sassey

I have done a few organized shop hops and really enjoyed them. Was a chance to get out and see all the new things and look at all the sample quilts. Came back with lots of merchandise and new ideas I haven't been able to go for the last few years due to health reasons. My sil and I do our own little hop everytime she comes to visit me 2 or 3 times a year we just google all the quilt shops and make our own plans which is good as we can shop at our own speed. go back to a shop if we decide we need to and if I am having a not so good day I stay at Motel while she shops or sit in car while she shops she will take a picture on her phone if she sees something she thinks I might lik W usually hit a total of 10 to 12 shops in 4 or 5 days. One year before health problems we did a combination bead shop hop and quilt shop hop now that was expensive feeding 2 hobbies at once

MarLeClair

I just finished a shop hop which was called "forks and needles". We (26 of us) took a limo bus to three shops. The first shop (our starting point)gave us coffee and munchies for the trip. The second shop gave us lunch and the last shop gave us dinner. It was great fun, great shopping and food was great. There were two other buses at each of the other two shops and everyone rotated. To say the least the shops were busy feeding us and attending to our every need. Hope the shops made lots of money.

barking-rabbit

I went on one last year and did it in two days. I combined the trip with casinos and a crab festival. I started in Kingston, WA to, Port Gamble, Port Townsend, Sequim and Port Angeles. The second day was Poulsbo, silverdale and Winslow, Bainbridge island. I was given a fat quarter and pattern at each place. This year the crab festival wasn't the same weekend so I didn't do the hop, but did visit the shop in port gamble.

Louise Houghtaling

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?

Knitnoid

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.

cowgirlquilter

I tried doing one once but because I am new here, don't have any friends to travel with. With gas skyrocketing, and being conscious of travel costs, I cut it short.
My goal will be to find quilting friends here now that we have finally relocated to a home, and go from there.

Julie R

I went on a 2-day hop where one of the participating shops offered a bus tour. I thought it was a great way to visit some shops in the northern part of Indiana that I might not otherwise get to. At dinner they had an organized bingo game with fun prizes. I enjoyed it simply from the comraderie.

okiequilter

Mark your calendar for the June 2013 "Road to Oklahoma Shop Hop", June 2013. Visit the website for more details and a list of shops. www.roadtooklahomashophop.com.

GrannieAnnie

What is your description of "quite a distance". (it varies for folks)

GrannieAnnie

A limo bus, huh?? That does sound like fun