Highway History, One Yard Sale at a Time
By Danny Palmerlee
Posted July 31, 2008, at 1 p.m.
In the age of strip malls and mass production, when a toaster is a toaster and one brand looks like the next, yard sales are a breath of fresh air. For most people, they're local events, a fun way to kill a few weekend hours picking through broken kitchen items and dusty books in search of treasure. But for many towns, the summer yard sale has gained a greater significance: tourism.
Historic Hamilton House, Chattanooga.
© Richard Cummins Lonely Planet Images.
Along historic highways across the United States, towns and counties have joined forces to create massive multi-city, multi-day yard sale extravaganzas. Why? To entice motorists off the interstates back onto the country's oldest highways — and ultimately into the towns the interstates have left behind. The largest of these events span hundreds of miles, involve thousands of vendors and include everything from typical yard sale bric-a-brac to antiques to local food and music.
So, when summer rolls around, which yard sale event do you hit? When it comes to the number of vendors, the country's two biggest yard sales undoubtedly reign supreme.
The 127 Corridor Sale
Of the five or so major U.S. yard sale events, the World's Longest Yard Sale is the original. Also known as the 127 Corridor Sale, this granddaddy of highway sales began in 1987 in Jamestown, Tenn. Today, it spans an impressive 630 miles along U.S. Route 127, from Defiance, Ohio, to Gadsden, Ala. Near the historic town of Chattanooga, Tenn., it detours into Georgia, bringing its state count up to five.
Up and down the highway, locals spread out wares on front lawns and in driveways (here's your chance to score that blue spaghetti lamp you've always wanted), and antique and specialty dealers set up makeshift stalls at designated sites along the route. While bric-a-brac and antiques are undoubtedly the sale's raison d'être, the biggest surprise is the food: You'll find everything from barbeque and baked goods to home-made ice cream and old fashioned soda fountains.
The 127 Corridor Sale runs Aug. 7 through Aug. 10, and Jamestown — where the event receives an official kickoff with a whoop-snortin' hometown jamboree — is a great place to start hunting. Vendor locations along other stretches of the highway can get a bit sparse, but around here, it's chockablock sales.
Historic National Road
Although the 127 Corridor Sale calls itself the world's longest, the title now officially goes to the Historic National Road Yard Sale, which runs from Baltimore to St. Louis. From its humble origins as a 37-miler between Richmond and Knightstown, Ind., the event now spans a whopping 824 miles — the entire length of historic U.S. Route 40, the country's first interstate highway. The sale lasts five-days (beginning the first Wednesday after Memorial Day) and kicks off in Dublin, Ind., where the event is headquartered.
Patricia McDaniel, the sale's chairperson, has gone to great strides to keep the sale free of cheap imports. The vast majority of vendors are antique dealers, craftspeople and — worry not — families who turn their lawns and driveways into good old-fashioned garage sales. And after you find that 1956 chrome coffee maker you've always wanted, you can turn your attention to everything from fire-department fish fries to yard sale bingo.
If you only have one day, McDaniel suggests hitting the eastern half of Indiana, where towns are close together and sales are only short drives apart. Still, the entire length of Route 40 is easy to follow, and distances between most towns are minimal.
Whichever of the country's yard sale events you choose, always have the essentials: drinking water, sun block, snacks, a good hat, sunglasses, comfy walking shoes and, of course, well-honed bargaining skills. And don't forget a wad of good ol' greenbacks — because at yard sales, cash is always king.
Bio: Danny Palmerlee is a freelance writer and photographer based in Portland, Ore. His work has appeared in newspapers around the country, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times and Miami Herald. He is author of numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, including "Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks," "Argentina," "Baja California & Los Cabos," and "Ecuador & the Galápagos Islands."
Permalink: http://www.progressive.com/driving-destinations/yard-sale.aspx
The content provided by Lonely Planet Publications, while as accurate as possible, is provided "as is." Neither we, nor Lonely Planet Publications, accept any responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety) before you travel.
