Friday, July 5, 2013

7 States in 7 Days: My Journey with juNxtaposition (Day 1)

My quote of the week (and quite possible one of my best ever):

"These girls pack a trip like we pack a truck. 7 states in 7 days."

The voyage began almost a year ago, when I was invited to participate in The Vintage Bazaar at Pettengill Farm in Salisbury, Mass. It took VERY little convincing to get my bestie Jeanne (juNxtaposition) on board, and our New England road trip was born.


We left Pittsburgh, PA and made our way east across the state, stopping first in a little town called Frackville, PA. We were astounded at the FULL SERVE gas station (which apparently is the norm in New Jersey and Oregon), and the wonderment didn't stop there.

 This is Granny's Motel & Restaurant in Frackville, PA. Notice the headless doll being carried by the giant, terrifying child.


 We did love the colors of the motel, though. Check out that adorable aqua door!



 Looks like someone tested out a Pinterest idea...this vertical flower garden looked great!

 An ornate gilded church, decidedly out-of-place in this somewhat gritty area.
 The main street of the town was filled with abandoned storefronts, each with their own haunting charm and perfect patina.
 Almost every single window in town had these old flag holders attached to the window frames.

 I was enamored with the perfect chippiness of this aqua paint.

 Such an interesting juxtaposition of the title and the state of the property.



 A peek into the mail slot reveals this gorgeous Singer machine...too bad the door was locked!





 The somewhat ornate brickwork and detailing indicates that this was a once flourishing town.

 



 The facades with old-fashioned fire escapes topped each storefront...charming.

It was a shame to see this gorgeous breezeway filled with junk...
and there wasn't really anything good to pick.

This old computer store was FILLED with "new" computers that looked to be at least 20 years old. It was as if they simply locked the doors and walked away.




These beautiful little weeds were all over the place.

 As if it wasn't perfect enough, here's the barber shop complete with a functioning barber pole!


 Just down the road from Frackville, we came across the mining town of Gilberton, PA.
 This was the largest construction truck I have ever seen. It may look normal at first glance, but look closely at the size of the truck compared to the full-sized dumpster it's sitting next to. 
Jurassic equipment!

Shortly after passing into New Jersey we came upon this beautiful overlook. Aah!

A tiny, perfect graffiti heart found on the wall.

These beautiful white flowers lined the path back down to the highway.

So, in summary, day 1 was a complete success! 

Day 2 photos are coming up next...
see what we did in Mystic, RI and our adventures in Plymouth, MA.