Antique Alley-Highway 11 Yard sale

Starting today is Antique Alley, a hugeyard sale that will run throughout the weekend. I am rerunning my last year post for those that might be interested in attending. On the backroads of Appalachia for 502 miles from Meridian, Mississippi to Bristol, Virgina.
The sale is always the weekend after Mother's Day in May. The 2010 sale is May 13th - 16th. Celebrating our 13th year, during the National Tourism Week. The event, to be known as "U.S. 11 Antique Alley," will be celebrated in each county up and down the US 11 corridor. Each town along the route will plan its own events, as festivals, antique sales, flea markets and yard sales, carnivals, etc., and many other activities to be held in conjunction with the "Happenin."
Always the four-day weekend (Thursday-Sunday) after Mother's Day in May, May 13-16, 2010, a 502-mile festive roadside sale will be held on U.S. Highway 11 from Meridian, Mississippi through Birmingham, Alabama, and towns in Dade County, Georgia, then Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Knoxville, Tennessee, and on to Bristol, Virginia.
For more information on the US 11 Antique Alley Sale click here.
(Click on map...and all pictures fr a larger view

(original post date 5-17-09)

We Went, We Shopped, We Bought. I had such fun at the Antique Alley Sale. I went on Friday with my mother and aunt and uncle. We drive up highway 11 from Birmingham to north of Collinsville. I made a few purchases: an heirloom tomato plant, poppy seeds, heirloom perennial petunia's, holly hock plants ($7 for all plants), 2 "new" outfits ($5 for both), an old feed sack ($3) and an antique RC Cola drink crate ($4). My aunt bought me a pedestal dish made of blue Indiana glass ($5). My mother bought me an old bench ($10) and a HUGE antique mirror (it is GORGEOUS) it was marked at an estate sale for $110 but we got it half price.

It was a busy weekend, so I needed to unload some things still from my van, so I will post a picture later this week-probably Thrifty Thursday-of my thrifty finds.
I got some great deals, but it was the country scenery that I was completely taken with. The plants I purchased came from a barn sale. How cool is that? A barn sale.

The sale was at this historic barn, which I have actually photographed many times throughout the years. The barn was built in 1910.

The sale was a great opportunity for me to find out the history of the barn and the 100 acres of land it sat on. It was also a great opportunity for me to get a better look at the barn (especially the backside, which I had not been able to see or photograph from the road) and all the beauty that was on the property, which is where all the flowers were photographed.









Magnolia bloom.

Queen Anne's Lace







For lunch we ate at Nessa's in Collinsville (which is my mother and uncles hometown).


Nessa's is a tearoom with Greek influences. I had a salad and the stuffed peppers.

My mom and aunt opted for the chicken salad.

My uncle chose the ham sandwich on a croissant.

I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I would recommend Nessa's highly. The service was also commendable, our waitresses (we had two) waited on our every need with a smile and offered up suggestions from everything from dishes to order to things to do in the area.
We went home with full bellies and a full trunk-stuffed with antiques and more. As my momma likes to say, "A good time was had by all".