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.
Lisa G. says
I showed my son the picture of Clara and her new giraffe, and he said: “Aww Jellycat the Giraffe makes baby Clara sooo happy!” Fun trip- thanks for sharing the pictures.
YoungHouseLove says
Now that is cute.
xo,
s
Carol N. says
I’m not sure how far away it is, but Jonesborough Tennessee is a really neat town to visit. It is Tennessee’s oldest town. I think it is pretty close to Bristol, Virginia and Tennessee. Museums, antique stores and all kinds of special things to see. Plus being in the mountains is great just about any time!
Megan says
I love that you guys take us shopping! And hey, if you are really and truly sad that you don’t have the buffalo-goring warning poster anymore, Yellowstone still gives those same ones out. Bet they’d send you one… :-)
Jessica says
I live in Jackson Hole, WY and I ca get you another buffalo warning this summer. We go to Yellowstone at least 3 times a summer since it is only 1 hour away.
Fun post! I love that alligator too!
Rachel says
Had to comment about the cheese grater light!
We’ve been watching That 70s Show reruns & I just realized that the Foreman’s have a row of cheese grater lights running over their bar-height counter in the kitchen. It certainly is inventive, but a part of me wonders if that’s really the sort of repurposing anyone would have done in the 70s.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s hilarious! Love it.
xo,
s
Pamela says
I actually bought that Pearls from Many Seas book at an Antique shop myself because it was such a pretty book! I’d love to go to that adorable town!
Amy says
I was so certain that your final story was going to transition from “Clara did great in the car!” to “Burger? Not so much.” His expression (“I’m sorry Mom.”) next to wet pants had me going in a whooole different direction. :) Glad it was just soda!
Anna says
These ceramic owls totally remind me of you guys!
http://www.plumtique.com/accessories/three-cute-owls
YoungHouseLove says
So cute.
xo,
s
rachel says
my grandparents live just across the river from Huntington! I’m looking forward to checking out some of these shops when we (hopefully) visit next month :)
Jennelle says
Yay, Huntington! I live in Charleston, so it was sorta surreal to see the pics in this post. I’ve been by some of those places. Glad you had a nice visit with your Granny! Lovely post!
Esme says
Enjoyed all the pictures from your trip! The cheese grater lamp is a neat idea. I actually saw something similar on ‘That 70’s Show’. In the kitchen they have several hanging from the ceiling with bulbs in each one. I’ve thought about doing something similar one day. P.S. Love your Blog! I’m a frequent visitor!
AlexandraRS says
Look what I just stumbled upon!
Thought you might enjoy for those people who can’t discover old keys in antique stores.
http://www.blackinkboston.com/store/show/19-0513-porcelain-keys-
YoungHouseLove says
Those are so pretty!
xo,
s
Caroline A. says
OH MY GOSH! I can’t believe you guys were in Huntington! I’ve lived here my whole life & go to Marshall. I wish I would’ve known you guys would be in town. I’m a big fan and would’ve loved an autograph or something! Glad you got to experience Jim’s Spaghetti though- yummmm.
Jackie says
Awesome road trip, guys! You guys need to hit up the NJ/PA border! I’m a Jersey girl, but when I’m in a dire need of some inexpensive vintage..I hit up the Golden Nugget in Lambertville, NJ. From what I heard its the biggest antique flea market on the East Coast! holler! The area is nice and the Delaware River is just right there..good for some fishing and sightseeing. There are nice towns in walking distance of Lambertville. Definitely check out New Hope and Doylestown, Pa. Tons of great eateries, antique/vintage shops and unique shopping overall. =)
Ashley Watson says
I loved those letters. My roommates & I picked up some giant yellow letters (W, E, R, L & Y) for $1 each at a thrift store several years ago. They all got separated but my husband and I kept the W for our family! (Last name = Watson).
Caroina says
If you ever need a weekend excursion take a 3 hour trip to Roanoke. You can travel the blue ridge parkway, hike the AT and visit all our shops. When you have time check out these places:
http://www.blackdogsalvage.com/
http://www.oldesalemonline.com/default.html
http://www.bluecollarjoes.net/
http://www.2ndhelpings.org/
http://www.floydvirginia.com/
elaine K says
My dad collects campaign buttons and went to Swarthmore College with Dukakis so maybe I better go there one of these days!
Lea says
Old book covers are awesome art! I have a rather impressive collection of old science/medicine related book covers (I gutted most of the books, so really, just the covers) that I just pop on the wall with that blue poster-hanging putty or command strips as a wall collage.
If you find yourself lamenting not getting the books, Ebay is a great place to find them for cheap, especially with media mail shipping. (I use Books–antiquarian and collectible–hardcover–$5 or less.)
