The LQS in my area do a big shop hop every spring. About 6 years ago I did it over the course of two evenings and one day-- throwing in a couple of extra shops. I'm very glad that I did it, but have not done it again - usually because I end up working shop hop weekend. Generally, I make up my own hops. Going back a few years, a couple of friends and I hit 13 stores in Iowa over 3 days. We split the cost of the hotel, so it was do-able. Of course this was back before the economy tanked. In some ways, I think we had a better time on that hop than the local one.
Now days, I make up my own hops. If I'm going somewhere - a friend and I made a turn around trip to Oklahoma a few years ago. The trip could have been accomplished in one day, but we shopped our way down and then back home. I try to vary my route to the annual quilt retreat to hit new to me quilt shops or go back to the ones I want to visit again. This might be why it takes 7 hours to make the 3 hour drive.