Soda Shop! What great vintage Rx memoralbilia (sp?) It really does give the place that sweet vintage feel! Ohhh…and the tea shop…fabulous! I would love to have a cup of tea there!!! What great places to take your visiting friends and family to! You live in a beautiful city, my friend! Thank you for sharing the little tour with us for Sunday Favorites!
I read your sweet note…no worries about getting the link back to Sunday Favorites! Hehe! I’m just happy that you joined in, my friend!!! Thank you!!!
Warmest wishes,
Chari @Happy To Design
PS…just wanted to make sure that you knew that I was canceling Sunday Favorites next Sunday…April 4th since I will be away and it’s Easter Sunday…however we will resume regular schedule on the 11th!
Hope u bought the bunny – very nice!
Awesome! Thanks for all the pics. A great travel tip. Looks like you enjoy the same things I do. Charlotte is great. I go there and to Ashville every year. My favorite part of the world is the Biltmore Estate.
I left an award for you on my blog. Congrats!
Hi DEbbie
I love the vintage items in Pike’s and your town Fort Mill sounds so nice! I love the coffee shop house and all the wondeful antiques and gift items for sale…I love to browse in olaces like that!
Your Alex is a handsome boy!
happy Mosaic Monday!
Great pics, Debbie! What a neat town, full of nostalgia, so charming and quaint….Christine
Such a great tour and window shopping your brought us to, Debbie. Everything is soooo nice. Thanks for sharing them.
Thanks for the wonderful tour. Pikes looks like a cool place!
Thanks for the treat for such a wonderful visit to Pikes! How very cool. Love those colorful candies on the bar table, and i thought the second last pic of the little painted side table was just so pretty!
~Silver
Reflections
Wow, that looks like such a fun place! Thanks for taking us along, and for sharing at MM. 🙂
soda fountain clock
ticking off the time until
we’ve sipped the last drop…
Mellow Yellow Lovers
Thanks so much for the tour of these great sites!! If we can’t go ourselves. there is nothing like a virtual tour!!
Debbie
Pike’s looks like a place I would love to visit. We have an old timey drug store about 20 mins from home that still sells 5 cent Cokes and dip ice cream. We use to go there a lot when my grandparents lived there, and I was younger. I still go in there whenever we are in town. Looks like y’all had a great time. Your area looks like a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing.
Debbie, thanks for taking us on a tour too! I’ve never been to the Carolinas we might just have to add this to our vacation destination wish list! ~Marcy
We just came from our trip to the South: FL (Disney), GA and AL.
Yes, the people there are extremelly super friendly; they treat everybody with respect and like if they were all family. 🙂
So many green (duh) trees!! (Here in Utah we have mountains instead.) And lots of billboard signs all over the road. When we were driving close to Atlanta, I saw a big one advertising Walmart with a WOW! exclamation. It remind me of you, Debbie, and your famous commercial. 🙂
I had family long time ago in SC, close to the Columbia area; but now they live in Spain.
The only reason why don’t live either in Spain or in the South (USA) is the heat. That’s it. But we can always (not too often) go for a visit.
I’m glad you had fun with your in-laws, Debbie; I had fun with mine. That store looks fantastic! 🙂
Deb,
Charlotte has some really nice shops. Southend has some really nice shops as well. I think I will take one good Saturday and just browse the shops. You know there is an Antiques event coming up in a week or two. We should hit up blogland and make a date of it. Well for those who like thrifting.
You know Im in.
Mr. Goodwill Hunting
http://g-w-hunting.blogspot.com
So glad Begoluna you had a nice trip! We have been to Disney many times when we lived in South Florida…it was always fun, and HOT!!~ Nice to see you again:) Goodwill hunting….oh yes we have hit SOuth end many times….have you been to sleepy poet…what an awesome place that is, you can spend hours in there:) Next couple of weeks is crazy for me, boys off from school soon, and I will not be doing any thrifting with them, they hate it! LOL
Thanks for sharing. Happy Blue Monday!
What a delightful place to visit – thanks for taking us along!
Amanda
wow Debbie those are wonderful photos! looks like a fun-filled weekend with your in-laws 🙂 love it!
I remember going to a local drugstore here that had a soda fountain. When the big chain drugstores opened that shut down the mom and pop drugstores. They just could not compete with the big chain stores. Looks like some great shops in your area.
Hi Debbie….
What a wonderful weekend you must of had with your in-laws. I love my in-laws they are great people. I love the little soda shops that you went to. Your pictures are fanatic. Thank you for stopping by my blog. Linda
Hi, I am visiting from Mosaic Monday but I like the idea of the Shadow Shot Sunday, maybe i’ll have a go at that next week! HERE is mine
Hey Debbie! Just hopped in to say a quick “hi”. Hope you’re enjoying what you’re doing!
Loads of love 🙂