YoungHouseLove says
Love the ebay idea!
xo,
s
Ashley @ DesignBuildLove.co says
OH! I LOVE the cheese-grater light, and those awesome old books, and the antique keys!!! (oh ya, and as a MAJOR foodie, I LOVE the hot dogs/sausages! They look scrumptious!) Next to home stuff, food is my second love! Thanks for sharing! I might DIY one of those lights or something similar at some point!
Katie says
As a rare book dealer, I was drooling at the sight of those beautiful old books. For other reasons than decorating with them, of course.
BTW – your adventures in DIY have given me the courage to tackle refinishing an old wood church pew that was given to me by my grandparents. It has been demanding some TLC since it moved into my house and I didn’t quite know what to do with it. Now, I have visions of bringing it back to its original glory.
Amy Jo says
Yay for Huntington!! I lived there for years and just moved away in the fall. I am super happy you went to Mug and Pia and Hillbilly Hot Dogs – definitely my two favorite places in town!
Amanda says
Sounds like an awesome time was had by all! You should head east on 64 and check out down-town Smithfield (less than 2 hours from Richmond)! Lots of small town charm (cute little ice cream parlor), beautiful in the spring time (wonderful new walking trail by the river & through the woods), lots of antique stores on main street, beautiful historic Inns, and if all that wasn’t enough…. Smithfield is the ham capitol of the world!! Yummy ham biscuits!
Rebekah says
Have ya’ll been down to the Outer Banks? You aren’t a Richmonder until you have.
My family went every summer while I was growing up, and the 3.5 hour drive isn’t bad at all.
Also, during the fall, you should check out a VMI military parade on a football Saturday, only about 2 hours away, and Lexington is a cute little town to explore.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes- John took me there as a surprise for our first anniversary. So fun!
xo,
s
Meredith says
Just visited Yellowstone National Park last month, and they still have the same brochure warning about the dangers of buffalo at the Visitor Center. We picked one up because we thought it was funny, too!
Patricialynn says
I cracked up over the “gored by a buffalo” sign – mainly because my Aunt Molly actually was gored by a buffalo. We were all worried about her until it was clear she would recover – then, true to form, our family started to make jokes about it.
Seriously going to find a copy of that sign, frame it, and send it to Aunt Molly – she’d get a kick out of it!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh- so glad she’s ok. Gotta love that family sense of humor!
xo,
s
Blanca A. says
OMG! Is your baby girl wearing skinny jeans? lol, that is sooo cute :) . Cool trip, i’m glad you didn’t get the horse, it’s laugh looks creepy.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, yes she loves her skinny jeans. We have a little fashionista on our hands.
xo,
s
Brittany says
Baby jeggings!!! Too funny! I was going to ask is Clara wearing skinny jeans? She looks adorable!
Jacks says
I love how you live life to the fullest!! It is so inspirational to me :)
Bailey says
Ok so total graphic design NERD ALERT here:
With those book covers, if you photoshoped the thumbs out and crop the photos down, you can open the cropped photo it in a newish version Adobe Illustrator (free trial for 30 days!!), there is something called “Live Trace” which can actually trace the covers of the books all on it’s own and turns them into a vector image- did I mention that all you have to click is the live trace button? Easy peasy. Plus it turns it into a vector so you can blow it up to any size you wanted super easy and it still looks crisp and beautiful… that is if you can understand my geeky lingo!
YoungHouseLove says
Woah, that is awesome. We’ll have to check it out!
xo,
s
Carri says
I love you even more now that you are connected to my hometown! I no longer live there but still have family in Herd country. Oooh I hope I run into you on one of my trips back home!! Pullman Square has done so much to revitalize the downtown area. By the way, Hillbilly Hotdogs was featured by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives (he has a WV family connection too). Also, I used to have a Granny who lived in Huntington so this gave me happy thoughts about her! On another note, my husband has cousins in Richmond (I tipped them off to Clover based on your post). If this comment was private I’d share their names because their names are newsworthy and you may have heard of them. Anyway, great job on making Huntington look good!
AJ says
Love love love the box grater light! Looks like fun!
Randa says
Love that you called the cheese grater “vintage” – my parents totally have the same thing [but with the handle still attached] and they use it almost daily. :0]
Chelsea & Kyle says
Love the vintage keys you found! I must say I am glad you passed on the way too “grinny” horse head statue, I feel like the eyes would follow you.
Also I am loving the re-tired photo frames!
Brenda says
What a great trip! I totally agree about the horse being “too grinny.” : )
Molly says
Wow, I HAVE to ask you if you can remember the name of the shop that had the “ABBOTT” deco letters. My 10 month old’s name is Abbott and I’d do anything for them. And I mean, we’re broke, but if they’re willing to work out some sort of layaway deal I’d be absolutely all over them.
Can you help us out with that name?
Or any of you other readers who are from Huntington???
