It’s almost here! That bargain hunter’s dream that many of us have had marked on our calendars for months. The 127 Yard Sale, more commonly referred to as “The World’s Longest Yard Sale” will be held from August 5-8 and will run its long-established route through Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. The majority of the sale route follows Highway 127 starting in Addison, Michigan. The exception is from Lookout Mountain, Georgia to Gadsden, Alabama, the last stop on the sale route, when it switches to Lookout Mountain Parkway.
Established in 1987 by Tennessee resident Mike Walker, the sale originally ran from Covington, Kentucky to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Walker, a former county executive from Jamestown, Tennessee, started the event to encourage travelers to forgo the major interstate highways like I-40 and I-75 in favor of the slower, but much more scenic route through the countryside. This is a trip for the entire family to enjoy some of the most scenic parts of the country on display along the sale route. Thinking about joining the hundreds of thousands of loyal fans for this once a year adventure? Here is a crash course in what you can expect.
The residents of the small towns along highway 127 spend months preparing for their visitors. Arts and crafts festivals abound with homemade quilts, leather goods, wood crated items, soaps, oils and candles and some incredible bluegrass music. Opposed to the interstate highway ramp offerings of fast food, this trek through rural America offers some of the best home cooking to be found anywhere! Be on the lookout along the route for signs directing you to a number of state parks. Here you can take a break for junking and spend some downtime hiking, fishing, horseback riding or boating.
Accommodations along the way range from hotels and motels to B&B’s and campgrounds. As close in as we are to the starting date it may be necessary to travel several miles off of 127, so research the areas where you plan to spend the night and make reservations.
So, what kind of shopping can you expect to find on the World’s Longest Yard Sale? It is not an exaggeration to say that the list is endless! For the vintage/antique lover the route includes a nice mix of professional dealers and people who take the opportunity to thin down their collections. While these are my favorite stops along the way, there is plenty for those looking for tools, furniture, locally grown produce, Harley Davidson gear, knives, clothes, household appliances and a wealth of hodgepodge. Some vendors are set up to take debit and credit cards but it is a very good idea to take plenty of cash for the trip. Many of the hotels and motels will have ATM machines if you need to get more cash, but remember that there are hundreds of thousand of people using the ATM’s during this 4 day period and they do sometimes run out of money!
With so much to see and do and only 4 days to get it all done some people select the area that they are most interested in, while others stop at every display they see. The event promoters recommend that you set a goal for the miles you plan to travel in one day, and stick to it. It is their assessment that 100-150 miles is as much ground as you can reasonably travel in a 24 hour period. To help you plan ahead there is a website with information, printable maps and updates on this years sale. Check it out at www.127yardsale.com/yardsalers.
Six-hundred-and-ninety miles of unique shopping, beautiful scenery and great food, that’s the 127 Yard Sale! See you there! Until next time . . . Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and may be reached at 317-258-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com
