Airfare is not included. Join the tour at the hotel. Take time to rest and recover from your flight Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening (within 15 minutes’ walk) and have an overview of the tour. Drury Houston or similar Meals: Dinner

This morning we travel a short distance to the picturesque Central Texas town of La Grange and visit the Texas Quilt Museum where we are welcomed and hosted by their docent. Explore the museum, founded by two friends who also founded the International Quilt Show Houston. The city was chosen due to its small-town charm and proximity to all major Texas cities. One of the star attractions is Grandmother’s Flower Garden laid out in the pattern of a quilt square. Also available is the Pearce Memorial Research Library and Material Studies Centre, and the Koval Antique Textile Exhibit. Shopping opportunities available at their gift shop. Next, we take an incredible visual experience into a 150-year-old building full of color. Hundreds of bolts of fabric and yarn, including a full library of designer textiles, products and patterns - this is the home of creative inspiration! Partners Options: • La Grange is a walkable small town with shops and restaurants. Send the partners to jail – to see this gorgeous Victorian era building that was used as a jail and is now a museum for Texas Heroes. Continue to the small M-K-T Railroad & Museum to learn about the mighty M-K-T Railroad the heartbeat of the Midwest. Continue to Waco and stop at Buc-Ees Country Store, a Texas institution. Touting the ‘cleanest restrooms in America’, which you can experience in private, there is a huge variety of sweets, jerky, convenience items, kalaches (a roll from Czech immigrants) and plenty of souvenirs. Buc-Ees chain was founded in Texas in 1982 and has expanded over many states. It is a favorite stop for travelers. Aloft Waco or similar Meals: Breakfast

This morning visit Hobbs Bonded Fibres (subject to production at factory) for a presentation on quilt batting and production process. Hobbs is a family of quilters who have been manufacturing high-quality quilt batting (wadding) for hobbyists, commercial art and show quilters since 1978. They always keep in mind that quilts are a gift from the heart – an expression of love, commitment and caring for a specific recipient – or an expression of artistry and skill – that is submitted and judged in quilt shows and events around the world – or both. Partners Options for both days in Waco: •Golfing at public golf course •Rent canoes or kayaks to paddle the Brazos River •Texas Ranger Hall of Fame – The Texas Ranger is one of them most cherished symbols of the Lone Star State, a positive and enduring icon of Texas and America. Most 19th century Texas Rangers lived this ideal. They protected their neighbors from harm, captured criminals and staved off invasions. Few were paid regularly, if at all. Some Rangers died with glory at the alamo while others were wounded or died in anonymity at now forgotten places. Many of their names and deeds have been lost to history but Texas is their legacy. It would not exist without their sacrifice. True to tradition, their outfits include boots and cowboy hats, most own Colt pistols, and they still wear circle-star badges made from Mexican coins. Their strengths remain their exceptional skills, perseverance, honor, and dedication. The Texas Rangers have a deserved reputation for binging criminals to justice. •Waco Mammoth National Monument Following lunch, visit the Magnolia Market and its famous landmark silos that occupy two city blocks in downtown Waco. Owned by HGTV ‘Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, the store offers items in Joanna’s unique style. Visitors can play free games on the lawn or picnic in the shade. We have a couple more quilt shop visits before returning to Waco for dinner and evening at leisure. Aloft Waco or similar Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Following breakfast, we enjoy a fun and informative tour of Waco including drive byes of the houses featured on Fixer Upper. Visit to Hobby Lobby. In 1970, David and Barbara Green took out a $600 loan to begin making miniature picture frames out of their home. Two years later, the fledgling enterprise opened a 300-square-foot store in Oklahoma City, and Hobby Lobby was born. Today, with more than 900 stores, Hobby Lobby is the largest privately owned arts-and-crafts retailer in the world with over 43,000 employees and operating in forty-seven states. Hobby Lobby offers over 70,000 items featuring home decor, seasonal decor, tableware, floral, art supplies, craft supplies, yarn, fabric, jewelry making, hobbies and much more. Following lunch at your leisure, the afternoon is yours to further explore the many sights of this lovely small town or rest up. Aloft Waco or similar Meals: Breakfast

