A few weeks back we packed up the car, went over a few rivers, and through a bunch of woods to go see my 89-year-old grandmother (aka Granny) in Huntington, WV. It was primarily a weekend of eating and baby holding (is there anything better?) because we were joined by my parents, my cousin Erin, and her 2-month-old son Finn. But we managed to squeeze in a few side adventures that we thought you all might enjoy… which we would’ve shared sooner if most of the pictures weren’t stuck in photo purgatory on our old point-and-shoot camera (we finally found the camera cord that we lost during the move this weekend).
Here’s the obligatory “Clara with her great-Granny” shot. Aren’t they cute and purple-tastic?
We were only there for around 36 hours, meaning that Saturday was our big day packed full of stuff – like walking around town, shopping, going to the park, and getting ice cream. We even got Clara a new friend at a fun gift store called Mug and Pia after finally stumbling upon the giraffe Jellycat that we’d been looking for, oh, only the last ten months. As you can tell, Clara was super excited about it.
Mug and Pia also had these cool frames made from recycled tires where you could see all of the scratches and imperfections from their previous days on the road. The matte finish was actually really great.
Perhaps the most interesting adventure of the day was hitting up an area of town called Old Central City that’s bursting at the seams with antique and vintage shops.
And even though the outside makes it look kinda like an old western ghost town, the shops are crammed with cool stuff (and even the occasional person).
There were a bunch of beautiful / weird / quirky things that caught our eye in the half dozen or so antique shops that we popped into. For example, we thought these ornate white candle sconces were fun (and could probably rock a bold color like teal or plum).
And of course Sherry was attracted to just about every ceramic / glass / metal animal that she spotted, including this open-mouthed horse head (she finally proclaimed it “too grinny” and moved on)…
…and this big iron alligator (which was the favorite by far, but at nearly $30 it just wasn’t priced to come home with us).
I was more into things like these old books, which managed to look graphic and cool even when they were about boring topics like concrete. These could almost be mounted right to the wall (or popped into a shadow box) as art. Actually blowing up those covers and framing them or even getting them made into oversized canvases would be amazing. Boo on me for not buying them.
I’m also a sucker for old bottles and retro packaging, so this shelf of old timey toiletries and “snake oils” caught my eye. Although I was a bit grossed out that the Grenadine Syrup was still full of thick gloppy liquid. Nasty.
And of course, how could I not gravitate toward oversized typography like this art deco sign. It reminded us a lot of the letters in Chuck’s studio from this house crashing (second pic from the bottom). If the letters A, B, O or T had any special meaning to us I seriously would’ve tried to cram one into the car.
The one purchase we did make was this set of oversized decorative keys. They were 8 bucks for the whole set, and once Sherry gets out the ol’ white paint we hope to work them into our hallway frame gallery (pics when we do).
And no trip to an antique store is complete without seeking out those weird and wonderfully quirky items too. Like this beer sign that we laughed about hanging over Burger’s crate. It reads “You’ll like Burger: the beer you can stay with.” I don’t know why Clara wasn’t cracking up too. Probably because she can’t read.
One shopkeeper turned a vintage cheese grater into a light source by just stuffing some Christmas lights inside. Not a bad look, actually (we could picture a string of them placed down the center of a rustic old farm table).
And if you want to relive some political campaigns of yesteryear, these retro buttons have you covered – especially if you were a Carter / Mondale fan (there were TONS of those). So funny and random.
If trophies with chickens on them is more your speed, I left these two behind for ya. I liked pretending that someone won them in a series of weird competitions like “Most Chickens Carried During The 400-Yard Dash” and “Rooster Relay Semifinalist.”
My favorite discovery in the weird category was actually this blast-from-the-past sign that hung at the register of one of the shops. It’s a flyer from Yellowstone National Park warning visitors about buffalo attacks. My family actually got one of these when we visited Yellowstone in 1998. I thought it was so hilarious (maybe inappropriately so) that I saved it and hung it on my dorm room door in college. For some reason I was extremely entertained by the idea of my friends being warned that in my dorm room “many visitors have been gored by buffalo.”
I no longer have my copy (and this one was sadly not for sale) so if you ever come over to our house and are gored by a buffalo, my apologies that you were not adequately warned.
