New on the AQT

New on the AQT...

Have you browsed our website lately???

We are trying harder than ever to keep everything updated, so please take a look around and plan your trip today! If you find your square on our site and it needs updating, PLEASE let us know ASAP! We want to represent our sites and partners accurately and positively. Your squares on barns, businesses, historic sites, art galleries and more are what make our trail GREAT! Don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions, would like suggestions or need anything at all before taking your trip along the trail!

There is still some summer left... Happy traveling!

______________________________________________________________

Visitor Guide Participation

 

We want to represent as MANY local businesses and organizations as possible in our guide (whether you host a square or not), so if you are interested in supporting the trail and giving your business a presence in the guide, there is ad space still available! Your contribution will go directly to printing and distributing the guide, which will be available at welcome centers, chambers, visitor centers, stops along the trail, various additional interstate stops and local businesses. What a great opportunity! Please contact our offices immediately to be a part of our guide! 1.888.775.4AQT or locally at 865.828.4586.

_______________________________________________________________

Welcome to the new and improved VacationAQT.com!

If you are familiar with our site, you are probably wondering what has changed...Though the site itself has the same "look," we have updated many aspects of content, organization and user-friendliness! Feel free to browse through the tabs and pages and see for yourself! Many of the pages have a better explanation about how certain functions are useful than before, and we hope the trail itslef is a little bit easier to explore via our online database!

A few highlights about our new site:

Visitors can explore and search the trail by Pattern, Name (e.g. Farmer's Co-op or Trail's End Antiques), Interest, County and Region. Note that the maps on the "Trail by..." pages only show the current page's stops. This means you are not confused by 100 tiny dots on the map and can easily see the square you are looking for.

Our new site goes a step further than exploration--quilt square hosts can now access and edit their own pages! This means adding photos, making content changes, and submitting events or news to vacationAQT.com. Upon approval as a user, you can "claim" your stop or waypoint. We will then verify that it is your site, and then you will be able to manage your content. In addition to hosts, other community members or groups can create user names in order to submit events, news and stories directly to the site! All articles will go through AQT webmasters of course, but we are very excited about this capability to more directly involve our fans and partners in the site's content.

Options to "Join Us" have also changed and are explained under the "Join Us" tab. Here you will find opportunities to sponsor the trail, join the fan club and become a square host.

Indivuals interested in receiving news and updates about the trail should "Like" us on Facebook or join our Fan Club mailing list. We have updated the form for the fan club in order to start an email distribution and to find out a little more about our fans, their interests, etc. to know what type of events and programs to offer.

We hope you enjoy exploring our new site as much as you enjoy exploring the trail itself! As always, call the office with questions or submit inquiries online via the Contact Us page. Have fun!

 

________________________________________________________________

The AQT on Voice America Internet Radio!

AQT was featured on Appalachian Knowledge Economy, a program of Voice America Business online radio. The program explores community development and civic engagement throughout Appalachia, including endeavors of sustainability, technological advancement and much more. Host Joan Minor interviewed Lindy Turner, one of the most involved parties in the start of the Appalachian Quilt Trail in Tennessee and former coordinator for the Clinch-Powell RC&D Council, the not-for-profit organization that started and manages the trail. Joan spoke with Lindy about initial start up of the trail and what its function is within the region today.

Click here to listen to Lindy's clip!

 

________________________________________________________________

About AQT

The AQT is a celebration of all things local!  Communities everywhere are falling in love with quilts and barns and the idea that the small act of hanging a wooden quilt square on one building has grown into an international movement.  The AQT is a collaboration among several groups and trails to connect local trails so your excursion will be easier and more rewarding.  Simply put, we want you to be able to find all the wonderful works of art and discover all the hidden ... and not so hidden .... treasures along the way.  

Wondering what there is to do on the AQT? Here is just a sample! Find beautiful handmade items from local artists at AQT shops and galleries. Shop for one of a kind antiques and handmade craft items. Pick up locally grown fruits, vegetables, herbs and sauces at farm markets. Shop hop for the best fabrics and items from your favorite quilt shop along the trail. Keep up with activities and events in towns and communities along the trail. Shop til you drop along the AQT.

The AQT is a chance to experience the beauty of Tennessee and Appalachia in a new and unique way. Follow the colorful hand painted wooden quilt blocks that dot the landscape to find unique and authentic Appalachian experiences. You will find beauty and tranquility along historic byways. Take a hike on the Appalachian Trail, ride the rapids, stop in our shops and artist studios, shop our fresh farmers markets, cycle our scenic backroads, fish world-famous streams, birdwatch, or explore one of the largest underground caves in the country... Whatever your interests, there are an endless amount of things to do, places to stay, and events along the trail. Quilters and quilt lovers, there's something here for everyone in the family!    Explore the Quilt Trail to find barn quilts but also, all manner of other attractions along the trail, marked by painted wooden AQT Heritage Quilt Squares.

Be sure to stop and visit AQT regional headquarters in Rutledge, Jonesborough, Knoxville, Athens, Cookeville and Clarksville, Tennessee, to get all the latest information for that region.  Mark your calendars, plan your vacation, your getaway or your leisurely afternoon of quilt trail fun. The Appalachian Quilt Trail is a great excuse to take the scenic route. Check the events calendar for dates and information of events all along the AQT