Billy I would love a meet up in Arizona. (But don't have a place to bed you down, sorry to say.) I am in Phoenix, on the west side of town.
As for shops and men.......
Most of the shops around here are pretty good with male customers. One of the shops, down on the far south side of town is owned by 3 guys, and called "3 Dudes Quilt shop".
When I worked in a fabric store we had several gentlemen that shopped there regularly, both for craft stuff and fabrics. One guy did a lot of Special Barbie outfits and many of the prototypes were done with fabric from our store.
Our manager was a guy and we frequently had male employees that sewed and knew what they were doing.
Several of the local shops have male employees and are very good at working with men who are shopping for significant others and are out of their comfort zones.
Several of the shops even have special "men's nights" during the holiday season to help guys shop for their wives/girlfriends and so on. They provide wish lists for the women to fill out, the shop has them for the guys. and so on.
My husband is hoot in a fabric shop..... he usually finds fabric that he thinks would make a great sports shirt. <G> (the wilder the better.)
Have fun,
Pati, in Phx
Out west is almost every state on the other side of the Mississippi to me. This trip is going to be over a month long journey for me to go on. I want to see all I can see and meet and stay with as many members and their families as I can. I honestly do not expect to stay in a hotel until I get to the Grand Canyon and then I will be there for 3 days.
But yes I will be in your neck of the woods!!
Billy[/quote]