Tag Archives: Unclaimed Baggage

2021 Road Tripping to Arkansas

4 Nov

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

Day 1 Scottsboro Alabama

On September 24th my husband and I loaded up our truck and set off from our home in Western North Carolina on a three week road trip to Arkansas. Why Arkansas, you might ask? Well, we had never explored the state and a friend who would join our journey in Arkansas, offered to share her time share week with us.

It was a beautiful day to begin our journey and we chose the slow route on US 76 through Northern Georgia. We decided to stay on back roads once we entered Tennessee, avoiding the traffic and interstate of Chattanooga.

Scottsboro, Alabama boasts a fun store, Unclaimed Baggage. The company buys bulk lots of unclaimed baggage and freight from airlines. Basically one is buying someone else’s clothes and gear. We have been there twice before and have found bargains. On this day, we struck out, but it was a fun break from being on the road.

On previous visits to Unclaimed Baggage we didn’t spend any time in the town of Scottsboro, but this trip we had decided to spend the night. In part so that we could explore and also because we were limiting our daily travel to around 6 hours. After checking into our hotel we were ready to eat. Searching online for a place to have supper, I found a restaurant that looked promising. The phone GPS did a fine job routing us and we arrived with no problems. On the way I was surprised to see how pretty the area was with beautiful Lake Guntersville and distant hills. Hugely different from the dismal original downtown.

Photo Credit created by dji camera at Alabama.travel

I chose tonight’s restaurant due to it’s funky name, 50 Taters and excellent reviews. What a great southern name! My meal goal on this road trip was to eat in as many local establishments as possible. Little did I know how necessary this was going to become. The business began as a food truck specializing in 50 ways to load a baked potato and I wasn’t expecting the huge menu. Another fun thing about this restaurant is our table for two was made from an old Singer sewing machine!

We decided to share a BBQ platter and it was delicious! The wait staff were friendly and fast and seemed happy to be there.

When we finished our meal, we decided to go back to our hotel for an early night. I didn’t want to tire my hubby on our first day of the trip.

November 4, 2021

Last week we drove to South Carolina to deliver chicken soup to a friend. We decided to add a little adventure to the familiar drive along US 76 west to enjoy the delayed Fall foliage. We stopped at the Bull Sluice put in on the Chataooga river and I walked down to the beach.

I was a little disappointed with the amount of color but it was a steep walk down the path to the water and I didn’t trust my ability to make it back up if I went any further.

As I began up the return path, I felt some anxiety. There was no one to help me and my husband definitely should not try to rescue me. As my concern increased, I decided to check my heart rate on my fitness watch. 117. Not bad. I’m ok. I can do this. I began counting my steps, finding that 40 steps was my limit before I needed to rest. And so I made it up the trail, 40 steps at a time.

Afterwards, I reflected on how easy it is to become discouraged. I gained two pounds this week, I lost my cool with someone on Twitter, or when will this pandemic ever end? I need to realize life’s problems can be approached by just taking “40 steps” at a time.

I'm a winner

After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience.  Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites,  Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix

In addition to blogging, I work as the publicist/marketer/ amateur editor and general  “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books  

My 2021 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media. You can visit Real Life Books and Media You Tube Channel if you would like to view some of the mini-videos I have created for our church, Gateway Community in Titusville, Fl.

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Road Trip~ Florence, Alabama

12 Oct

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

 

September 7, 2017 as Hurricane Irma churned her way across the Caribbean and the Atlantic ocean, we left our home in Western North Carolina for a three-week road trip. Irma was having a hard time deciding on a track and I was having a hard time hitting the road not knowing how my family in Florida would fare.  From North Carolina, I could get to them in ten or twelve hours but each day we traveled west extended that time. We lifted them up in prayer and began our journey.

We decided to minimize our time spent on interstates for the first two legs of our trip. Day one began with a scenic drive on US Hwy 76 through Hiawassee, Blairsville, Blue Ridge and Ellijay, Georgia. Beautiful area!

Have you ever been driving, or in my case, riding down the road and see a place flash by and wish you had stopped to investigate?  That is what happened to me after we entered Tennessee on US Hwy 72. I saw a sign that I thought read Lodge Factory. I began mumbling about the sign, wondering if it could be the real Lodge Cast Iron factory, and not one of the factory stores one sees in outlet malls. I must have been mumbling louder than I thought as my husband asked if I had wanted to stop there. I admitted that I did and he found a turn around and back we went.

 

 

The ladies working in the store were friendly and helpful and the best part is they seemed to genuinely enjoy working there. I told them I was hoping to buy some of their factory “seconds” and I was directed to a fairly large section. Of course, I found some pieces I needed. Just between you and me, a couple of them will end up under the Christmas tree.

Back in the car, we headed toward Scottsboro, Alabama, home of Unclaimed Baggage. My daughter had told me about it and it became a must do on my adventure list. The company purchases unclaimed baggage from airlines as well as freight that is unclaimed. They assess it, then decide whether to donate or sell it. If they decide to sell, the items are cleaned and sanitized before being placed on the shopping floor. It was a fascinating place, and of course my mind wondered about the stories behind the items.  I found the numerous racks of clothing to be overwhelming but enjoyed shopping in the smaller last call area and purchased an amazing stainless vacuum water bottle for $2.00. It was my daily companion on our trip.

 

A welcoming front porch
Husband looking for the perfect coat

We ended our first day in Florence, Alabama.  My husband loves pizza and I love Krispy Kreme doughnuts. We took it as a good omen for our trip that Cici’s Pizza and Krispy Kreme were in the same shopping area near our hotel. Pizza for supper and KK  the next morning.

 

 

 

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