Cll2008: Yes, yes yes. It is well worth a 2.5 hour drive to see in person the options available to you. DH and I live 4 hours from the closest Expo (it's in another state!) and if we were considering appliances, countertops, fixtures, etc. that were only in the Expo showroom we most definitely would have driven there to see-touch-smell-hear everything.

Good luck,
try_hard

Yes, the first one I went to was three hours away. I took a day off from work on the day the one near us opened! Also we had our master bath redone by them. It was pricey but came out very nice.

The Expo stores are fun and a great idea. However, they tend to be VERY overpriced. Go there for ideas, shop elsewhere. (For example, we got our kitchen sink for half what Expo wanted to charge us.

I agree. The closest one to me is 2 hours away, and I made two trips there during my renovation planning. They have a lot of installed kitchens on display, which really helped me see what I did and didn't want. And I got to see appliances that I hadn't encountered anywhere else. I felt very comfortable taking my time and exploring things in the store without any sales pressure. And nope, didn't buy anything from them.

Thanks everyone! It only took a couple of post with a yes and we were on our way. I am so happy we went. DH and I felt the same way as you all said; great place to look and get ideas but most likely we will find things cheaper elsewhere. The tile department was absolutely amazing. I can't wait to start my bathroom.

I was able to see an entire kitchen in the cabinets I had already chosen and that was so exciting. I loved them even more then I had thought. The one part that really overwhelmed us was all the choices for a backsplash. WOW, I have no idea how we will make that choice.

Thanks again for the advice, I am glad we went,
Crystal