We continued the weird theme into lunch when we opted to grab lunch at Hillbilly Hot Dogs (not to perpetuate any West Virginia stereotypes or anything).
They were quite creative with the hillbilly theme – so if you’re going for that vibe in your house, start taking notes. Some of their more unique table options included one where you sat in a bathtub with a shower curtain around you (the fold-down table was even supported by a plunger). Another was an outhouse where your seats were – well, I’m sure you can guess what you’d sit on in an outhouse. On the right you can see my mom modeling the outhouse with baby Finn:
Oh, and if the decor isn’t enough of a reason to go, the hot dogs were definitely worth the trip. They’ve got a menu full of different options and toppings like pepperoni, eggs, bacon, slaw and salsa. Insane. But better than they looked (because we can admit that this picture might not convey the level of deliciousness that was enjoyed by all).
Now that we’ve shared photos of meat garnished with meat, we oughta wrap this up. Oh, and if anyone was wondering how Clara did during two 6.5-hour car rides just days apart – she was a champ. There was far less sleeping than the last time that we did the drive (back when she was 2.5 months old) but she managed to entertain herself for most of the trip. And we listened to her favorite CD (from baby music class) whenever she got grumpy. Let’s just say “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round The Mountain,” while appropriate for the scenery, got old. But Clara was happy, so all was well.
Actually, the only “rough” part of the trip was when Sherry accidentally sprayed the inside of the car with a must-have-previously-been-shaken can of Fresca from Granny. I was a case of Grandma sabotage I tell ya. Just kidding, it was most definitely an accident. Lucky for the rest of us, Sherry’s pants bared the brunt of the assault. Gotta love Señorita Sticky Legs for taking one for the team like that.
So that’s the latest on our travels. Have you guys been anywhere fun? We’re always looking for new places to check out so we’d love any and all suggestions. Especially if they’re within driving distance. You know we love a good road trip…
Psst- Check out our favorite road trip ever here.
Holli says
Love the baby jeggings! I bought some skinny jeans for my 2 1/2 month old, but alas her long and lean self just doesn’t fill them out. I’ll have to try jeggings:)
As far as drivable road trips go, I lived in Lexington VA for 6 years (just moved) and its an adorable little town. If you like historic, antique/boutiqe-y places it totally fits the bill. Plus its chock full of civil war history- they even boast a confederate parade on Lee-Jackson day (yes, that is a holiday in VA!)And theres great stuff around, like an old working mill that sells awesome grits.
kate says
do you know if Jamie Oliver’s kitchen is still open?…think he established it somewhere in town while he was shooting his show there. we’ve thought of stopping to check it out and the rest of Huntington on our trek from Baltimore to visit “grampa” in Kentucky…kinda thinking i might need one of those pepperoni hot dogs!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, his kitchen was open when we visited – but they’ve renamed it “Huntington’s Kitchen.” Looked awesome.
xo,
s
susan says
Family and fun. It makes me want to go look at antique stores and make hot dogs for lunch! susan
Barb says
I know it was mentioned earlier….but of all the crazy pictures of STUFF….the one that caught my attention most was that dear, sweet baby in her GAP JEGGINGS!!! Could she look any cuter in those? I tell you, she is just adorable in every way.
Clara. Rocks. This. Trip. In. Her. Fashion. Statement.
Don’t you think?
ADORABLE!
B.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s all about the baby jeggings.
xo,
s
Carissa says
I’m sorry, John, but Clara is just not impressed with your chicken trophy! :-)
Love it. You guys are such fun.
Heidi M. says
I loved those two books… I bet with your photo shopping skills you could take those two photos and crop them make them into cool art for one of your frame walls, though!
Layla says
I second the Berkeley Springs suggesting, and if you drive a bit further east, you would also absolutely adore Harpers Ferry. Great scenery and architecture!
And yes to the Short North in Columbus, Oh! You might not be able to get a lot of great deals here, but it’s excellent for some gallery hopping and window shopping. We’re actually moving from WV to Columbus in a couple of months, so I’m happy to endorse both. =)
Elizabeth says
NO AMOUNT is too much to spend on an alligator.
Just sayin’.
I actually have one similar to that under a bench in my yard…although around here people might actually think it’s real.
