The Texas 100 Mile Yard Sale: An Adventure that Almost Wasn't!

Greetings Friends! Have you ever acted on a last minute whim that didn't turn out quite how you expected? Here's what happened in my world...

Vintage tandem bike at the 100 mile yard sale in Uvalde, Texas.

Late Thursday afternoon, just as I was putting some finishing touches on my post for Friday, I saw this link on Facebook about the Texas Hotter than Hell 100 Mile Yard Sale. First of all, let me clarify--that really is the name and accurately so, as anyone who has stepped foot in Texas from May-October will tell you. It occurred to me after sharing several photos on Instagram with that hashtag, that it might appear as though I was just swearing about the weather! Anyway, even though I am already longing for some fall like temperatures and make it a habit this time of year to do any errands or gardening in the morning or evening to avoid the heat, I'm sure you won't be surprised that this sounded really fun to me.  Did I mention it started Friday morning? So within 30 minutes of finding out about this sale I just couldn't miss, I jumped in the car to get an oil change and run by the bank for cash--in the heat of the day, I might add.  I wrapped up a few loose ends and made preparations to leave bright and early the next morning.  My trusty cooler bag was ready and waiting...

...and the next morning I woke up before my alarm, got ready, loaded my car and was on the road by 6:15. My plan was to get an early start, head toward Uvalde and beat some of the heat. According to the yard sale route on Hwy 90, I would pass through several tiny towns along the way that were participating. Four were mentioned in addition to Uvalde; which was the only one I had heard of and though I'd actually never traveled that way, I figured it would be an adventure. Now I wasn't expecting the World's Longest Yard Sale, (though I would love to go,) but I did picture small stretches of the highway with occasional sales as described. Not exactly. I was almost out of Hondo when I spotted one table with piles of clothes, only. Pass. On to D'hanis, nothing. In Sabinal, I finally spotted this cute shop with some bargains outside.  

I bought a silver tray and pewter sugar and creamer set ~ $2 for both! After I visited with the owner, who said the 100 mile sale had been quite busy in previous years and armed with my new purchase and a fresh burst of optimism. I headed toward Knippa...

...but not one sale there, either. On to Uvalde, and when I arrived at the charming historic downtown square, I decided on the spot it had been worth the trip. The vintage tandem in the first photo caught my eye and then I saw this lovely display. 

Though not what I would call yard sale prices, there was a fair amount of vintage to browse, which I enjoyed in the mostly shaded area. I did find a few vintage Transferware plates for $1 each, to add to my collection.

The square was bordered by the kind of interesting historic buildings I always look for in small towns. 

When I parked, I noticed this sign and wanted to check it out before leaving. 

Vintage Market Home & Garden

Oh boy! I could tell this was going to be fun...

... with lots of pretty treasures!

Ever since I homeschooled, I've always been partial to vintage school desks, but I've never seen any in such a gorgeous color. 

There was also an adjoining Tea Room that

was definitely my cup of tea! I was too early for lunch but would love to eat there on my next visit. Since there might still be more outdoor shopping and I was concerned about the heat, it was time to leave.

As it turned out, when I explored the rest of the town most of the yard sale tables I saw were piles and piles and even trailers full of clothes. Don't get me wrong, I'll buy clothes at a yard sale but usually there are other items available too. I did manage to  find several more things before heading back and before it got too hot. The print is very faded and damaged, but with a little attention the frame will be absolutely gorgeous and I have something in mind for it. I plan to use the tea pot, vintage frogs and earrings with my fall decor.

All in all, I still had an adventure. It is always fun to discover a new place, and Uvalde is somewhere I would enjoy visiting again. Would I go back to the 100 mile yard sale? Probably not! Maybe it was more like it was advertised in years past and in all fairness, I realize I am spoiled by my small town that is so rich with thrift stores and yard sales. For comparison, on Friday, I probably stopped at 6-8 sales, all day--not stopping at sales that were only clothes. On Saturday at home, I covered that many sales in an hour and half, found more and spent less! There really is no place like home ;)