Memorial Weekend Thrifting in Northern Michigan

This past weekend, Mr. and I went north to visit my parents. It was so nice to get away for a few short days, see my parents and do some treasure hunting! It sure is a lot easier to go away on a weekend now that our guys are young adults, who can stay home to look after things. There is also a LOT more room in the car!

We left Thursday, early in the afternoon (after I got out of work) and we made a quick stop at the Antique Warehouse in Saginaw, to stretch our legs. I saw lots of great things, and I saw that a couple of my favorite dealers are gone. I didn't find anything that just had to come home with me, but it was fun to look anyway!

On Friday, my mom and I took off for Petoskey for a girl's day out and a pedicure. We stopped at a bunch of garage sales along the way. Boy did we see some  over-the-top BIG, Ginormous garage sales on Friday!! Lots of fun things to look at and sift through, but not too much in my price range, or on my looking for list.

We had a ton of fun, and finished up the day with a trip to Harbor Wear (for our summer t-shirts) and late lunch at Scalawags in Mackinac City-my-all-time-favorite place to go for chicken strips! It's a fish place, that I'm sure does great fish, but I'm not much of a fish person, so the first time I went, I got chicken strips and for about 20 years now, I only get the chicken strips!

It was so much fun, we decided to head out to Cheboygan on Saturday to hunt for some more treasures. Mr. got dropped off out in the woods early Friday morning (he LOVES hiking in the woods-with a 35 lb. pack! I think It's crazy, but he loves it), so it was just me and my mom, when my dad decided to join us. I think he had fun last summer when he tagged along with me. My parents are took me to tons of garage sales growing up. It was cheap entertainment, and we got some nice things that we wouldn't have been able to afford at full retail prices.

My dad drove, his HUGE extended cab truck-you know the ones that look like the hood is the size of a king size mattress!?! We had plenty of time, and plenty of room, but not much came home with us. It was fun though to hang out just the three of us. We went to about 10 or 11 sales. Some of them seemed like perpetual, all summer long sales, one even had a "Yes, We're Open" sign on the fence post by their driveway-and it was pretty faded, like it had been there a long time!

We finished off our treasure hunting with a late lunch at Pier M33 on the Chebogan. It was just being built when my grandma passed away in 2012. She kept telling my mom that she was going to take her there once it opened. Sadly, she didn't make it that long. It was kind of bitter-sweet being in their town, and not being able to see them. Grandpa passed away in April of 2014. It was nice to sit and watch boats pull up to the marina and see people come in to eat or order carry-out. I think it would be fun to live on a lake and take your boat out to dinner!

 I also go to visit a couple of antique shops in Cheboygan. I just love the displays in one of them and I told the owner as I was leaving. I think it is all one person's stuff for sale, and not different vendors. She seemed pretty pleased with the compliment-she seemed to stand up straighter, and she definitely had a big smile on her face!!

We left on Sunday when my parents left to go to church, we had great weather and very little traffic, so we made good time getting home. When we walked in the backdoor (it opens off of the garage into the laundry room), I noticed all the laundry was gone! No clean laundry hanging, or folded on the shelf waiting to be put away...then further into the kitchen, the floor had been freshly mopped, the counters and sink were empty and wiped down, the wood floor in the living room was freshly cleaned and shiny, the dining room table didn't have anything on it...someone was b-o-r-e-d while we were gone and he cleaned up-a lot!! He even power-washed our deck!!

I suppose it was pretty lonely because his younger brother was off house/dog sitting, so the oldest was home all by himself. I'd go away more often if he'd do that every time!! Normally, we come home to clutter, and an empty fridge and pantry, so this was a pleasant surprise!

I really enjoyed spending time with my mom and dad. It was a lot of fun-too bad it went by so quickly!! My dad texted me yesterday and gave me the name and phone number of  one of his neighbor's daughter-in-law. His neighbor passed away in February, and they are wanting to do an estate sale. I called her, and was very adamant about not throwing anything away until I look at it or until after the sale. She mentioned that she was thinking of throwing out a 1950's tandem bicycle, but when I just about had a heart-attack, she decided to keep everything-for right now anyway.

We are hoping to connect the last week of June first week of July. It's a split week-half is in June and half is in July. I'm hoping to be back in the U.P. at my parents for a few more days of vacation, so maybe we can get some work done for their sale. I'm willing to do it just to help her out. I like helping people, and I love prepping for estate sales. Mr. doesn't agree. He thinks I should charge for my advice...what do you think? Maybe not for this particular sale, since we didn't talk fees or payment, but for future sales??

These are some pics of my weekend...

There is just something about this bridge and the water beneath, that once I'm going across it, my whole being just lets out a giant sigh of contentment!!

 Some sort of a scale (I think) that was in the restaurant we visited our first night in town.

Some of the interior of Scalawag's-see it really is a fish place-I just happened to luck into the chicken stips, and haven't tried anything else, ever in over 20 years!!

The next few pics are inside an antique shop in Cheboygan.

Look at this adorable little door!!! It leads into another little display area in the upstairs of this house-turned shop!

 This is what ou see when you step inside!

 I've never seen a whole set in person before-LOVE it!!!

This is Pier M33

These were my finds...

This is going into my trade tub-starting to get lots of Pyrex to trade...I've seen a local Michigan collecting group's postings on a meet-up and trade day this Sunday...I wonder if I could squeeze it in.

 This is for a work friend who collects round covered butter dishes. I'm thinking this is a repro-the seams are just too smooth.

 This is for me, because I don't have enough...I can't walk away...I'm addicted-all of the above!!

 I picked upu the cube game and spinners for my youngest who is in school to become an elementary teacher, and I love vintage games-and for a quarter each, I couldn't pass any of it up!!

 Pardon the messy garage. After a long da of driving and then unloading and unpacking-it's hard to get up the energy to stage something all pretty like.  This little gem was only $2!! The missing knob is in one of the drawers. I'm planning to paint it and put a license plate on each of the drawer fronts!!

I got three of these!

Hope you had a great weekend whatever you did!! We are very thankful for the men and women who've given their lives for our freedom-Memorial Day-remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice!!