And oh yeah…GO GATORS! lol
Peggy says
Thanks for sharing the Hillbilly hot dog place. Very creative owners, that’s for sure. I just got back from
traveling across the great state of Tennessee, including a stop at Graceland. Not sure you will find any good decorating tipe there, but I did see some white ceramic monkeys there. Amazingly, they remided me of Sherry, not Elvis!
Jamie says
You guys should come to Louisville! It’s a stretch at 9 hours from Richmond (I make the trip a lot to see family in Stafford), but there is some neat stuff here. And it’s home to the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted!
Cara says
We have a family trip to Boone, NC planned for this August. We’re staying in a darling rental cabin we found on vrbo.com and there seem to be tons of kid-friendly outdoor activities in this fun mountain town. Have you guys ever been there??
YoungHouseLove says
Never been but it sounds fun!
xo,
s
Lindsay says
I loooooove Boone! My mom went to Appalachian University there, and loves the mountains. When I was growing up, we’d usually go there about once a year in the fall. Love it!
Cara says
Did you ever go to the Tweetsie Railroad theme park, Lindsay? The website looks so cute and I think by 2 yr-old son is going to LOVE it!
Petersiks, at 300+ miles away Boone might be a bit of a haul for you but still not as far as Huntington. Easy peasy :)
Ashlee says
Ahh!! This post just made my day! I’m from Beckley, WV and I graduated from Marshall University! I live in Dallas now and crave Hillbilly Hot Dogs from time to time! :)
Krystal says
You guys always find such interesting stuff when you go antiquing. I’m thinking about checking out this antique mall I just discovered in my college town. It’s five stories tall and apparently filled to the brim with things to riffle through. Should be a good time.
Melissa says
Aha! Blast from the past, indeed. I was also at Yellowstone in 1998 and picked up the same poster! Too funny.
Also may have bought an apron with the cartoon of bear holding an “i am not a bear” sign next to one that says “Do Not Feed The Bears.”
That was the year of the enormous fire, wasn’t it? I seem to recall taking many “artsy” panoramic photos of dead trees.
YoungHouseLove says
Ha! That apron sounds like a Far Side cartoon I remember from way back.
And yep, I also recall driving by hillsides filled with charred trees. I guess I was too busy looking for buffalo to take any artsy pics myself.
-John
Sarah says
If you’re looking for a fun road trip, you should consider Chapel Hill, NC, just a few hours south of you.
There’s a “Home Roam” tour through some of Chapel Hill’s greatest homes on Saturday, April 16th, so you could road-trip AND house-crash!
http://www.jldoc.org/jldoc/index.jsp
Steph says
Living vicariously through you….with 4 children we find it hard to “get away”. However, would love to have you come to Nebraska and help me with my house that is still stuck in 70s. Could take you to the Roller Skating Museum. :)
Jenn says
Yellowstone (or maybe it’s Yosemite) now offers their buffalo warnings in the form of yellow door handle hanger tags (similar to the “do not disturb” tags found in hotels). Flip that nifty little tag over, and it gives a warning about elk. My husband brought one home from his last camping trip and thought it would be hilarious to hang on the door to the guest bathroom. Fortunately, I possess the power of The Grand Veto in our home.
Alison says
Ohh those keys are amazing and those hot dogs look deeelish! It makes me want to head down to Crif Dogs in the EV, did you guys ever frequent that amazing place when you lived in NY? Mmmm…
YoungHouseLove says
Mmm, never been but it sounds delish.
xo,
s
Angie @ The Country Chic Cottage says
HA! Those keys are amazing! I picked some up at a flea market — you got a great price!! I about fell over when I saw yours. Painting them white huh???? After you do yours I will decide! :) Hurry up. :) Mine look like these:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/69249603/skeleton-keys-set-of-5-rustic-brass
Krista D. says
You HAVE to come up to south-central Pennsylvania! I bet there are more vintage/antique stores between Gettysburg and Lancaster than anywhere else on the east coast. Gettysburg would be a super fun road trip. It’s only about 3.5 hours from Richmond and there’s tons to do. It’s very historic (Civil War, Gettysburg Address, Battlefield, etc., etc.).