This morning we have morning tea and friendship with a local quilter’s group. Enjoy exchanging stories, learning about their club’s goals, show and tell, and work on a project together. Stop in Austin to visit the Texas State Capitol and of course visit some quilt and creative living shops. Continue to San Antonio and check into our hotel. Enjoy dinner and the evening at your leisure. San Antonio is a city steeped in more than 300 years of traditions and heritage. You may wish to take a walk along the Riverwalk, enjoying the architecture, winding pathways, and bridges. Drury Riverwalk San Antonio or similar Meals: Breakfast

This morning, discover the King William District, a Victorian inspired neighborhood filled with history and charm, the Pearl District, a former industrial area that was home of craftworkers and today is a frenzy of gorgeous shops and restaurants. After lunch, visit The Alamo, a Catholic mission built in the 18th Century that served as a stronghold for Texan soldiers defending a siege by the Mexicans. Most of the soldiers perished but The Alamo is remembered today by Americans as a salute to their fervor. Visit El Mercado, a charming historic market featuring Southwest and Mexican shops. Working artists offer their handcrafts from stalls and carts. Entertainment, colourful art, produce markets and restaurants are sure to please. We have a variety of quilt & textile shops to visit today. This evening enjoy dinner and a cruise on the river. Drury Riverwalk San Antonio or similar Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Visit San Antonio Mission Historical Park. Walk or bike the grounds to discover these missions that were built in the 1700s. Spanish priests established these five Catholic missions along the San Antonio River to serve as the center of an ethnically diverse society. Today, the missions – walled compounds encompassing a church and buildings where the priests and local Native Americans lived – represent the largest concentration of Spanish colonial missions in North America. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to the Riverwalk area where, perhaps, you will take a boat ride on the river, shop till you drop, hike or bike along the riverside or relax. Drury Riverwalk San Antonio or similar Meals: Breakfast

Following breakfast in the hotel, we depart and travel to Houston. Partners Options: • While some people are at the quilt shops, this would be a great opportunity for the partners to visit Bass Pro Shops, an outdoor outfitter megastore with museum like displays of animals and live fish. • Houston NASA Space Centre – need a whole day – so quilters can go to the show and partners to the Space Centre •Battleship Texas •Brewery Tour •Port of Houston Boat Tour (90mins) •Water Works Education Centre •Architecture Tour •Stadium Tour Behind the Scenes Visit Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens. Said to be one of the finest collections of American décor, furniture and memorabilia, this estate is tucked in a Houston neighborhood. Ima Hogg’s home and belongings were always shared as she was a philanthropist and always supporting the arts. Her quilt collection traveled throughout the States many times. Now her home is a museum, which she saw to fruition before she passed away. Enjoy a headset tour topped off by musical selections whilst roaming through the 28-room hilltop estate, the famous swinging bridge, exquisite gardens, and bird park. Note that not all quilts will be on display. • Houston hotel is 14 minutes walking to Convention Center • Option for bus or light rail $1.25 per ride • Many restaurants within 5 block radius Residence Inn Downtown or similar Meals: Breakfast

Day of rest before the Quilt Festival OR join the bus to Galveston Island for a taste of the Gulf of Mexico Coast. The charming historic district is famous for its majestic iron-front buildings that house unique boutiques, coastal-inspired art galleries, gift shops, museums, restaurants, and other entertaining attractions. Perhaps you will take a bird watching tour, boat tour or visit the incredible Moody Gardens. This evening attend the Opening Ceremony at the International Quilt Festival. Residence Inn Downtown or similar Meals: Breakfast

Today is yours to attend the International Quilt Festival with entrance included. Participate in any Festival classes and workshops / and or the various speakers if you choose. Lots of world class teachers, with some of them giving lunchtime or evening lectures. Refer to your festival brochure for all details. Residence Inn Downtown or similar Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast. End of services. Meals: Breakfast