YoungHouseLove says
We don’t remember the name but there are only about six antique shops on that strip (the strip is called Fourteenth Street in Huntington) so perhaps you can google around for the names and call each shop to ask if they still have those letters. Good luck!
xo,
s
Amanda Edwards says
Ya’ll were back on my turf again…I don’t have a house worth crashing like the home of yore after it was all mood-boarded up (https://www.younghouselove.com/2008/07/amandas-design-dilemma/) – but ya probably coulda stopped by and given me some pointers for the current house! =) Hope ya’ll had a great trip!
Sherri says
My husband and I just made the trip to Huntington for the first time a couple weeks ago- we were pleasantly surprised! We only live about an hour and half away in Ohio, and definitely plan on hitting up Hillbilly Hotdogs and those awesome antique stores the next time we’re there!
Kimberly says
Holy cow, Abbott is my maiden name. I want those letters! :-D
Gail says
Dear John: I can’t believe you use words like “teal” and “plum”. My wonderful hubs would have remarked “blue” and “purple”. :)
YoungHouseLove says
How sweet is that? I agree! Two years ago John probably just would have said “some color that my wife likes” – haha. But he’s so into the bright and bold thing we’re trying to do. I’d even venture to say that he’s leading the way most of the time!
xo,
s
Christina says
Can you tell me the name of the store where the metal letters can be found? My son’s name is Abbott and I just love them! It was fun to hear that there are other “Abbotts” out there as well.
YoungHouseLove says
We don’t remember the name but there are only about six antique shops on that strip (the strip is called Fourteenth Street in Huntington) so perhaps you can google around for the names and call each shop to ask if they still have those letters? Good luck!
xo,
s
Rachel says
Love the travel posts (almost as much as the decorating posts). I have an idea for you: Why don’t you road trip it up or down the coast (or cross-country) and stay at the houses of readers along the way? I’d volunteer our Florida home. It would be a frugal way to go and you’d get to meet some readers along the way! Think of all the posts, decorating ideas, and food you could enjoy!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw you’re so sweet. That would be pretty fun- although shacking up with a dog and a baby makes us “interesting” house guests- haha. We’ve already road tripped down the east coast (and to Texas, and down the west coast) so you never know where we’ll pop up next!
xo,
s
Melissa says
I love Clara’s face in the trophy picture, “Dad, seriously? Chickens? Couldn’t you hand me to Mom when you took this picture?”… 1 going on 15, I tell ya.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I know right? We already embarrass her.
xo,
s
Debbie J says
This is my first time commenting, although I’ve been a long time reader – & I think I’m one of your few Aussie readers… :-)
This photo caught my eye today, and I thought of you guys:
http://www.homelife.com.au/home+ideas/galleries/decorating+with+colour,10303?pos=3#top
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh. Love it. Thanks for the eye candy!
xo,
s
Meredith says
Hey J & S (and Clara!),
Sherry, I know that you are from Jersey – have you guys ever travelled to Frenchtown, NJ? http://www.frenchtown.com/ Seems like a place that is right up your alley! The shopping is to DIE FOR, and the Frenchtown Cafe has the best french toast and soup I have ever eaten! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Believe it or not, we’ve never been! We’ll have to check it out next time we’re in NY visiting the fam.
xo,
s
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
The hubby is big on road trips as well. I am more of a plane girl :)
Andrew says
I’ve had Burger beer! It’s an old brew from Cincinnati, OH. It’s not the best, but maybe a reason for a trip to ol’ Queen City.
Also, those recycled tire picture frames are awesome! Any idea if you can order them online or over the phone?
YoungHouseLove says
Not sure but they seemed like a pretty modern store – might want to call and give it a try!
xo,
s
Nicole | Chic & Cheap Nursery says
OMG! Where can I get the oversized typography?!
That’s my last name!!! ABBOTT
I want it. I want it. I want it!
amanda says
Y’all always find the coolest stuff! Clara is the smiliest baby! My little sis just found out she is pregnant, so of course I referred her to your site for all your budget conscious baby projects so keep em up!!
Oh and PS, your Washington Post article and pic made it to Sunday’s Houston Chronicle. I was flipping through and thought OMG, I know those people!!! Well, I feel like it anyway.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh that’s so funny! And congrats to your sis (and to you on the impending aunt-hood)!
xo,
s
Teresa says
We were “antiquing” in ohio a few weeks ago and saw the exact same alligator. It also was around $30. We sat and thought about it for a very long time, but in the end we passed on it too. love it!
Danielle C says
I don’t know if you guys have been to or even heard of the Goodwill Outlet Store. We have a couple here in Indianapolis and the place is definitely interesting. You dig through bins and search for all kinds of things. My husband and I have found some great things there. The best part is nothing is priced. You pay for your finds by the pound. Its a great place to check out.