I've done a nice shop hop for 5 years in a row and now look forward to seeing those same shops each year. The farthest one is about 160 miles north from home and some are about 60 miles west of that. A friend and I spend 2 days doing it. I like supporting the businesses and seeing the flavor of each shop. The major change in the past two years is that there is no longer guaranteed food and the shops ask if participants would like to donate food to help local food pantries. I don't necessarily spend money and have become more careful over the years, realizing that most stuff is not necessary to my existence! On another note, when I travel, my quilt shops in the US book lives in the outside zip pocket of my suitcase. It's been there so many times that there is a permanent outline of it on my suitcase. It's been lovely to visit shops in AZ, NM, CO, CA as well as in the southern states. Quilters are some of the loveliest folks, in general. There is always someone spoiling to tarnish the image...but who knows what struggles that person is having?