Antiquing Meccas - good locations for antique shopping in the United States

Travel America, Sept, 2001 by Diane Bair, Pamela Wright

Revel in nostalgia as you rummage through the past

There are shoppers, then there are antique hounds. You know who you are. You thrill to the chase of the old, and think nothing of pawing through musty boxes and dusty shelves in search of a glittery treasure or the collectible that will add to your display of beloved objects. Needless to say, your idea of a souvenir isn't a lowly T-shirt! No, you're likely to come home from a trip with, say, an Art Deco lamp or a 1968 Alaska license plate (even if you were visiting New York City).

Following are some of our favorite antiquing haunts that just happen to be located in some very charming areas:

ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. It only makes sense that America's oldest city (specifically, the oldest continually occupied European settlement in North America) would be chock full of wonderful "olde" things. And it is.

Get into the mood by visiting Lightner Museum, founded by Otto Lightner of Hobbies Magazine, th6 ultimate collector. Among the displays here: cigar band art, fruit crate art, and button collections. Housed in the same grand building, formerly the Alcazar Hotel, is Lightner Antique Mall, where shops are set in what used to be the world's largest swimming pool!

Then hit St. Augustine's major antique shopping zone, San Marco Avenue, where a dozen or so shops and multi-dealer malls span three blocks. 35 San Marco Square offers a wonderful hodge-podge opium bottles share space with Bee Gees records and a 1950s French kayak. Don't miss Ravenswood Antiques, where we discovered unusual architectural salvage pieces (need a sphinx?) and ornate French armoires.

Casa Monica Hotel, in the heart of the city, is within walking distance of nearly everything and even offers a special package for antique lovers featuring a tour of homes and a ghost tour. Call (904) 827-1888 or (800) 648-1888 or visit www.casamonica.com.

For information on St. Augustine, call (800) OLD-CITY or log on to www.visit oldcity.com.

ESSEX, MASSACHUSETTS. This village seduces visitors with a salt-tinged blend of antique shops, clam shacks, and river cruises. It's famous for its 300-plus-year tradition of shipbuilding--more two-masted ships were built here than in any other town in the world. By all means, visit the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, then check out another local spot where history was made: Woodman's, a clam shack where, they say, the fried clam was invented.

Walk off the caloric damage by strolling the antique shops on Main Street. The sprawling porch of Main Street Antiques will entice you to check out the restorations-in-progress on the porch and other items too unwieldy to fit into the shop. This place is huge--four floors jam-packed with furniture in pine, mahogany, wicker, mid oak, and display cases with jewelry, old postcards, maps, and wints, you name it. Just down the street is White Elephant Shop; sort of an eccentric grandmother's attic, filled with all sorts of fun, quirky antiques and elderly things. Other shops feature fine French furniture, antique garden ornaments, and lots more.

For information contact the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism at (800) 447-MASS; www.mass-vacation. com.

FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS. This historic little town in the Texas Hill Country is a favorite retreat for folks from Austin and San Antonio looking to escape the urban hustle-bustle. Founded in 1846 by German settlers, it offers great antiquing, wonderful bed-and-breakfast inns, an interesting museum, and a park for hiking and picnicking.

First, get your bearings with a walking tour of Fredericksburg's Historic District. Pick up a map at the Fredericksburg Convention & Visitor Bureau office at 106 N. Adams St., then take in some of the 80 points of interest. Look for the unique, tiny "Sunday Houses," where farmers and ranchers stayed when they came into town to buy and sell, and attend church on Sunday. Don't wear yourself out, though; there's plenty of antiquing to be done!

The Fredericksburg Antique Merchants Guild lists over a dozen members, many of them clustered on and around Main Street. Look for the fine estate furniture, 19th and 20th century American pieces, 1880s pine, primitives, and more. Check out the Antique Mall, Bolton & Bolton Antiques, and Just Antiques, and don't miss Der Alte Fritz Antiques, specializing in German antiques and fine furniture. Showcase Antiques is the place to go for crystal and art glass.

When you're ready for diversion, check out the Admiral Nimitz Museum and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, home to the area's ultimate antique--a granite mass with an estimated age of one billion years.

For Fredericksburg information, call (830) 997-6523 or visit www.fredericks burg-texas.com.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA. You may not think of Arizona as the place to go for glorious goods burnished with age. A visit to Glendale, a half-hour's drive from Phoenix, will quickly make you a believer. If oak furniture and Western-oriented cowboy collectibles ring your chimes, this is the place to find them.