Birthday Weekend Road Trip

Welcome to Dakini Trading! I've decided to share my recent weekend vacation adventure, hitting up thrift stores in Ashtabula, Lake, and Geauga counties. It was a unique experience filled with ups and downs, but overall, it was a fun and fulfilling trip.

Most of my rough patches came on Saturday. First, the weather had turned, bringing in blowing snow and cold. I encountered a bit of a challenge when I couldn't connect to a cell network, leaving me without access to driving directions, Google maps, or my original list of shops. However, I remained undeterred and pressed on with my adventure. I encountered another hiccup when my power steering cut out right before I left, but thankfully it came back when I restarted the car.

I used to live in Ashtabula County in the early 2000s, so I had some notion of where I wanted to go; and I had printed directions at one point. However, I’d switched up my planned route, and Maps doesn’t always show the next address on a route for some reason. So I wasted some time driving in circles around the harbor area, only to finally find one of the stores on my list - and it was closed. I couldn’t figure out how to get to the downtown area so once I reached a route I knew, I started heading back west.

Things got even more frustrating when I found another place I hoped to visit in Geneva OH had permanently closed. To add insult to injury, I got stuck at a railroad crossing for 15 minutes, only to have the train come to a complete stop in front of me after the last car had visibly passed the crossing a block away. But I was able to get out of line and drive there to cross, and although I had to leave behind a bentwood settee with no cushions that was insanely cheap due to having no way to get it home, I remained optimistic.

My big score of the day on Saturday was the last place I went, less than a mile from my hotel. There, I found several vintage mid-century wall art pieces at great prices (and yes, I’ll be putting some of these items up in the store soon!) I ended the day by getting some really good sushi from the Japanese restaurant next door to the thrift store. It was surprisingly fresh and delicious, though I should have asked for extra wasabi. It’s a bit out of the way to make it a regular haunt, but if I’m in the area again I would definitely go back.

I headed back home and spent the rest of the evening in my hotel room. I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately, so it was nice to have some time to myself to relax and recharge. The next morning, I was off to do more shopping - but first, brunch. I found an old favorite deli in a new (to me) location. The Greek omelette I ordered was enormous - to the point I completely skipped lunch.

After that, I was off to do some more shopping. I found a few clothing items I'd been looking for at the first store I went to, which was a great feeling. However, things took a bit of a turn when Google sent me on the back roads route to my next destination, and I ended up arriving at the store after it had closed. At least I now know where it is. I likely wouldn’t make a trip back just for that, but if I was out that way for other reasons I might still check it out.

In the evening, I spent some time visiting some old friends who I’d literally not seen in years. We traded stories about our kids and compared notes on collecting. They even gifted me with one of my favorite Golden Fantasy elves! It’s arms aren’t well attached, and it’s missing it’s lute, but it will still be a great addition to the troupe.

Finally, I came back home to my little dog who was very happy to have me back. I’d saved some pizza crusts for him to make up for having been away so long. And though the hotel was nice enough, it was good to be back in my own bed. All in all, a good weekend. I stayed (well) under budget yet still came home with some great finds. I’ll need to get them cleaned up soon so I can add them to my stock.

If you made it this far, thank you! I won’t be road-tripping again until May, so the next few posts shouldn’t be so wordy. Don’t forget you can also find me on Instagram and now Tik-Tok. Visit either site to say hello and until then, stay healthy, happy, and in high spirits. - DTC