8/7/18

Have yard sale, will travel

I admit it. I'm a yard sale junkie. Our first house was furnished with many kitchen tools and knickknacks bought from a flea market in lovely New Hope (Bucks County), Pennsylvania. In the past ten years, we've visited the marché aux puces de Saint-Ouen in Paris, France, the Brimfield Antique Flea Market in Western Massachusetts, and community yard sales from Tennessee to Florida.

So when the annual longest yard sale came around (first weekend of August) I was ready. Driving on Lookout Mountain Parkway through TN, GA and AL is very scenic with vistas of mountain and farmlands in the valley. This year, I went with locals who know the yard sale circuit well. Friday found us on route 28 and 127 in the direction of Dunlap. We stopped in private homes, barns and many vendors along the side of the road. The town of Dunlap is yard sale central. Many vendors lined both sides of the main drag. There were more vendors past route 111; unfortunately, it started to rain, giving us the perfect excuse to close our wallets and stop buying more stuff we don't need :-)
This Louisiana couple found some furniture
A lovely drive through rolling hills to this house in the distance
Estate sale at this house. Teapots, anyone? 
I was on a roll. On Sunday, I rounded up another friend to go to Mentone, Alabama, about 45 minutes away. We had a blast shopping, chatting with the friendly locals and out-of-state vendors.
Many vendors were set up in this campground
A hefty $50 for this license plate!
this Southern gentleman and his wife run a store in Summerville, Ga
We ate at the popular Wildflower Café, which is housed in an 1800s log cabin. You have to be careful walking to your table as there are small uneven steps throughout the restaurant. A strolling guitarist serenaded the diners at their table. The café is famous for its tomato pie, but the polenta shrimp grits was to die for!

Prime rib sandwich, polenta shrimp and grits, tomato pie