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World’s Longest Garage Sale Celebrates 37th Anniversary — and Other Travel Ideas

World’s Longest Garage Sale Celebrates 37th Anniversary — and Other Travel Ideas

If you’ve been wondering what places to visit and things to do in the United States for the rest of summer 2024 that are a little different than usual, this article has some ideas of where you could travel, starting with the world’s longest flea market, which is celebrating its 37th anniversary this year.

World’s Longest Garage Sale Celebrates 37th Anniversary — and Other Travel Ideas

From the town of Addison, Michigan, through Ohio and Kentucky to Gadsden, Alabama, the route of the 127 Yard Sale stretches for approximately 700 miles. Most of it runs along United States Highway 127, which has been the event’s namesake since 1987.

The garage sale, featuring more than 2,200 vendors and spanning approximately 700 miles (1,110 km) across six states, will take place from Thursday, August 1, 2024 through Sunday, August 4, 2024 on a large stretch of U.S. Highway 127, beginning in the city of Addison, Michigan, to its terminus in Chattanooga. The sale will then continue south on a patchwork of state and federal highways known as the Lookout Mountain Parkway through the northwest corner of Georgia into Alabama, where it ends in the city of Gadsden.

There is a group on Facebook where people can discuss all aspects of garage sales.

The flea market route itself is said to be very scenic and it may be worth setting aside a few days to explore.

Other ideas for travel this summer, most of which have nothing to do with the world’s longest flea market, include:

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Photo ©2020 by Brian Cohen.

Chattanooga is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated cities in the United States. Between Ruby Falls, whitewater rafting, Lookout Mountain and its slide, Rock City, the Tennessee Aquarium, lots of dining options, a stay at the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel made up of train cars, miles of hiking trails, and even a nice walk along the Tennessee River or a visit to downtown with great dining options, you can easily spend four full days in this city that is about the size of Hartford, Connecticut — not too big and not too small — and still not do everything. Maybe I’ll write an article with more details and information — and photos — about Chattanooga.

The cities of Atlanta, Nashville, and Knoxville are within a two-hour drive of Chattanooga; and you can drive just over an hour to visit the famous Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama — which I visited. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also within driving distance, about 150 miles away, if you want to spend a few days there.

Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha skyline
Omaha Skyline
Photo ©2023 by Brian Cohen.

You can enjoy at least nine things to do in Omaha that won’t cost you anything but your time. Parts of the city have undergone a bit of a renaissance — but you can even walk through another state on your way to or from the airport. Choose from a variety of dining options after you’ve worked up an appetite.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge—Broad Channel, New York

Wait a minute – the only nature reserve of the United States National Park Service is within the city limits of New York?

Sure.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge stretches from Breezy Point in the west to Floyd Bennett Field and Canarsie Pier in the north to—note—the western edge of John F. Kennedy International Airport. It’s a 47,000-acre oasis of land, bay, and ocean in Brooklyn and Queens, offering everything from fishing to horseback riding to bird watching to a day on the Atlantic Ocean, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. inside the city.

You can peer carefully over the tall grass of the marshes between the egrets and see the Manhattan skyline peeking out in the distance. It’s as surreal as it gets.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is part of the 27,000-acre Gateway National Recreation Area, which includes Staten Island in New York and Sandy Hook in New Jersey. There’s so much to do in the fourth-most-visited National Park Service entity in the United States — with more than 9.2 million annual visitors — that it’s impossible to list everything here. You could literally plan an entire vacation at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with all the activities available if you wanted to.

The best part is that you don’t have to pay an entrance fee to enjoy the Gateway National Recreation Area. Yes, admission is free. However, parking on the beach and certain other activities may incur a fee.

Shirley Chisholm State Park — Brooklyn, New York

Not far from the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is New York City’s newest and largest state park. It sits on 407 acres of land that was once home to two landfills—both of which closed 41 years ago—which explains why the highest point in Shirley Chisholm State Park rises to 130 feet, offering “spectacular panoramic views of the Empire State Building to the northwest, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and New York Harbor to the west, and Jamaica Bay to the south.” Once crisscrossed by garbage trucks and hungry seagulls, it has never been open to the public—until now.

Shirley Chisholm State Park is now open 365 days a year, from 9:00 a.m. to sunset. The park offers:

  • Ten miles of biking and hiking trails
  • Shirley Chisholm State Park Bike Library, with rental bikes for park visitors of all ages
  • Beautiful waterfront access at Penn Pier, Hendrix Creek Patio
  • Have a picnic
  • Environmental education – including fishing, guided bird walks and nature in your neighbourhood

Tubin’ Down the “Hootch” — Helen, Georgia

a group of people tubing on a river
a group of people tubing on a river
Photo ©2014 by Brian Cohen.

One inexpensive way people have been able to cool off from the heat of Georgia’s intense sun for decades has been to float on the chilly waters of the Chattahoochee River while relaxing in a tube beneath the dense tree canopies that line the trail — and despite the current 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic, you can still go tubing this summer if you take the right precautions. You can read about my experience tubing the “Hootch” in this article.

Also see

a restaurant with buffet and tables

You can also visit the pseudo-“Alpine” village of Helen, which is about 87 miles—or 90 minutes—north of Atlanta. Don’t get me wrong—there’s plenty to do in Helen; and the area is picturesque. I just find aspects of the village itself to be nothing more than a tourist trap.

Run 5K on Airport Runway 5 — Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta Airport
Atlanta Airport
Photo ©2010 by Brian Cohen.

Whether you’re a runner or a walker, if you’ve ever wanted to be on Runway 5 without sitting on a plane at the international airport serving the Atlanta metropolitan area, now’s your chance: The ninth annual Mayor’s 5K on Runway 5, organized by Andre Dickens—the current mayor of the city of Atlanta—is scheduled to return on the morning of Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time at the time of this writing. Get ready to lace up your shoes and run or walk Runway 5 at the airport to experience this special opportunity to race on one of the flattest—and fastest—courses in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

This five-kilometer route is certified by US Athletics; and it is also a qualifier for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race.

Proceeds from the race benefit the Mayor’s Youth Scholarship Program and United Way of Greater Atlanta, so you’re doing something good for yourself And for others.

Of course you can also run 1110 kilometers for the longest flea market in the world…

Last call for boarding

Gene Leahy Mall The RiverFront Omaha
Gene Leahy Mall The RiverFront Omaha
Photo ©2023 by Brian Cohen.

I’ve never been to the world’s longest flea market – and I don’t know exactly what items are sold there – but I thought I’d mention it in this article as an idea for something else to do this summer…

…but I have been to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Reserve several times, and I have enjoyed it every time.

If you have an item that you think should be added to this list, please post it in the comments section below. Thanks in advance.

All photos ©2010, ©2014, ©2020 and ©2023 by Brian Cohen.