A grand visit at a Grand Canyon!

Can you imagine stepping out your front door each morning and this is what you see? There's just something about the Grand Canyon that makes you stop. I wonder what the first person who came across it thought when they saw it?

Because it is the off season, we were able to stay at El Tovar ... it was opened in 1905 and reminds me so much of Douglas Lodge at Itasca State Park. Naturally, I fell in love with it! In the Summer this porch is filled with people scrambling for those rocking chairs ... and there's a reason there's no one in them in this pix. The temp was below zero! It actually felt worse than Minnesota because of the wind whipping up from the canyon walls. Consequently, a lot of my pix are taken inside or through windows!

There was such detail in all of the building ... and actually a lot of thought has gone into many of the buildings at the park. Mary Colbert ... a native of St Paul ... is responsible for the vision of how the park would look ... right down to the dishes in the dining room.

You can buy this painting for $30,000.

Quilt block inpiration! I like that it was rectangular because that makes for more of a challenge. I think tile setters are really just quilters in disguise.

At the Bright Angel Lodge they use the artwork from a number of local artists on their wall. This woven piece was wonderful close up. The fibers were dyed using native plants.

I thought the graphics on the menu were charming and loved reading about the  history of the building while we waited for breakfast. There were lots of wonderful touches through out the lodge.

The story of how Fred Harvey built a dining empire is fascinating. I could see myself being a Harvey Girl if I lived at the turn of the century!

Artists are encouraged by the spirit of the Grand Canyon. This stone loft must have been so appealing to them at one point in time. Now it's a darling gift shop heated by a massive stone fireplace with a terrace that has the best vantage point for viewing the canyon.

This is a great idea for a memory board or even an inspiration board. It was in the building that was once the village store ... almost more of  a local community center more than anything else.

So much to see and learn about and explore! But around every bend ... the Grand Canyon!!

 

Oh Fiddlesticks ... another quilt shop!

It wasn't my fault that we stopped in Old Town Boulder City, Nevada. I just thought it was a short cut to the Hoover Dam! How was I to know that Fiddlesticks was on the way there? It's not like I had ever been here before. (Thank you Google!)

I knew from across the street that I was going to love this place! They had adorable windows and when I stepped in, I felt right at home.

I was pleased to see one of Gudrun's quilts lying on a bench!

Right across the street is this charming historic hotel ... they hold their retreats there ... something like six in a row because they're so popular! This is one of the projects. I could see coming back for this!

Look at this sweet baby section. This used to be their office but then someone moved out next store so after the old switcheroo they were able to move that over and then add a bigger classroom. The classroom is darling and their pix are better on their site than what I have. I was jealous. But happy for them because it was so stinkin' cute and a great addition to the store.

They've just started getting into wool and I think they've made some excellent choices. And somehow I have another kit added to my project bag!

I could easily see myself coming back here. Plus ... the town is loaded with antique stores and other fun places! Add it to your list ...

Q is for Quiltique!

So we were out for a little drive and stumbled across this darling quilt shop ... in Henderson, Nevada. Ok fine ... we're on a long drive from Los Angeles to Minnesota ... our first leg via Las Vegas so that we could visit Hoover Dam. But wouldn't you know ... Quiltique just happened to be right on the way.

You know you're in the right place when you see a mini van like this parked right out in front of the store!

And then this is the first thing you see once you step inside. As a quilt shop owner, I know that there isn't a better sound than that of customers chatting and laughing while they pick out what they need for their next project. It was like music ... made me want to peek and see what everyone was doing.

Quiltique was a Quilt Sampler store not too long ago. Bob and Jen and their two daughters own the business together and each of them takes care of a different part of the business. They have a full service Bernina sewing center as well as long arm quilting. Bob told me their goal was to cover every aspect of quilting and after reading through their newsletter, I think they have all the bases covered!

That baby section was darling! When I went back there, a dad was playing with his two kids at a little table with chairs, just their size.

They had the best props around. Seems like each section had their own special thing.

Not to worry if you get turned around in the store. There were signs to point you in the right direction!

Like to the small classroom. Imagine yourself taking a class in this pretty room! And you should have seen the large classroom. They were meeting with a fabric rep in that one ... I think they were making some good choices!

Lots of pretty pinnies scattered through out.

Exhausted shoppers can collapse into one of the pretty chairs by the front door. But they wouldn't be able to escape because even from that vantage point, there was a ton to look at!

My favorite thing, though, was probably the bulletin board that held all of these cards of thanks from their customers. I peeked through a few and they showed how important Quiltique is in the lives of their quilting community. I'd love to pile a bunch of my friends on a plane and come to Vegas just so I could show them this great store!