The birds are busy;
the bugs are singing

Some say August is a quiet month, but there’s more going on than you may realize: the birds are busy planning their flight south; the bugs are noisiest this month; and you decide to hit the road one more time this summer. Here are four cool places you may want to visit:

• World’s Longest Yard Sale! — One man’s trash is another man’s treasure … grab your wallet and head for the World’s Longest Yard Sale! The yard sale began as a way to promote rural Kentucky and Tennessee, and is held the first weekend in August. This savvy-shopper’s dream stretches more than 450 miles from its birthplace in Jamestown, Tenn., along the 127 Corridor north to Covington, Ky., and south to Gadsden, Ala. For more information visit www.127sale.com or www.127yardsale.com.
• Hatch Valley Chile Festival (Hatch, NM) — Chile lovers: Get your peppery fix at the Hatch Chile Festival. Attracting over 30,000 visitors, the annual fest kicks off August 30. The event includes chile contests, artisan and food booths and a carnival. For more information visit www.hatchchilefest.com.
• Maine Lobster Festival (Rockland, Maine) — If you’re a lobster lover, it doesn’t get much better than this. The Maine Lobster Festival marks its 67th year this month and you won’t want to miss a moment of it: Food vendors serving truckloads of lobster — lobster rolls, lobster wraps, lobster Caesar salad and of course, all prepared with fresh, Maine lobster. Mmm, yummy! For more information visit www.mainelobsterfestival.com.
• Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival (Seattle, Wash.)— Enjoy some northwest culture and head to Seattle for this music and arts fest. Since its beginning in 1971, Bumbershoot has become one of the largest festivals of its kind in North America. Opening August 30, the annual gathering draws artists in film, music, spoken word, theater, dance, visual arts and more. Like we said, it’s big. For more information visit www.bumbershoot.org