a few times each year, husband and i wake up embarrassingly early and trek into the city for rei's member's only scratch & dent sale. all the gear and clothing are items that were returned for various reasons and are sold for a vastly lower price. it's a really great way to find incredible deals on camping, hiking, biking, and kayaking equipment... the only thing is that you really need to be among the first people in the store to get the best stuff, and people start to line up outside around 6 or 7 am.
despite the early morning and the bitter cold, there is a sense of camaraderie among the individuals standing in line. most everyone has thermoses full of coffee, some people cook breakfast over camp stoves, some send a spouse to get bagels or chick-fil-a {mine & husband's plan}. pretty soon everyone is sharing stories of travels abroad, favorite camping spots, the best local hikes, and the most memorable summit views.
this year we took camp chairs and blankets to augment our coffee and books, and the sun was a welcome addition to the cold morning air. this was definitely a step up from standing in line for two hours in the drizzling rain last time.
in the end, it was definitely worth the effort. i found a mountain hardware monkey woman jacket for a mere $30 {original retail, $150} that i absolutely adore. it's so bright pink that it's almost red, and it will keep me quite warm on all of our upcoming outdoor adventures.
the perfect end to our early morning was lunch at my favorite cuban place in the city. they have the best salsa in atlanta, hands down, and the black bean quesadillas are simple, but delicious.
overall, it was quite a lovely day. scratch & dent is one of our favorite pastimes not only because we get great deals on camping & hiking gear, but also because we have been going every year since we started dating. it's kind of our little tradition now.
do you have any saturday or weekend traditions?
xoxo
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