Lara says
My hubby’s from WV (although going to school in NY rid him of any accent) and one of his favorite things is hot dogs with both cole slaw and chili! I thought it was crazy at first, but it’s fun and definitely regional. The other yummy thing we always get when we’re back in the mountains is a pepperoni roll – delicious! Enjoyed hearing about your trip and your fun finds! (and obviously the adorable Clara pics)
Adam says
Looks like you two had a fantastic family adventure! I can’t wait for our Ohio weather to warm up a few degrees and go on some adventures of my own. I’m quite jealous of all those great shops you visited; I am in the process of summer road trip planning and hope to visit some towns just as quirky and charming.
Emily says
I’ve suggested before, but I hope that you guys make it down to Asheville, NC! You have to visit my mom’s antique shop, Bryant Antiques in Biltmore. You’d LOVE it!!
Emalee says
I’m a long time reader and Richmond native and I was wondering- have you ever traveled to Farmville, VA? It’s only a short hour (or hour and a half) away from Richmond (45 minutes from Hull Street). It’s a sweet little college town with AMAZING furniture/carpet/accessories shopping opportunities.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes- we had tons of fun in Farmville a few years back!
xo,
s
Melanie Burns says
You guys should definitely head over to Kernersville, NC and check out a place called Korner’s Folly http://www.kornersfolly.org It’s this crazy awesome historic house with all kinds of levels and rooms and details. It sounds off-the-wall, but I assure you it’s very cool! (Their website doesn’t do it justice). You can each tour for $10. A little diamond in the rough in no-wheres-ville, NC. We happened upon it this past October while driving from one end of NC to the other on a road trip from Kentucky to Cape Carteret & Beaufort, NC on the coast near the Outer Banks (which is also worth a trip if you like small coastal towns. Also near there in Swansboro, NC is an awesome thrift store called The Hem of His Garment http://www.woeom.com/).
Rachael Ensom says
Clara is just beautiful and Granny is oh so precious! Love it!
Amanda R says
We love JellyCats!!! Tiny Moo Cow has been with our family for 3.5 years now. Cal will be celebrating his 4th birthday in May. Beware, they are so snuggable and loveable that there will be full scale mass panic when they go missing. I had my mother retracing our every move last March after a visit with her. Her last ditch effort was a shoe store we had been in all of 15 minutes. She stopped in and they had him behind the counter waiting. They said anyone who was clearly this loved had someone looking for him. My mom FedEx overnighted him to us. Those were 3 very dark dark days.
YoungHouseLove says
Whew- so glad Tiny Moo Cow was found!
xo,
s
Dusa says
Those sconces would have been fun keeping the ram’s head company in your bedroom.
YoungHouseLove says
Don’t think I didn’t mention that to John! Haha.
xo,
s
Allison says
This is a fun article on travel — 15 places to take the kids before they are 15!
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/03/24/15.places.before.15/index.html?iref=obnetwork
Relevant Notes says
LOVE the photo of John and Clara with the chicken trophies. Clara looks like she’s a tad embarrassed at the ridiculous photos you’re making her pose for! ;) Ha!
YoungHouseLove says
Totally. She’s too cool for her embarrassing parents already.
xo,
s
karen says
Sweet post. I hope you brought that Burger sign home!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we left it behind, but we always have that photo to remember it by.
xo,
s
Sara says
Love this post – what cool stores you guys found!
You mentioned a “baby music class” for Clara – is it Music Together? A friend of mine teaches in PA and runs several Music Together baby/parent groups.
I’m a music teacher (elementary) so I’m always intrigued/curious when people mention going to baby music classes!! Clara definitely has some pipes already – she is very entertaining to watch when she squeals!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually do Musik Garten. Lots of fun!
xo,
s
Robin says
Speaking of WV fun – head to Shepherdstown for a little flavor and fun. They have some really cute shops there and a great playground for Clara. (that’s always our clue for a fun day trip or weekend getaway – is there a park nearby?)
Also, I’m in Silver Spring, MD, which is right next to Kensington, MD (both just outside DC). They have a pretty big antique district there, and it’s fun to stroll through them all. Also a Farmer’s Market on the weekends right in the heart of Kensington. Happy trails!
