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.
Elaine says
When I visited Yellowstone in 2007, they were still passing out those buffalo warning fliers. So if you go back, maybe you can get one from the source.
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! We’ll have to go back.
xo,
s
Kim says
Forgot to say, as far as hot dogs go, Jack’s Cosmic Dogs in Mt. Pleasant (just over the bridge from Charleston) ROCKS! Also featured on the food network-Alton Brown’s best hot dog he ever ate!
hjc says
What?! Clara doesn’t read?!
SKsilver77 says
I love your adventure sharing pictures and am newly addicted to your blog! I had a question, you mention taking the book covers and “Actually blowing up those covers and framing them or even getting them made into oversized canvases..”
How would you go about doing that?? I have a couple pictures I want to blow up into oversize canvas but don’t wan to spend an arm and a leg doing it! Thanks in advance!
YoungHouseLove says
We’d probably take them to Kinkos and ask them to enlarge them by 400% or something and print them out on thick paper. Probably would cost $30 or so. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kellie says
How exciting! I am from Huntington and I’ve been to every place you featured in this post!!
John, are you a Marshall Alum? GO HERD!
YoungHouseLove says
I actually grew up in Northern Virginia and went to UVA, but my mom went to Marshall, so go herd!
-John
Jen says
I have to agree with the idea of keeping the keys just the way they are. It leaves them with more character, rather than just painting them white. Or maybe try the oil-rubbed bronze that you used on the chair legs? Looks like you had a great visit! And I’m totally jealous of all of the stores you were able to see.
Sarah M. says
All these years of traveling through Huntington, I have had a different perception of it! I’m anxious to make a trip up there to visit all of these places! Well, probably not Granny’s! Although, she looks lovely!
Jen says
Speaking of things to add to your hallway frame gallery (when seeing your new wonderful set of keys), i found this cute idea and thought of your hallway right away!!http://rainytuesdaymornings.blogspot.com/2010/05/crayon-monograms.html
It would be awesome with gray tones and some “sue the napkin” accent colors! <3
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!
xo,
s
Funnelcloud Rachel says
So many great things in this post! I admit, I’ve been wanting to roadtrip to WV just for a Hillbilly Hot Dog, ever since I saw the place featured on a Food Network show.
And I remember those buffalo posters from a trip to Yellowstone in the 90’s, too – so funny!
But my personal fav might be the expression on Burger’s face in the last pic: “I did not do this!” Glad it’s just soda…!
Jessica D. says
I love how if you scroll to the bottom, the picture of Sherry’s legs are right above the title “nice legs”! Made me crack up!
Erin L. says
Definately Roanoke, Virginia – especially during the Fall or Christmas time.
They have a really cute historic downtown that is filled with vendors on Saturday AMs. Cute shops, beautiful mountain views, and good restaurants.
julie says
I just saw the same iron alligator at hobby lobby for 50 percent off yesterday. It was in the garden section and under 10 dollars. That is so weird and 20 bucks less.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh very good to know. I have pangs for leaving that guy behind but the price just wasn’t right.
xo,
s
Sarah says
I love the art deco looking letters! My last name begins with a T and it would be lovely to own one! I live 3 hours away from Huntington… May be making a trip soon… Do you guys remember the name of the store they were in?
YoungHouseLove says
Not sure of the name of the store, but they were easy to see the moment you stepped inside so maybe just pop into each of the six antique shops and hopefully you’ll find them quickly.
xo,
s
Maggie @ Black & White {Side by Side} says
The store is called Hattie & Nans. They caught my eye when I was in there too!
Lisa in Seattle says
I am not allowed in vintage/antique stores unsupervised. Even with somebody tagging along, I still have to constantly recite the mantra, “Everything seems like a good idea while you’re in the store” and sometimes sit down and breathe into a paper bag for a minute. Even so, John, I hope you don’t regret passing up that plaster book when it comes time to start swingin’ hammers!
Melly says
Well, that was fun! I live about 30 miles away from Huntington and have been to that antique district many times. Glad you enjoyed your visit.
laxsupermom says
Looks like it was a really fun trip! Love those recycled tire frames – Very Cool! Can’t wait to see how you mount and frame the keys. Thanks for sharing.
Erin says
Lovely blog–what a fun trip, I love the pictures :)
pinkandpolos.blogspot.com
Sara says
Hey guys, Fun antique stores. I love hitting them up when traveling. I just saw this breakdown and ratings of eco friendly cleaners I thought you might like (Although, your Mrs. Myers doesn’t fair too well in a few categories) http://www.learnvest.com/living-frugally/going-green-the-best-cleaning-products-for-your-buck/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=lvdaily&utm_campaign=click-here#top-block
YoungHouseLove says
We love Dr. Bronners most of all, so hopefully he does ok. Haha. Off to check it out! Thanks for the link!
xo,
s
Laura says
I love Clara’s jeggings. My daughter has the same ones.
