The show was great! Well-organized, well-run, well-attended--what more can you ask for? I came in late and had to leave early, and took all of zero pictures, but here were my high points:
-Meeting folks I'd only previously known online (though I missed others--ships in the night, or, more appropriately, ships in a delicious fog bank).
-Catching up with old friends and new; ran into chums from the Seattle Pipe Club as well as my new NC outfit.
-Meeting Russ Ouellette, Jeremy Reeves, and Per Jensen at their blending seminar. We got to listen to the masters talk about the various leaves and blending methods, then build our own blend using Sutliff tobaccos, and vacuum-sealed the results in tins.
-Taking the Sutliff factory tour. They cranked up the machines for the weekend so we could see how the sausage is made.
-And of course, checking out the vendors. Got to meet the minds behind Daughters and Ryan, Ken Byron Ventures (killer boutique blender), and tons of pipe slingers. I hesitated on a Northern Briars Pumpkin at the Pipe Tart's table, and when I went back for it it'd already sold--somebody else's PAD saved me from my own!
All that while getting to puff away and talk trash with my fellow reprobates--what could be better than that? Looking forward to next year already!