WOW! Gail, what a great experience... and a new LQS!! I have only one and it's in the town next to me. And a JoAnn's that is about 15 miles away so I've started ordering fabrics online. So far it's been great and all that I've ordered has been wonderful fabric. Once in a while I'll get a piece that isn't quite the color I was expecting, but most likely that's my computer.
I don't know many quilters personally, but it sounds like you met a group of quilters as nice as the ones on this board!! :D