California Barn Quilt Trail

What fun!

In Lake County, California, 28 buildings have decorated their sides with huge, COLORFUL, quilts.  Apparently this is happening all over the U.S. with about 28 states creating their own Barn Quilt Trail!  We set out early in the morning, traveling from Novato by Sonoma, through Napa and Calistoga and up into Lake County.  What a gorgeous ride, past zillions of vineyards and winding around and through mountain roads.

Our first stop was at a deli on the outskirts of Middletown, where we had a "snack."  Thank goodness for that snack, because we couldn't find anyplace to eat for the next four hours, not even a Subway. We had a map with sketchy addresses that we'd downloaded from the internet, and started our gaping and u-turning adventure in Middletown, where there was one quilt we just had to find.  It wasn't easy., but after traveling down and around a driveway that meandered through grapes and horses and trees (with a sign that said "No Trespassing/Tresspassers will be shot/Survivors will be shot again/We aim to please") , we followed a sign advertising eggs for sale.  And on the egg-lady's own somewhat hidden barn, we found our first quilt.

From there we headed up toward Lower Lake where we found another, then on to Kelseyville,, where there are about 20 clustered around town - but it's a largish area, so many miles were traveled.  Some were easily found from the road.  Some we had to look backwards or drive back and forth.  One was covered with a ladder - it was a ladder store, but it bugged us to cover such cool art. I think I felt they had a responsibility with this art that they'd chosen to share with the world and they'd shunned their duty with it.  However, the colors were spectacular, some of the barns and settings were truly wonderful, and we had a blast.We even found three that weren't yet on the map.

We were famished by the time we finished up in Kelseyville.  Wei headed north to Lakeport, where there were three more quilts and the town looked more populated on the map.  For sure!  A few restaurants, one where we found a super ... huge ... salad complete with beets, chick peas, and bay shrimp.  It was all I could to not to inhale like a vacuum cleaner!

We didn't have time to go all the way around Clear Lake, so we missed two of the quilts on the northeastern shore.  I'll have to satisfy myself with looking at Tulip Time and Grape Basket on their website, but we did find 22 of them!

For them, this was "an agricultural and tourism project designed to promote and celebrate our community pride."  There are lots and lots .... and lots ... of grapes growing in Lake County. Very agrarian.  There was a wonderful shop on Main Street in Kelseyville that delighted us - BirdBrain Designs, where the owners design redwork and felt work patterns and display them with lovely antiques and a wall full of red  and wool fabrics. A Subway franchise in Kelseyville would make a FORTUNE!

The ride across the mountains from Lakeport to Route 101 was absolutely spectacular.  I was glad I wasn't the one behind the wheel, because for once I could gape at the scenery without worrying about dropping thousands of feet to my demise.

Check out the Lake County Quilt Trail website.  It's so interesting, and it was a fabulous day....a great "adventure!"