Sisters couple hosts Airstream quilters

Lindsay and Jane Simmons could be called hosts with the most — Airstream trailers, that is. During quilt show week, the Sisters couple had around 60 trailers and RVs parked in the field next to their house.

For five years, the Simmons’s have hosted an official Airstream rally during the quilt show. It started with an idea Lindsay had and has grown into a regular stop for many of their guests. Airstream enthusiasts enjoy getting together with each other, and combining the social aspect with the quilt show seemed a perfect fit. Each year a noted quilter is invited to address the visitors.

The Simmons’s enjoy showing their visitors the delights of Central Oregon. Tours this year included a visit to the Patterson Ranch and time spent in contemplation at the Episcopal and Catholic churches.

“You don’t usually see such beautiful churches in small towns,” said Lindsay.

The view of the Three Sisters from the sanctuary at Sisters Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration and the serenity of St. Winifred’s Garden at St. Edward the Martyr Catholic Church is no doubt welcome during the busy quilt show week.

The group also hiked in the McKenzie River area, and visited Beacham’s Clock Company, where Lindsay works. They saw the headwaters of the Metolius River and visited the High Desert Museum and the Redmond Air Center. The week culminated with the spectacle of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

Normally, the Simmons’s play host to about 25 Airstreams during quilt week. The increase this year occurred because of an international rally held in Salem the previous week. More than 1,000 Airstreams from every state, Canada and Mexico attended. Many of the attendees took advantage of Salem’s proximity to Sisters to fulfill a desire to attend the quilt show. Walking down the rows of trailers was akin to perusing the parking lot at a major tourist attraction — license plates from all across the nation represented Americans’ love of travel.

Phil and Ruth Becker from Bandera, Texas were two of several visitors from the Lone Star State. They travel about two months of every year, leaving their exotic game hunting ranch in the capable hands of their manager. They’ve been tooling around in an Airstream since 1977, and enjoy dry camping — making do without hookups. Ruth brings her hand quilting projects along in the trailer, and was looking forward to finally seeing Sisters’s Outdoor Quilt Show.