And about the Buffalo signs – I had to laugh! I went to school in Idaho, not far from Yellowstone and took back a sign like that to my apt. We joked all day about who in the world would approach a buffalo. Although my mom did feed a black bear when we were there once, so it probably would have been her!
cappy says
Ahhh, the photo of Clara and her Great Grandma is so sweet. What camera did you use to take your trip photos (you probably covered this 1000X times, it takes great photos!) Is it a point and shoot?
Come up to the North-New England States…but not now, we are getting more snow!
YoungHouseLove says
We have a Nikon D3000 that we use for fancy shots (like the one of Clara and her granny and house ones for the blog) which is a DSLR, but we also used a point & shoot for nearly all the other pics in this post (it’s a Canon Powershot). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Nancy says
Now don’t be making fun of chicken awards. I took part in a Rubber Chicken Toss that broke a Guinness world record a couple weeks ago as part of Gilda’s LaughFest in Grand Rapids, MI (http://tinyurl.com/4c6pg3a). We all should have received one of those awards! Oh, well, we did get to keep the rubber chickens. Looks like you had an awesome road trip!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you totally deserve one of those! We left them there for ya!
xo,
s
Robin says
awwww so cute! When’s #2 coming along?! ;)
YoungHouseLove says
I had some complications with Clara so I’m on doctor’s orders to wait two years between pregnancies (which means number two will likely be around three years younger than Clara). We don’t mind because we’re happy to just enjoy Clara (and Burger) for a while!
xo,
s
Kim says
OMG– I’ve been to that exact Hillbilly Hotdogs on a x-country trip with my boyfriend last summer! Such a trip, but fantastic dogs. I knew you guys were awesome :)
Megan says
You should definitely take a day trip to Charlottesville! It’s such a cool college town and the downtown mall has lots of used book stores and non-chain shops for antiques, stationary, etc. If you come, make sure to grab lunch at Bodo’s Bagels at the Corner and bring it across the street to UVA for a little picnic! We always go to Richmond when we need a city, so I’m sure Cville would be fun for you when you need someplace a little smaller :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes we’ve been there many a times! John went to UVA!!
xo,
s
Jamie Rae says
That hot dog place is too funny. I think I would have to have to have to sit in that bath tub. Can’t wait to see those keys on the wall in place of the paper one, along with the other side of the hallway.
Paige @ MOD C?PE COD says
Fun fact, they still make burger beer and it’s pretty tasty! Cincinnati’s where it’s from, and we love it here.
Kacy says
I’m not sure if anyone commented about this or not, but my husband and I go through “older” shows on Netflix by the season and right now we’re watching That 70’s Show. Well The Formans kitchen has Cheese Grater Lights and I covet them. :)
http://www.concertkatie.com/OH/Images/705.jpg
Just thought you’d like the see them in action…or in the 70’s :)
Love your blog!!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! Off to check it out…
xo,
s
Elecia Dean says
http://www.yellowstone.net/buffalowarning.htm
thought you might appreciate this! You can print one and put it on your door ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
Love it. Done.
xo,
s
Cory says
Don’t you love the Round Coco Mirror from West Elm? I’m not sure if anyone let you know yet, but it is in the new West Elm catalog I got the other day in the mail. I just wanted to give you a heads up if you hadn’t already seen it!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! We saw it too. Amazing. Now just to convince ourselves that other projects aren’t better uses for that money. Ack…
xo,
s
Melissa says
If you get the chance for a longer drive, check out Seaside, FL. My hometown is about 30 minutes from there. Beautiful beaches, AMAZING seafood, art galleries, music… ahh why did I ever leave??
Natalie says
Wow! Life is full of coincidences. I just recently started following Young House Love (recently, as in 8 days ago!) I am about to move in to my boyfriend’s house so we are remodeling it TOGETHER. I have already found a ton of ideas from reading your blog. Your pictures are just inspiring! Anyway, moving on to ‘it is such a small world.’ I am from Huntington, WV! I could not believe it when I started reading this post. I have never been to Mug and Pia but I will definitely go on my next visit home! And let me tell you about Hillbilly Hotdogs. Whenever I bring friends to Huntington, they always want to go there!
I’m glad you all enjoyed your visit!
Benedicte says
Ummmm…is Clara wearing “baby jeggings” in those first few pictures? If it’s true, will you please disclose the store for buying those? I think my daughter NEEDS those!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes- she has three pairs! They match everything and show off her assets (her giant diaper, haha). They’re from Old Navy a while back. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
McJordan says
I heart Hillbilly Hotdogs! Went to Marshall University in Huntington and always loved that place!
