While doing the "4 corners" it was always my job to find quilt/fabric shops to visit. Found some amazing fabrics! Almost every trip, I returned home to 2-3 big boxes of shipped fabric to enjoy as well as the boots of our trikes filled to the brim. I have loved reliving those trips every time I sew them into a top. Even when we travel on four wheels, my DH scans the horizon for signs of places to enable my fabric addiction. He is such a keeper!
BTW, we did the Ride to the Wall last year and the heat in the Pentagon parking lot was horrendous! You are made of tough stuff. It was an amazing experience and worth all the effort!