Adventures on the 127 yard sale: Day 4: Crossville to Chattanooga
Editor’s Note: This post is a part of our series on Delilah’s annual trip to the 127 yard sale. We’ll be back next week with DIY projects, recipes, inspiration and business tips. -Nicole S.
Over the course of the weekend, we went from total down pour to 90 degrees with sunshine and 50% humidity. Day four was HOT and sticky and we were lucky that we only needed to deal with this for half of the day as we needed to end our trip before 1:00pm to meet up with an old friend for lunch in Chattanooga.
Just like the day before, we headed out at 7:30am and arrived at our first usual spot right when vendors were opening up. This area, where I would usually pick up lots of kitchen items had about half of the vendors—what gives! It might have been the rain, I know it hurt vendors to be in the muck (and we heard in Tennessee, the wind was really an issue). I am hoping that this is the case and not the norm.
When we got to the “Rock City Barn”, the one I take photos of every year, I knew we were soon approaching my favorite vendor Buck Creek Antiques. If you have read about my trips before, you know that I have been buying from Ed of Buck Creek Antiques since my first trip seven years ago. As soon as we parked, I headed right over to his booth where I was immediately greeted. This stop at Buck Creek and a few other vendors proved to be the take for the day and I was grateful!
Ed helped us readjust the ropes (that held all of our finds) on top of our car, we chatted for a while and I finally got a picture with him—I don’t know why I haven’t done it before.
Off we went to Signal Mountain where there are typically two large stops. This year, there were four large stops so if you do the 127 yard sale next year make it a point to visit this area. One vendor told us that a market will be increasing by 50 vendors so 2016 will be even bigger. Because of time we were only able to make two of the stops where we got some last minute deals and fortunately our little end-of-yard-sale ritual of having a vegetarian jalapeno-battered corn dog.
And that was it. We rush to Chattanooga to have brunch then off we went landing slightly west of Little Rock, Arizona that evening. Tomorrow we’ll be booking it all day to New Mexico for a few days of resting. I’ll be sure to post about some recommendations from The Land Of Enchantment later this week.
And don’t forget, tomorrow I will have my favorite signs from the road as well as tips if you plan to do 127 yard sale next year.
Until then!
XXOO- D
RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Make the time and drive up to Signal Mountain. It takes about 30 minutes to go up but there are now four sizable markets with a good selection.
- Signal Mountain is also where our vegetarian favorite jalapeno batter corn dogs are…it doesn’t matter is you are vegetarian or not—they are GOOD!
- Take the time the evening before to take everything out of the car and repack it making sure you have the most room possible. I try to get extra boxes so that I can stack items safely. It’s a little of a chore but if you find something large on the last day you don’t want to repack everything in the middle of the heat.
- The Bitter Alibi is a great place in downtown Chattanooga to get a post-sale brunch!
FINDS OF THE DAY:
- Blackberry cider and pickled cayenne peppers
- An 1930’s Derby board game that will look great on the wall
- A 1933 book called “California” by Harry L. Wells
- Another apothecary bottle
- Iron plant holder shaped as a bicycle
- No parking sign
- Cutting board (!!)
- Billard balls (a set for my mom and a few for me which I will put in a wooden bowl that I bought from Buck Creek Antiques)