Jessalyn says
Thanks for sharing! My mom’s side of the family is from Huntington and this post brought back memories of going there to visiting my great grandma. <3
Jessica says
ok….i’m officially obsessed with your blog and it’s really bringing down my productivity at work….lol! I just discovered you guys after the msn article the other day and I have been infatuated ever since!!! I even spent the weekend telling my husband about all your amazing ideas, and we are SO inspired!!! Plus, with a soon-to-be 1 year old ourselves (next week!!), it’s good to know that having the babe around doesn’t slow you guys down at all….thanks for all the amazing ideas…..AND for the time-killing awesomeness while I’m at work! hehe! I think I’ve finally found the motivation I needed to get the rest of my house decorated to its full potential….and then to start all over again! ;-) Cheers!
Christina says
Just came back from a weekend away at Lydia Mountain in VA – a little west of C’ville. It’s about an hour from you (we met friends there who came from Richmond and it took them an hour). Very relaxing and rustic set of cabins where you can get away from it all for the weekend (but the cabins have hot tubs, so you aren’t really “roughing it” :)) Another fun weekend getaway could be Lexington, KY – beautiful horse country and some great food! Check out Wallace Station – a neat little diner featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.
Maggie @ Black and White {Side by Side} says
Shut up!!! I would have absolutely died if I saw you in Mug & Pia!!! Someone should have alerted the media!!! I’m way too excited that you came to our town & hung out in Central City… now I’m offically motivated to make our house “crash worthy”. Next trip you should stop by the Milton Flea Market for some really unusual but sometimes awesome finds. I’d be happy to show you around! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks! We’d love to bump into you next time we’re there!
xo,
s
Anna says
Random question but why is Burger leashed up in the car? Does he remain that way for the entire trip?
YoungHouseLove says
We keep him on his leash in the car just in case we stop for a bathroom break and he dashes out. More easily wrangled. Haha.
xo,
s
Kate B says
You should come visit NE Kansas! Leavenworth is the first city in Kansas (and super close to Kansas City), and there are lots of great antique and vintage stores! Plus tons of old homes :] AND you can visit the building your new(ish) dresser was built in! WIN WIN WIN!
Stephanie says
Whoo Hoo! Good ol’ Dub V! It definitely excites me to know you were visiting! I live about 3 hrs from Huntington in northern WV and have never actually known about those shops or the neat restaurants! I have been to Huntington, but only for quick trips! I will most definitely be planning a trip there this summer to take in the sites. Especially since my husband’s family is in Charleston which is only an hour away!
Smarts Magazine says
You should have bought the books! Especially that “pearl” one. Bummer. Oh well, plenty of other fish in the sea.
maggie says
Looks like you had a lot of fun! love the keys! they will look great on your wall.
andrea p says
So do you guys not bring the dslr camera on road trips? Also, do you cloth diaper when on road trips? (or are dslrs & cloth diapers more house-friendly)?
Love the trip pics! Especially that buffalo sign…hilarious!
YoungHouseLove says
We brought the DSLR and used it for some shots around Granny’s house like the Clara and Granny one in the beginning of the post. But the point and shoot cam slips into my purse for pics on the go (like the thrifting ones). We also use Seventh Generation Diapers while traveling since there’s nowhere to spray/wash cloth ones.
xo,
s
Ashley says
Just to let you know – they still give out that flyer at Yellowstone. And I found it just as funny and kept it in our scrapbook from the first time we visited.
Monika says
If you ever feel like hopping on a plane, you can come visit my neck of the woods. The Calgary Stampede is world renowned and we also have an equally awesome hot dog place, Tubby Dog!
http://cs.calgarystampede.com/
http://www.tubbydog.net/
BethanyB says
You guys should check out the cherry blossom festival in DC. Me and my hubby love it and you can even take the metro up from some other areas so you don’t have to deal with DC/ tourist traffic. If you get board, almost all of the museums are free and you could take days just looking though those alone. anything free and interesting sounds like a great trip to me!
ps. LOVE Clara’s jeans.
Lisa says
I know painting the keys will make them match your wall, but I think the patina is what makes them – if they’re white, they’ll just look like new ones from a Home Decor shop. My 2 cents…
Amelia from Flux Capacitating says
I loved seeing this about WV, such a lovely spot! I was just looking at something in my email and came across this picture:
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/seasonal/spring/get-fresh-this-spring1/?page=2 which looks so much like your old sun room (pre stencils etc) that I had to send it to you. Obviously some things are different, but I definitely see the YHL influence there! Happy Wednesday! :)
Sonia says
The jeggings are so super cute!!!!
Barbara says
I hope no one posted this, but when I saw it, I thought of this post…
http://www.modcloth.com/Apartment/-Wall-Mount-Up
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, he’s a big boy!
xo,
s