Yardcrawl

For the past seven years, the Shenandoah Valley has hosted an event called the "Yardcrawl." The annual Yardcrawl is a 43 mile stretch of yard sales down Rt. 11 from Stephens City to New Market. This year one of my friends told me that she even saw some yard sales set up all the way to Harrisonburg! Several people in the area ranted and raved about this event, so I decided to see what it was all about last weekend.


I enjoy shopping and love getting a good deal, but this....this was a bit much for even me! I took some pictures of the scenery down Rt. 11 to give you an idea of exactly what this extreme event was like. Cars were bumper to bumper down most of the scenic country highway and people were parked all over the place!


My mom went on this crazy journey with me. At first we parked on the side of the road like all the other bargain-hunters out there and dodged cars as we made our way across the highway to the next set of tables or field splattered with yesterdays' treasures. Often I had to park off in a ditch so I'd be far enough off the road; my poor mother had to trudge through the tall grass keeping her eyes peeled for ticks and other critters. Finally, we smartened up and did our yardcrawling from the car, pulling over only if we spotted something of interest.


We ended up spending a total of about $5 all day. I picked up a baby signs book and CD for 50 cents and Mom got a giraffe safety backpack for Caleb and a few magazines. For the most part though, I felt like someone should have called Sanford and Son and had them make a few trips to haul most of the junk away. Some of the most extreme finds included a GIANT carousel horse and a car that looked like someone had taken apart and spread out on their yard to sell piece by piece.

In particular, I was looking for clothes or toys for Caleb and maybe a high chair or jumper for the new baby. However, everything looked very used, dirty, and poorly cared for so we'll just have to keep looking else where. I did have a few friends who found exactly what they wanted which was great. I just don't think this girl has the energy to handle sifting through 43 miles of junk to find that awesome deal. While we can say we tried it and laughed about it, Mom and I made a pact to avoid the Yardcrawl in the future. For those brave souls who attempt it year after year, I hope you find something wonderful....you deserve it! :)