We are back from a 5,500 mile road trip that included 8 national parks/monuments, 5 quilt shops, 4 sewing/quilt projects and time with family!!! Here are some deets:
8 National Parks/Monuments:
1. Great Sand Dunes National Park--Mosca, Colorado: This wasn't in our original plans but we were in the area. No photos--there were a lot of families sledding down the sand dunes!
2. Mesa Verde National Park--Cortez, Colorado: 800 Year old cliff dwelling villages. We took 2 tours here, including crawling on hands & knees through an 18" wide, 12 foot long tunnel!😳
3. Bryce Canyon National Park--Panguitch, Utah: The largest collection of "pinnacles" in the world!
4. Craters of the Moon National Monument--Arco, Idaho: The result of lava many years ago, it looks like the surface of the moon! Astronauts came here to practice for walking on the moon!
5. Yellowstone National Park--West Yellowstone, Montana: Animal sightings were low for us--4 elk and 3 buffalo. But we saw Old Faithful erupt twice and saw many of the other geysers and thermal pools!
Old Faithful ⤴️ and Morning Glory Pool ⤵️
6. Devil's Tower National Monument--Devil's Tower, Wyoming: An amazing geological formation combined with Native American culture and a lot of prairie dogs!!!
7. Wind Cave National Park--Hot Springs, South Dakota: The 7th longest cave in the world! We took the "Natural Entrance" tour--over 400 steps, mostly down, with a return elevator. Wind Cave is famous for "box work" formations. ⤵️
8. Badlands National Park--near Rapid City, South Dakota: Amazing rugged overlook scenery!!!
We took in 5 quilt shops:
1. Cortez Quilt Company, Cortez, Colorado
2. Villa Rosa Designs, Grass Valley, California
3. Mad Hatter Quilt Shoppe, Winnemucca, Nevada
4. The Quilters' Fix, Sheridan, Wyoming
5. E.T. Quilts, Buffalo, Wyoming
Sewing projects I worked on:
1. Eight bowl pillows--these were my hand sewing/car projects:
2. Strip Lash baby quilt
3. Lemon Pepper quilt:
4. Villa Rosa flannel quilt kit
I did most of my piecing on DH's Grandma's old Singer sewing machine--sews like a dream!⤵️
I'll give you more details on these 3 quilt tops after they're quilted and finished!!!
Our most unusual sighting--a moose grazing by the roadside in Wyoming!⤵️
In real life, our DD1 safely delivered our 2nd grandchild!!! My Mom became terribly ill and spent a week in the hospital. And her assisted living house informed us that they are closing at the end of this month! There's a lot of non-quilt related things going on here right now!
Grace and peace!!! ~Nancy
Check out all the quilt inspiration at Patchwork & Quilts, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF, Peacock Party, Off the Wall Friday, From Bolt To Beauty.
Wow! That was some trip. You covered an amazing amount of miles and a wonderful assortment of places. Loved some of the names of the quilt shops. And, "Fabric Touching Times". Too funny. We've been to some of the National Parks you did but I don't think we've been to all of them. Maybe we should go on a stateside trip in the next few years.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like an amazing trip, Nancy! Yellowstone is definitely on my all-time favorites list. And all those quilt shops - what a bonus! Congratulations on the new grand baby! I hope your mom is lots better, but I'm sorry to hear about her assisted living situation. Thinking of you as you figure it out!
ReplyDeleteWonderful road trip! I have very fond memories of Mesa Verde, Bryce, and Yellowstone, it looks like you had great time traveling through these wonders. Fun quilt shops tour too ;)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new baby! I hope that your Mom is getting better, take care all of you.
Thank you for sharing, and linking up.
What a great roadtrip! I love the national parks and hope to get a road trip out west in the plans! Hoping things with your Mom go smoothly to find her another place of care!
ReplyDeleteGreat trip!! Thanks for sharing your adventure. I loved seeing the blue sky! We had haze while you were gone from MN. Congratulations on the new grandbaby. I will add your mom to my prayer list.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debbie!! We had good weather on our trip--never any rain while we were hiking the national parks. Our time in California was even comfortable--no 100+ degree weather this year while we were there! Thank you for your prayers for my mom, and finding a new place for her. I so appreciate it!!!
DeleteYour trip sounds amazing, it brought back memories as we have been to many of those areas. Great projects you worked on.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great trip for both of you. I sure hope you find a place for your mom, and that she is feeling better each day! Congratulations on the new little one, too! I need to hear more about your trip and those quilt shops! Fun that you were able to go to Villa Rosa!
ReplyDeleteI hope your mom is able to get settled into a new housing situation with minimal stress.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fabulous trip. I live in eastern SD, and have never actually been inside Wind Cave. Driven by many times. But we've been in the Badlands many times. One of our daughters and family were just in the Badlands on Thursday last week. It's pretty spectacular. There are some fun quilt shops in the Black Hills.
Wow - that was quite a trip! And if you were at Craters of the Moon, that's only about 60 miles from where I live near Sun Valley. You certainly do have a lot going on in your world right now. Hopefullly you can find a good care facility for your mom. And what a great blessing to have another grandchild! I do like your Strip Lash Baby quilt - that would be a good use of scraps. Hang in there!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great trip! Love the glimpses of the National Parks - was thinking at one time we would do some of this - need to revitalize that plan. Love seeing all the fun quilt shops and meant to ask you a bit about Villa Rosa Designs. Do you know they deeply discount some of their fabric as they feature new versions of the quilts? And, all the goings on in life…great joy and continued concerns and prayers for your Mom and your siblings as you negotiate a new place. And many thanks for the guest room and delightful visit!
