Day One Video Clips

DAY ONE OF WLYS.

And They're Off

(Wednesday, Mr. Shunshopper's post) Drove to Hickory Tuesday night to spend the night with Mr. S's children so we could get an early jump on travel.  Note the sign greeting us at the front door upon arrival.

Headed up the mountain on Wednesday morning enroute to Chattanooga.  Left the interstate past Asheville to begin our shunpiking experience through the Great Smoky Mountains.  Absolutely spectacular - through North Carolina's beautiful mountains; by great trout streams; breathtaking sights; through the Nantahala Gorge, venturing into Tennessee.

Driving a larger vehicle (cargo van) to haul back all of Ms S's booty acquired at the World's Longest Yard Sale, I confess that driving was a bit challenging through endless miles of winding mountain roads.  But we are professional road warriors - we don't give up easily.

Eventually ended our journey for the day in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where we spent the night on the Delta Queen Hotel.  If you don't know, the Delta Queen is a steamboat.  Built in the 1920's, she was in passenger service until 2008.  Because of federal law, she can no longer transport passengers (she's a wooden paddlewheeler) on America's rivers, so she is moored on the Tennessee River as a floating hotel.

We spent time seeing the sights in Chattanooga (by the way, if you haven't been there, it's worth the visit), enjoyed dinner at a nice restaurant, and enjoyed even more sitting outside our cabin watching activity on the river.  It was great fun, and a real honor to stay on this national historical treasure.

It has been a great start to the shunpiking Big Adventure, but tomorrow the real work begins.  As much research as Ms S has done preparing (I think she watched an episode on HGTV) for this "experience," neither of us really know what to expect.  Expecting the worst, I've equipped myself with body armor, firearms and various explosives.  (Author's note to the FBI and ATF - if you're reading this blog message, I'm kidding about the firearms and explosives.)

But in good spirits and with high expectations, we'll keep you advised of our journey.  Starting in Chattanooga, we will go as far as Crossville, Tennessee on Thursday.  Wish us luck.

Off We Go into the Wild Blue Yonder

Blog update with a video commentary from Mr. S....hilarious.

Tension in Anticipation of the "Big Event" is Rising.

(Mr. Shunshopper's Post)  Tomorrow we set out on our adventure.   I sense that the tension is rising, as Ms. Shunpiker flits from thought to thought.  See for yourself  the amazing list she has been putting together.  Who could have imagined that a yard sale, even a 600-miler, would have required such a list.

Learning my lesson from yesterday, I decided to devote some of my energy to mapping our routes.  As I mapped our route to Chattanooga, Ms S quickly rejected the more convenient and leisurely interstate route of travel.  Instead, in keeping with the spirit of our adventure, she insisted we travel the single-lane roads far less traveled through the mountains of western North Carolina.  I know when I am defeated, and I quickly recognize that the well-known comfort of interstate travel is not an argument I choose to make.  That, my friends is the ultimate shunpiking.

 Monday is recycling day in Chapel Hill.  This morning as I was leaving to go work, she instructed me to stop at neighborhood yards to remove newspapers from their streetside recycling containers.  Seems she thinks she needs newspaper to wrap  the rare treasures she anticipates purchasing.  Unfortunately, the Recycling man beat me to the punch, and the containers were all empty. Therefore, I was unable to rifle through their containers.  Wink, wink!  But not to be defeated in her quest, Ms S just returned with a load of newspapers she recycled from a recycling center.  Where there is a will, there is a way.  Where there is a yard sale, there you will find Ms. Shunpiker.

The Pressure is On

(Mr. Shunshopper's post) - It's Sunday, several days before we leave for the big "World's Longest Yard Sale" four-day (yes, four-day) event.  I was sitting on the sofa, minding my own business, doing some travel planning.  Yeah, that's the ticket, I thought.  I was doing advance planning for some fly fishing adventures on the Snake and Madison Rivers in Wyoming when we travel to Yellowstone in October.  Unfortunately, and thinking she noticed the contented smile on my face, Ms. S passed by and noticed that I was gazing at photos of trout streams, rather than mapping out yard sale travel.  She immediately leaped 6 inches off the ground, insisting that I forget trout streams, devoting all my travel attention to yard sales.  I think you can appreciate the stress I am now under - vendors start selling their wares (?) at 8:00 am and go until dark.  Your prayers will be appreciated.

The Countdown is On

(Ms. Shunpiker's post) — Shun·pik·ing, a verb, is derived from the word shun, meaning "to avoid", and pike, a term referring to turnpikes.  A person who avoids traveling interstates is called a shunpiker, thus the blog title. A shunpiker prefers interludes along lightly traveled country roads in order to experience the heartland of America. This blog chronicles Mr and Ms Shunpiker's first official shunpiking experience through the back roads and tiny towns of Tennessee, Kentucky, maybe Ohio.  Hold on. More drama.

While shunpiking, the Shunpikers simultaneously experience the World's Longest Yard Sale (WLYS), 690 miles to be exact, an annual 4-day event held in August along the rural roadsides of corridor U.S. 127 (a birthday gift-trip from Mr S to Ms S).  With this signage hanging proudly over my desk, it should give you a good indication of how my mind works and the level of anticipation. 

Officially, WLYS begins in Alabama runs thru Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, ending in Michigan.  In truth, there is no beginning or end.  One just jumps on and off anywhere they please. 

Historically, WLYS was an attempt on the part of organizers to get folks shunpiking and into their small towns.  There you go.

Follow the dotted line!

The Shunpikers begin their dualistic adventure on August 1 in Chattanooga, TN traveling in a northernly fashion. Armed with new sneakers, a cargo van, cooler, cameras, the Garmin, several rolls of toilet paper and lots of Franklins, the countdown begins. 

(Mr. Shunpiker's post) - shun-shopp-er is derived from the word shun, meaning "to avoid", and shopper, a term referring to shopping.  A person who avoids shopping with a vengeance is called a shunshopper, thus the blog title Ms S has not included in naming her blog. A shunshopper prefers interludes along lightly traveled country roads in order to respond to the call of the trout stream and to avoid shopping for any product. Getting poked in the eye with a very sharp stick is a fair trade off for evading the shopping experience, on or off road.  This blog chronicles Mr Shunshopper and Ms Shunpiker's first official shunpiking/shunshopper experience through the back roads and tiny towns of Tennessee, Kentucky, maybe Ohio.  Hold on. More drama.  

This just in - I walked in from a day of trout fishing with my sons in the mountains of western North Carolina.  I think we all know Ms S's penchant for "thriftiness" (generously described).  She announced to me that she was taking a wad of Franklin's and is prepared to spend it all.  At first I thought this was a prank, and I looked for a recording camera, knowing it was preserving my response.  Finding none, and still reeling from this startling revelation, I've concluded that she is off of her medication before we even begin this trip.  She's right - more drama.