Don't skip the restaurant! Ikea is so much more than flat pack furniture!\n\nI came up here early one morning and made a stop for coffee and some great Swedish pancakes with lingonberry sauce (a bit like cranberries, just not as tart) while I went through my mental list of the stuff I needed for my new Charlotte apartment. Once that was done, it was off for a wander through the furniture showrooms (yep, I'll have one of those and one of those and one of those that probably won't fit in the car) and then the smaller kitchen and housewares showroom areas.\n\nWhen it was time to start picking my furniture from the warehouse, I'd picked up a dozen little things, several of which I had no idea that I needed, but dang it, I really do need that! Pulling a futon bed and mattress onto the flat trolley and out to the register to pay for it.\n\nIkea offers a 1% coupon when you use your debit card to make the purchase. And they'll sort of help you load stuff into your car, they're just not allowed to do the tying down. Fortunately, the futon mattress fit once I put the seats down and I guess I can still drive with it poking me in the kidney.\n\nA couple of tips: Have a list. Arrive early. Be patient. And don't skip the restaurant or the food shop at the end. You have no idea how many different ways there are to smoke and can and bottle different fish!