Ready? The exciting conclusion to my Nebraskan junking adventure awaits. Relax, grab some coffee, and let the waves of old-timey goodness wash over you.

It was getting late and we had one more stop to make. Cathy (owner of LilyCrest Cottage in Yankton, South Dakota) had graciously offered to open her shop after hours. It was a treat to shop in a clean and well-displayed store after a long, dirty day of junking. She took us on a tour of the loft she was remodeling on the third floor of her 1800s building. It was absolutely amazing! Under the layers of paint and wallpaper was a beautifully painted fresco-which she was painstakingly trying to preserve. I hope to get some pics from her to share with you.

Shower and bed in Vermillion, South Dakota by 11:30 p.m. A heavenly day!

One thing I find disturbing about Nebraska is the number of beautiful farmhouses left deserted to literally rot. We peeked inside the windows of this farmhouse to find its rooms still filled with its owner's antique furniture. It is believed to have been vacant for more than 20 years. I suppose it hasn't gone completely to waste-after all, it's made a perfect bed-and-breakfast for raccoons, mice, and other squatters over the years. How odd no one has come to rescue any of it.

We crossed the river and headed toward Coleridge, where Cammie keeps her stockpile of junk in an "open by appointment" storefront. She was ready. She had spent the weeks prior to my visit shopping because she knew what I was looking for. I immediately spied a green seed rack in the store window. I then loaded up on metal sign letters, outdoor faucet handles, chippy white corbels, and restaurant dishes for my daughter, Taylor, who was moving into her new pad in L.A. The bar and grill a couple of doors down was kind enough to share its restroom and offered a yummy burger and tater-tot fries for lunch. Gotta love tots!

Next stop: Cookie's Castaways in Beldon, Nebraska. Owners Cookie and Phillip are seasoned antique dealers. Cookie was one of the original vendors to sell her wares at the Long Beach flea market in California when it first opened years ago.

The heat got to us. By midday it was nigh unbearable. As we traveled from room to room in this charming shop, Phillip was kind to turn on and off the lights to keep us cool.

John & Ki in John & Wanda's shed
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Not far from Beldon, we found John and Wanda in Laurel, Nebraska. John and Wanda spend most of their time on the road setting up at flea markets. Their shed was filled to the ceiling with amazing architectural salvage and I was lucky to nab a dozen vintage locker baskets for a great price. I was tempted by the filling station window-washing contraption, but resisted the junking splurge. Once again, the junk gods smiled on me-I was allowed into Wanda's secret room behind the garage. Cammie told me not everyone is so lucky!

Jackson's free windmill museum
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Between junk destinations we made a quick detour to an open-air windmill museum in Jackson, Nebraska.awesome! The owner restores old wooden windmills and displays them at no charge to the public. And.is that the smell of delicious frozen dairy treats? If you know me, you know I never pass an ice cream shop without stopping. Jackson boasts a population of fewer than 500 and the best malts on highway 20.

The last town on our road trip was Sioux City, Iowa. Yep, four states in two days-truly epic junking! Second Hand Finds was a pleasant (and more modern) shopping experience. All of the dealer's merchandise was clean and orderly and, best of all, the building was air-conditioned and had a working restroom. Sweet, sweet air conditioning.

Ki and Chris at Old Town Antiques
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Old Town Antiques was a great finale to our junking adventure. The proprietor is quite a character. Chris is a "rocker" kind of guy who has amazing taste in junk and describes most of his junk as "trick." Like me, when he likes an item he buys multiples of them. I was able to purchase 13 iron rests, 8 bottles, 7 receipt stabbers, 3 car visor mirrors, and 16 vintage drawer pulls.

The sun dipped into the horizon and we headed back to Watertown to pick up Cammie's vehicle. My original plan was to drive back to Minnesota that evening.what was I thinking? Exhausted, we called for a room. I had no idea how busy the interstate hotels get in the summer. It took nine calls, but we finally found a room. It was a suite with a hot tub for way more than I wanted to spend.we took it!

The scenery was spectacular, the people friendly, and the junk plentiful. Thanks to a great tour guide and all the wonderful dealers, I came home with a truck full of magnificent junk. Okay, so I didn't fit it all in. Junker's plight, I guess. I had to go back the next weekend to pick up the leftovers.

As always, I returned home a happy junker.-Ki