Traveling the USA

We left our home in southern Ohio on Tuesday, and as of last evening we have logged over 3400 miles. The further we get from Ohio the more I am astounded at the beauty and vastness of this great country. Distances in Ohio do not compare to the distances we have seen in Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and Oregon. Here are a couple of pictures that attempt to show the enormity of wide-open spaces out west.

We traveled west on I-80 and after leaving Salt Lake City, had a straight-line stretch of highway exiting Utah. This photo shows the long, lonely road to Nevada through the Dessert Salt Flats. Cell phone cameras just don't adequately capture the vastness of the distance one can see. The views are a sight to behold, let me tell you.

The picture below shows a long, stretch of highway in Oregon, leading away from Crater Lake. It was a chilly morning going up and coming back off the mountain to see the lake. We had rain and possibly sleet; you can see that at 7000 ft. elevation, there's still plenty of snow, too.

Crater Lake

This post won't be entirely about travel, for I have a bit of quilting-related content to offer. *smile* In the town where we at last turned off I-80, I found a quilt shop!

When we reached the significant point at which we finally left the highway, we found ourselves in Winnemucca, NV. We needed two things: a break from the road and a full tank of gas.

I  explored a quilt shop while DH did the dirty work. The Mad Hatter Quilt Shoppe was just what this quilter needed!

It's a small shop, but I was welcomed in a big way by the owner (co-owner, she corrected) who made my visit so very pleasant. Natalie and her mother have had the shop for 20 years, I believe she told me. Mom has since retired, but still has an active role in the shop. They do a heavy business with embroidery - as in the kind that goes on tee shirts, letter jackets, banners, and other personalized items. 

There's still plenty for the quilter to ogle, and I had no trouble finding some yardage that will be making the trek back to Ohio with me. The shop carries quite a few kits, precuts, panels, and notions, as well.

Here's what I bought. I have no business buying more fabric, but a gal can't sew from her stash on everything, can she?? Well, she could (she should), but what's the fun in that?  This is mostly AGF fabric and I have no definite quilt in mind - yet - for this gorgeous stack. It most certainly will become something beautiful!

We had a funny exchange with Natalie. When DH returned after getting gas, I was telling Natalie about my blog and told her that I frequently refer to him as DH. She laughed heartily, saying that she was glad I clarified what it stood for. She said she's heard of 'DH' before and the meaning was something quite different, and just a touch ornery! So maybe I need to qualify here: On this blog, DH stands for Dear Husband, not dick head. (did I just type that?!?!) 

Better get back on the road, Jayne.

While I gaze out our car windows, tooling through this vast, majestic country, I also plan quilts in my head. What this grouping of fabrics will become has yet to be determined, but I can see something wonderful on the horizon - just like in this magnificent U S of A.

Happy Quilting, Friends!