Marie says
Love the buffalo sign. There’s a park in MD with a big waterfall that’s great for swimming and I always loved the warning sign there–no details, just “DEATHS HAVE OCCURRED” in giant white letters. Way to cut to the chase.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s skeeery.
xo,
s
Alyson says
We went to Yellowstone last August. Those signs are still everywhere, but NOW they’re giving out a cool safety yellow laminated version you can hang on your rear view mirror. I’ve kept mine beside my computer ever since, for a smile when I need it.
Viv says
Couldn’t get past the jeggings! I love how she’s stretching her legs out to show off.
Emily S. says
My boys love their JellyCat stuffed animals (a frog and a lion). They are just the perfect stuffed animals :) What awesome shops too!
Sara @ House Bella says
They still give out those little fliers at Yellowstone, they switch up the colors (the last one I got was yellow). Love them!
YoungHouseLove says
No way – we’ll have to go back and grab one!
xo,
s
Brooks says
Is the horse head a piece by Royal Hickman? It’s very collectible, if so. His pottery was super popular in the 60’s.
YoungHouseLove says
Not sure- could be though!
xo,
s
Janette @ The 2 Seasons says
You could name your next child or pet Abbott, and then the big sign would be perfect!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, this is true…
xo,
s
Brittany says
I am dying right now because I live close to Ritter Park and was driving by “a couple weeks ago” and saw you guys!!!! I thought to myself while passing, “man that looks like John and Sherry, nahh – couldn’t be!” Now I am hitting myself because obviously it WAS you : ) I too love Mug N Pia and get gifts and beautiful gift wrap from there. Small world and I wish we could have met!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that was totally us! So sorry we didn’t get to meet!
xo,
s
Amy in Pittsburgh says
Darn, guys! My initials are ABO! I should take a trip to that store and pick those letters up!
YoungHouseLove says
They’re perfect. Go get ’em!
xo,
s
Mindy@FindingSilverLinings says
OH! I LOVE THOSE BOOKS!!! I decorate with books a lot. They add a punch of color without being obvious, plus, I’ve found that they end up becoming conversation pieces. When we have parties I always catch people thumbing through the. The older the books, the better! Here’s a few ways I’ve used them around our place:
http://fisilis.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/trunk-show/
http://fisilis.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/our-entryway-wall-moodboard/
http://fisilis.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/holiday-decorations-on-a-budget/
http://fisilis.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/the-thanksgiving-recap/
Sorry for hijacking this post, I am apparently way too excited about books!
xo
Mindy
YoungHouseLove says
Love it. Thanks for sharing the links!
xo,
s
RLB says
When I first saw that last picture, I thought Burger had had an accident on Sherry’s lap. Glad it was just soda. Also, Burger’s collar makes it look like his is smoking a cigarette in that picture. Heh, heh.
Alison says
Hi guys. I love your blog! I thought you might also like to know that there are three pictures of your old house featured in a fresh decorating ideas section found here http://www.bhg.com/decorating/seasonal/spring/get-fresh-this-spring1/
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the heads up! Off to check it out…
xo,
s
bhh says
Heads up . . . when I clicked the link I got a warning not to proceed from McAfee.
Kim says
I second Asheville, NC. Also, this may be a bit far, but Charleston SC where I live is awesome, for kids and adults!
Kim at Yellow Brick Home says
Mmm… Those dogs gave me a serious case of Hot Doug’s cravings:
http://www.hotdougs.com/menu.htm
If you ever road trip it to Chicago, the 3 hour line is worth the wait!
Kristen says
I love the subtitle ‘Encased Meat Emporium’. That has gotta be the best description EVER!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, agreed.
xo,
s
Laura says
You all should check out the Davidson/Cornelius area in North Carolina. It’s right outside of Charlotte. Also, another place would be Abingdon, VA. We are actually going there this weekend. Both very cool little towns with lots of character!
Rachael says
What a fun little trip! Scouring antique malls and shops for vintage finds is my favorite!
RA says
We actually have a chicken trophy. The hubs earned it in a 4-H project. Thankfully it is just faux brass and wood.
Abingdon, VA is a great place to visit, though it is a bit of a hike from Richmond. Their Highlands Festival in late July/early August has lots of art and crafts. Do plan time to attend the Barter Theatre. Old Salem in Winston-Salem, NC is chock full of history and well worth your time.
Safe journeys.