An adorable vacation: Roadtrip it from OH to AL to see the 1,000s of objects for sale in America’s longest yard sale.
From nearby festivals to outside family barbecues, the summer season offers many top-value vacation ideas that need little advanced planning. This summer, for some wallet-friendly, unexpected family vacation fun, try the Route 127 Corridor Yard Sale, which extends though Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.
It may be hard to picture a yard sale sprawled across five states, but that’s exactly what Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama organized in the 1980s to lure tourists off Interstate 40.
The Sale now extends 690 miles, having grown over 200 miles in the past 10 years alone.
Hundreds of counties and thousands of homes, churches, schools, and antique vendors come together for one weekend in mid-August to peddle their wares. 2014 marks the 27th annual Route 127 Corridor Sale, which will take place Aug. 7-10. The Sale route runs from Addison, Michigan to Gadsden, Alabama.
If you begin your hunt for the perfect bargain outside Cleveland, Ohio, then Lexington, Kentucky makes a good overnight stop. You’ll find bargain-priced, family-size rooms at the Best Western Regency Lexington (888/942-5691) and bright rooms plus an indoor pool at the Radisson Plaza Lexington (859/299-8844).
If your kids have the stamina to put in a long, long day of searching for old Hot Wheels models, tin toys, ball caps, used skates, Fiestaware, and you-name-its, continue south to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Sheraton Read House (423/266-4121) offers an outdoor pool, as does the Chattanooga ChooChoo Holiday Inn (423/266-5000).
You might want to stop by Jamestown, Tennessee, where the Sale originated, to purchase an official 127 Sale t-shirt, or to check out the annual Fentress County Agricultural Fair, which begins about a week after the sale, starting on August 18.
enjoy the Annual Jamestown Jamboree, a small-town southern music festival that takes place on Saturday of the Sale.
As you drive, teach the kids about quality by having them keep their eyes open for potential bargains. Serious shoppers watch for the antique barns, town or church-sponsored antique shows, and the large yard/parking lot vendors.
The traffic can be heavy, and parking a challenge, but be sure to relax and enjoy the vast landscape, or to stop for some country cooking. It’s a real slice of Appalachia, with pretty scenery, down-home folk and great bargains to be had.
For more information, contact the tourism offices for Kentucky (800/225-8747), Tennessee (615/741-2159), and Alabama (800/ALABAMA).
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Yes nice place for faimly vacation