ReplyDeleteWhoa! You took in so much! Love the peeks into your fabulous road trip! There is so much to see in these wonderful United States! Congrats on the new addition to the family...so much joy there! I hope all goes well in finding a loving new home for your Mom! :)
ReplyDeleteLove love love this road trips! Did one with my parents and sister 30 years ago and see some of these amazing national parks as well. But no tunnel crawerny in those years. We did the typical south-west tour.. not been in Montana or Wyoming or South Dakota. I try to learn about the states while reading the quilt folk magazine.
ReplyDeleteThe quilt shop tour was not at the horizon in these years, now I would do exactly what you did! So lovely to see all these pictures. That made my trist day!! Thank you for shRing these wonderful pictures.
A new human being and the problem with finding new home for your senior is for sure taking your attendence, but must it all at one time we all ask for sure.
Much power to do this and let the remembering to that holiday trip give you this power.
Love your quilts! And so nice… to see a good old Singer!! With food or electric? I post anonymous, but I am Eva.
Hi Eva!!! Thanks for sharing all your thoughts!!! Crawling through the stone tunnel was the last thing we did on that tour. I think everyone was anxious if they could make it through without getting stuck! There was no getting through with a backpack on one's back--it was that short! One woman had her 2 month old baby with her! She had to have the baby in a front pack to crawl through.
DeleteThat Singer sewing machine has knee pedal on the right hand side. Growing up, my mom's sewing machine had that also, so it brought back memories and I was able to adjust to it easily. Great question!!!
I should clarify--that Singer sewing machine is electric and activated by knee pressure.
DeleteLove the pictures of your trip! We were at the Great Sand Dunes last year and really enjoyed it! We will have to schedule a trip to hit Mesa Verde and Bryce Canyon and the National monuments. This year we head Northeast. Love that you stopped at all the local quilt shops! So much fun!
ReplyDeleteWow! You are very talented in sharing about your vacation. So many great pictures of national parks, quilt shops, and projects. I enjoyed reading many of your friends comments and their congratulations on your new grandson and the prayers for Mom. A special group of quilting friends indeed.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing trip, Nancy and you got a lot of projects completed to boot.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like an awesome trip and I feel like the pictures are just the tip of the iceberg :) Sorry to hear about your Mom. I hope she is well on the way to recovery by now! Sending some virtual strength her way - and yours for finding new living solutions. xo
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you have had a wonderful road trip. I even recognised a few locations from our travels. You sure covered a lot of ground.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult when dealing with family members with illnesses. I hope your mother is improving. And good luck finding a new home for her.
But I am delighted about your grandbaby news!
What an awesome trip! A perfect combination of beautiful sights, quilt shops, and sewing! So sorry to hear about your mom. Looks like you might need another trip after you get her resettled. Congratulations on that adorable baby! So much going on...take it one step at a time and know we are all thinking about you. Thanks for sharing on my weekly show and tell, Wednesday Wait Loss. https://www.inquiringquilter.com/questions/2023/07/17/wednesday-wait-loss-337
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing trip. Thank you for linking up.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had lots of great experiences on your trip! How long were you away? I’ve been to six of those National Parks, so I know the beauty you enjoyed. So sorry to know about your mom, and the assisted living situation. I know how vital it is to have good senior care. My dad is 93. Your bowl pillows are an interesting idea that I’ve never heard of. I’m sure you’re happy to be at home again, and I hope you are managing everything. Linda
ReplyDeleteWow! What a terrific trip -- lots of memories for you both.
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy, one of our favourite family road trip included many of the National Parks that you visited. I had done lots of embroidery on that trip :-) Good luck with your mom - that's always so stressful. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm still thinking of crawling through the narrow tunnel. You sure are brave to tackle that. The whole trip sounds daunting but fabulous. National parks and quilting, what's not to love. The strip lash quilt caught my eye. Great scrap potential.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome trip, Nancy! Congratulations on the new grandbaby! I pray your mom is better now and that you can find a wonderful new home for her before the end of the month. Your hand stitching/traveling projects are awesome as are those quilts! Looking forward to hearing more about them. Thanks for sharing on Monday Musings!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a trip! We've just got back from a 3 week trip across some of north america ourselves but I took no sewing with me at all! You put me to shame :-D
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful trip. :) Thanks for sharing in the Sew & Tell party.
ReplyDeleteI would love to know more about your Villa Rosa flannel quilt pattern. I have a bunch of flannel squares that I could probably use right up on something like this. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteKathleen -- kakingsbury at verizon dot net
You must have driven right past me on your way from Devils Tower to Yellowstone! We live barely 1 mile from I-90! And Quilter’s Fix in Sheridan WY is a favorite quilt shop. Glad you had a good trip! That’s vaca to remember!
ReplyDeleteAwesome, awesome trip! We did something similar about 5 years ago and loved it. Unfortunately we were a little early in the year and half of Yellowstone was closed, and they opened Grand Tetons the day we were to drive through. My favorite was Bryce. We waded through mud in the Badlands but still enjoyed it. I'm sorry you have to move your mom. Been there, done that. I hope you can find another good place.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue! I'm replying here as your address shows up . We've had that problem at Yellowstone previously, also--northern roads were still closed in June, due to snow. I really enjoyed Bryce this time, also!! This year is the 100th anniversary of that park! We found a great place for my mom, just 4 minutes from our home! It's a new place and she's adjusting well and happy there!
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