My ideal solo trip consists of several components: learning opportunities, whether that is a visit to a museum or some kind of historic home/garden tour, time outdoors, which could be as simple as long walk or picnic in a park, good food (self explanatory), and a spot of shopping — bonus points if that endeavor is geared towards thrifting, flea markets, or other secondhand avenues.
Transparently, I’m not sure I struck the right balance on my recent trip to Litchfield County, Connecticut last weekend. The garden tour of Bunny William’s home in Falls Village, CT more than met my desire to be outside and it certainly scratched my itch to expand my knowledge base. I chatted with the head gardeners for probably an hour, picking their brains on everything from the best non-toxic fertilizers to gathering suggestions for which vegetables to grow in my dense, poorly draining soil. But there were also hours spent driving my musty rental car wondering why an error message on the dashboard kept flashing “MALFUNCTION: Check Owner’s Manual”.
There is so much to explore in this idyllic corner of the country, but one of my favorite discoveries was tucked in an unassuming building (the local hall of the American Legion) in the quaint town of Sharon, CT.
The Bargain Barn is a non-profit thrift shop offering home goods, clothing, shoes, accessories, and books at very compelling prices. The shop has been around for over 60 years benefiting various causes around the community. Most recently, the proceeds of the thrift shop go towards supporting the smallest National Public Radio station in the country: Robin Hood Radio. I have fond memories of listening to NPR with my dad on the way to school every morning as a kid, so this was an easy cause for me to get behind.
Much to my delight, local donations are the main source of inventory for the thrift shop. I eagerly sorted through silk trousers, linen sundresses, wool sweaters, and incredible vintage blazers starting at $6 each. There were also several racks of older inventory marked down to $1 and 25 cents apiece. I tried on a few beautiful vintage pieces but ended up paring down my picks to a slightly cropped, $6 hand beaded blazer that will be perfect with jeans this fall.
The accessories and jewelry sections also merit a long browse, with purses starting around $3 each and bracelets & necklaces priced at $1 and $1.50, respectively. I scored big in the jewelry section: a glass evil eye bracelet for $1 and a leather & glazed porcelain ouroboros-style necklace for $1.50.
Lastly, the selection of home goods varied from used vintage pillowcases for 25 cents to hand painted porcelain dessert plates at $3. I especially loved a glass floral paperweight for $3 that would be a lovely addition to a desk, as well as a wooden, foldable measuring stick that was only $3. I saw several of these exact same measuring sticks for three to four times as much at the Elephant Trunk Flea Market the next day!
Let’s talk logistics:
Address: 15 New St, Sharon, CT 06069 — they will be moving to a new (much larger!) site that is currently under construction and should be finished in a few months.
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — the 4th of July may impact this schedule, call ahead to verify their holiday hours.
Other Items of Note: Payment is cash only, so be sure to visit the ATM on your way there!
Next week I’ll share more from my weekend in Litchfield County, but for now, hope you have a nice holiday weekend!
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