A Quilters Journey: My Road Trip to the Garden of Quilts

I traveled four days by car from Tennessee to Utah to attend the Garden of Quilts. On the first day, I drove through five states: Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri. Unfortunately, that first hotel stay was a nightmare and made me rethink my whole driving plan for this trip. But I survived the night and pushed forward.

Day two took me across Missouri and Iowa into Nebraska, where I stayed in Lincoln. The landscape was filled with cornfields—mile after mile of them. On day three, I continued across Nebraska and into Wyoming. It was fascinating to see how the scenery changed when the state did. Wyoming, with its wide-open skies and mountains, was stunning. Finally, on day four, I drove from Wyoming into Utah, excited to finally reach Lehi where the Garden of Quilts is held each year.

I had purchased the VIP Package, which included a stay at Home2 Suites, nightly event tickets, six classes, and more. The hotel was great, and the whole experience made me feel like a true VIP. Unfortunately, two of my classes were canceled before the event began, and one of my scheduled classes was an all-day session. That left me with three classes in total—but they were wonderful.

On Wednesday, my first class was with Bev McCullough, where we worked on her Berry Market Quilt. Thanks to prepping my fabrics ahead of time, I was able to complete three strawberry blocks during class. Bev was fantastic, and I really enjoyed learning from her.

My other two classes were with Minki Kim. Thursday’s all-day session focused on her Sunsetridge Backpack pattern, and on Saturday, I made her Open Up Box Pouch pattern. I truly enjoyed both projects and finished them by the end of class. Minki is one of the kindest and most joyful people I have ever met. I would happily take more of her classes in the future.

On Sunday, I began the trek home, this time taking a slightly different route through Colorado and Kansas before looping back into Missouri and retracing my path from day one. I shortened the return trip to three days and was back home by Tuesday evening.

Overall, the trip was fun and full of unforgettable moments, but I don’t see myself making another journey to Utah. The drive was simply too long, and flying isn’t my favorite option. Instead, I think it’s time to start looking for quilting retreats a little closer to home.