Quilting Adventures

Iowa Quilt Exposition and Winterset Covered Bridge Festival
October 4-10, 2010
Trip Coordinator: Sue Glass, 310-372-3945, sue@travelingquilters.com

Our October trip to Iowa is currently sold out. Please contact sue@travelingquilters.com to add your name to our waiting list.

Our 2010 week-long trip will be in October to see the American Quilters Society Quilt Exposition in Des Moines, Iowa. This beautiful show features 800 quilts, 300 vendors, and lots, lots more. It's put on by the same wonderful folks who do the shows in Paducah and Tennessee every year, and we know it will be really special!

We'll fly into Des Moines on Monday, October 4, 2010, and go by bus to our first hotel just outside the Amana Colonies about an hour from Des Moines. We'll spend two days touring this special part of Iowa.

We'll visit Kalona, the "Quilt Capitol of Iowa," for a special lecture and exhibit of antique Amish and other quilts at the Kalona Quilt Museum. In addition we'll tour the area, including some of those famous barn quilts, and have dinner in an Old Order Mennonite home. We will tour the Amana Colonies as well, visiting their quilt shops and giving you plenty of time to shop on your own. We will stop in Grinnell to see the beautiful Jewel Box Bank building designed by Louis Sullivan, and of course another quilt shop. We'll return to Des Moines on Wednesday evening.

A store in Amana.

The Jewel Box Bank.

Thursday begins with a guided tour of the Iowa State House and Governor's Mansion, Terrace Hill. Built by Iowa's first millionaire in1869, this beautiful 18,000 square foot house is home to Iowa's governor and his family. We'll also stop by Living History Farms to see the 1875 town of Walnut Hill with 14 shops and homes, and other exhibits of our agricultural heritage. We'll head to Valley Junction for our final stop of the day for the AQS sanctioned Quilt Walk featuring more than 100 quilts hung in all the shops, as well as other special exhibits. Friday we will spend the entire day at the AQS Quilt Exposition.

Saturday is our day in Winterset, Iowa, home of Fons and Porter, and the Covered Bridge Festival. This festival usually includes a local quilt show, arts and crafts booths, and lots of that great Iowa food. A highlight of our visit will be touring a number of beautiful covered bridges including the actual bridges featured in the book and movie, The Bridges of Madison County. How can you miss that!!

Winterset park bridge.

Fons & Porter store.

Roseman bridge.

Saturday evening will find us at the Des Moines Botanical Gardens for another quilt exhibit. For dinner that evening we have a very special Mystery event planned for your entertainment!

Trip price includes: Air conditioned motor coach with restroom 6 nights hotel accommodations Breakfast daily 3 lunches 2 dinners 2 guided tours Admission to all events Porterage and gratuities Cost: $1085 per person (double occupancy); $1455 per person (single occupancy) $250 deposit will hold your space (you can use our layaway plan for this trip too) Downtown Winterset. Birthplace of John Wayne.

Winterset courthouse.

John Wayne bronze.

Day Trips
All trips depart from Fullerton, Redondo Beach, and Westfield Mall (formerly Fox Hills) unless otherwise noted.

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
November 7, 2009
Trip Coordinator: Sue Glass (310-372-3945 sue@travelingquilters.com

Okay, so it's not quilt-related. But we want to see it and think you might enjoy it also. We will visit the museum and Air Force One. Lunch will be at the museum (not included). We have to get some quilt-related stuff in, so we will visit two quilt shops: Candy's Quiltworks and Cotton and Chocolate. This is a great trip to bring the husbands along. They can visit while we shop!

Cost: $52.00 per person (includes admission)

Road to California (includes admission)
January 16, 2010 / San Diego departures only
Trip Coordinator: Ruth Jones (858) 569-6947; ruth@travelingquilters.com

Ruth is again offering a bus trip from the San Diego area to Road to California in Ontario. You'll have plenty of time at the show to visit all the vendors and view all the wonderful quilts. There will be four departure points for your convenience: 1) the trolley parking lot off Amaya and Amaya Court in La Mesa, 2) the Park and Ride at Via Rancho Parkway and I-15 in Escondido 3) the boat ramp parking lot near the Clairemont Dr exit off I-5, and 4) Park N Ride at I-5 and La Costa Ave in Encinitas. This trip always fills quickly so don't delay in reserving your seat.

Cost: $47 per person (includes admission)

It's a Mystery!
April 24, 2010
Trip Coordinator: Pam Overton (310) 546-5990; Pam@travelingquilters.com

Yes, our famous Mystery Trip has returned! We are still not telling you where we are going, but we can tell you that we will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Traveling Quilters, and you can expect it to be the best one yet! We hope to see all of you!

Many of you have traveled with us before on one of our mystery trips so you know that we will plan a fun, eclectic day for you. For those who haven't experienced one of our mysteries . . . . we invite you to come along and enjoy the day. We promise you won't be disappointed. While we won't tell you where we're going we can tell you it will be a little of this and a little of that! Not to worry, you'll have multiple shopping opportunities. Here's a hint: It's "Greek" to you and me.

Cost: $42 per person

Weekend Trips

Temecula Quilt-Away Retreats
We have two weekends planned in 2010. Please note new weekend dates.

February 25 - Feb 28: Join us Thursday, February 25 for 3 nights, or Friday, February 26 for 2 nights through Sunday, February 28.
Trip Coordinator: Pam Overton (310) 701-2706; pam@travelingquilters.com

Or June 4 - June 6: Join us June 3 for 3 nights, or Friday, June 4 for 2 nights through Sunday, June 6.
Trip Coordinator: Sue Glass (310) 372-3945; sue@travelingquilters.com

Our Temecula Quilt-Away Retreats are always fun and productive weekends. It's a great opportunity to finish projects or start something new. We usually have anywhere from 30 to 45 people at the retreat so it's always fun to see what people are working on. Each person has half an 8-ft table for sewing space in our large, well-lit classroom.

If you haven't been to our Temecula retreat before you're in for a treat! Our host for the weekend is Vina de Lestonnac Retreat Center - a religious retreat center run by the Sisters of Little Company of Mary. The center is nestled in the heart of the wine country region of Temecula. We have ample, well-lit sewing space, clean comfortable rooms with two single beds and private baths, and our favorite part - the nuns do all the cooking. All we have to do is march up the hill to the cafeteria for simple, but delicious meals. Check the website www.vinalestonnac.com for more information about this lovely retreat center. This is a "drive yourself" weekend.