By the time you read this, I’ll be on my way to Paducah, KY for my very favorite quilt show . . the AQS Show.
The only bad part of the trip will be crossing those darned bridges but luckily, my buddy Elaine is going with me and she’ll be driving across the bridges.
Somebody had to go out of their way to design this road so it crosses two rivers. The darker blue line actually is the road. The pink line is where I think they should’ve put the road but . . no one asked me! If the road is where the pink line is, then there would be only one bridge at a narrower part of the river. But . . hey . . who cares? One bridge; two bridges . . I still couldn’t get across because I can’t drive across bridges!
Have you been to the Paducah show? If so, did you love it, did you want to go back? What did you really think about it? If you haven’t been, do you want to go some day?
Besides the quilts, the fabric, the newest and best “stuff”, I get to spend three days with my friends. Becky from Owensboro meets us there. Elaine from Springfield, MO will drive over with me. Ruthie from Indiana will drive down and meet us. And, my mom and dad are meeting us there too. And, we’ll run into many other friends we’ve met through the years.
Or . . best of all could be the Boy Scouts selling strawberry shortcake in front of the show. And, whichever of my friends came up with that goofy idea to share a strawberry shortcake with me last year . . it’s not going to happen this year. I want my own . . I do not want to share a strawberry shortcake! I want the whole thing . . by myself!
Mrs. Goodneedle says
All that and strawberry shortcake too? Sounds like heaven to me…
Pat says
I just know you’ll have a nice time in spite of the bridges you have to cross getting there and returning back home. Can’t wait to hear all about it. I wish I lived close enough to go to that show. *sigh*
Susie says
Lucky you! I have been to Paducah twice. I have a friend who lives in a beautiful old house in town so we stay with her. Ahh, maybe next year. The first time, my husband and I drove (14 hours from MD) and the second time two of my friends and I flew to Nashville and drove up from there. My most memorable moment is actually crying at the beautiful quilts in the museum (specifically, the Conway Album Quilt!) Have fun and a safe trip.
Julie in the Barn says
Have a great time, Judy. That show is on my wish list. Maybe someday. Sigh.
pdudgeon says
oh the lure of strawberry shortcake…….LOL
someday i’ll make it down there.
Vicky says
I’d love to go to the Paducah show some day. Have a great time! Will be anxiously awaiting your reports!
denise - justquiltin says
Ahh I haven’t been in many years but I have to agree – sharing strawberry shortcake is not an option. When a friend and I used to go she would have to have at least two strawberry shortcakes per day. Those boyscouts definitely found the right nitch. Have fun – we want to see a photo of your shortcake to live vicariously. 🙂
CindyC says
I went to Paducah one time. I love it. I really wanted to go back this year, but will have to wait until all kids are out of high school. We stayed in a small town not too far away and paid a whole lot less for the hotel room. I think it was called Metropolis. I know that there was a comic book museum there that we toured. It was a lot of fun. I could not believe Hancocks. So much fabric! I loved the vendors everywhere and the quilt displays that were sprinkled throughout town. You know they appreciate the quilters coming and SPENDING! Have a great trip.
Marilyn says
You girls just have a blast – and strawberry shortcake too! We will be having fun with Gracie & Jim tomorrow night!
Marilyn (IQuiltToo)
Laurel says
Have a great time. I love Paducah. Living way up north (in WI) it was always so cool to drive from where there is very little green in the trees to a place where there’s green everywhere and flowers in bloom and the lilacs, too. And then there’s the show. I went with my guild for 2 years (good, but cramped my style a little), then drove on my own for 2 more years. Haven’t been in 10 plus years, just haven’t been able to get away. Do I miss it? Oh, yeah. Have a wonderful time and eat a strawberry shortcake for me!
Betty J in OKC says
I *LOVE* going to Paducah!!! I’ve gone about 15x in the last 20 yrs or so. My fav part, besides the quilts, are the vendors. (Quilt-knit, the one with frosted cutting mats, and Eleanor Burns is a MUST see!) Past yrs, I’ve “white-gloved” for 2 hrs/day to get free admission. I had to arrange that in advance. It was alot easier visiting the AQS when I lived in St. Louis, but now I’m only 12 hrs away (plus hourly potty-breaks :P) and WISH I could go this yr. Next yr, I’ll have some vacation time put away and will use that. I try to avoid the crowds at the Hancocks. One yr, I was in and out in 20 minutes. I only needed a specific brand of quiltiing needles.
Kris says
I live in Wisc. and have gone to the Intl. Quilt Show in Chicago every year since it started. I was scheduled to go last year when my mother who lives in Southern Indiana became ill and I spent the month of April with her. Since I missed Chicago, I decided to take a day to go to Paducah, my first time. WOW! I had no idea what I was in for. I ended up parking at a park & ride and taking the bus all over trying to find the quilt show. I was completely blow away by the “hugeness” of the whole event. After getting off the bus 3 times and ending up back at the park & ride once, I finally made it to the quilt show. It was really lovely and I did see your quilt. I expected to meet people from all over the US, but everytime I spoke to someone I found out they were from either WIsc or Michigan. I loved that shortcake, though. Have a fantastic time.
Becky in GA says
I hope to make it to Paducah one year. It will probably have to wait until I retire from the school teaching business. April and May are busy months for us. Enjoy your trip! Family, friends, food – it doesn’t get much better than that!
Bessie H. says
My two sisters and I used to go almost every year. Also been to Nashville twice. My oldest sister needs knee replacement and hasn’t been able to stand the walking for a couple of years now, so it’s been a while since we made the trip. Takes us about 2 hours
to get there. The first time I went was about 20 years ago, I talked one of my Aunts into going with me on a charter bus with the local quilt guild. We had a ball. The next time, My two sisters, my aunt and my Mother all went together. It was the only time Mom was able to go. I now have 2 sons living in Knoxville and am thinking of visiting in July when there will be a show there. I love the quilts,of course, but the merchant’s mall is my favorite. Living in the sticks, it is so nice to see up close and personal all the things that are in catalogs and on line. I get to hold it and decide if I really need it.
Carol in SW IN says
Judy, you are so lucky. I got part of my higher education just south of Paducah at Murray. I still have a friend who lives barely south of Paducah and could stay with her. A few years ago I went on a charter bus from Evansville, IN with some church friends and would only go that way again.
We went to the quilt museum first and I was in awe. Then we went to the show. No trying to find a parking place, was dropped off at the door, if we had any purchases we didn’t want to pack around all day, the driver was by the doors and would watch them for us. I am not even sure I seen everything. But the inspiration was out of this world. From the show we were dropped off at Hancocks of Paducah to shop. Lordy, I had never seen that much fabric being handled before. Then before we got home, we stopped at a buffett and eat a wonderful meal. I would love to go again, but fibro and arthritis makes it too difficult.
I will just dream.
lori R says
Have fun there, that is a dream to go to Puducah at least once.
Now about bridges– if you ever come to Portland, Oregon. Be prepared for bridges here. The nickname for Portland in BRIDGETOWN we have 12 different ones to drive on, than the RR has some too. (20 years ago) I remember the first time I saw them all, my thought was concrete city, than the bridges it was WOW. I have one bridge that I hate going on, that was the Charles River bridge in Boston, I see they replaced it years ago.
ytsmom says
My BFF wants to go to Paducah (so do I 🙂 ) or maybe Houston. Which is better? Maybe next year hopefully. I did get to Des Moines for the AQS last October.