Austin residents might be used to driving to Rochester for some of their shopping. Many are even familiar with making a couple of trips to the Twin Cities each year, to visit the Mall of America around the holidays, or downtown specialty shops.

The roles reversed Thursday, when almost 100 women made their annual trek from those cities to Sterling Main Street in Austin.

“You can shop anywhere,” said Mary Beth Snyder. “But, this is an experience.”

Snyder, from the Twin Cities, was one of about 75 women who rode a motorcoach into Austin Thursday. A few more drove themselves into town.

The group spent several hours shopping in the store at 1305 First Ave. SW, before heading to El Mariachi on Main Street for appetizers.

The tradition began eight years ago when Susan Lundquist, daughter of Sterling’s founder Leonard Astrup, was living in Edina. She corralled her friends together, and they drove down to visit the drug store/gift shop. It became an annual affair.

A few years later, the network of long-distance-Sterling-shoppers grew so large and widespread, as Lundquist had moved to Rochester, that they needed to rent a bus for the voyage.

“The neatest part is to see the connections that are made,” Lundquist said. “On the bus, we go around and talk about how everyone heard about the trip, who they know,” she added.

“We try to make the day special for these women,” store manager Jessica Jenkins said, as she passed out re-usable trendy shopping bags to the ladies.

Inside the bags were exclusive coupons. Shoppers could also spin a multicolored wheel, where they could win anything from a free coffee and cookie to a $50 gift certificate.

There were also sample dips and more from the Robert Rothschild Farm line of foods.

Snyder, who is also a cousin of the Astrup family, brought her friend Lori Mulhern on the spree this year.

“I love it. The bus ride was even so much fun,” said Mulhern, of Rosemount, as she perused mustard-yellow dishes — and told Snyder about the great deal on them.

It was also Jan Jone’s first year. She lives in Grand Meadow, and her daughter Dianna Robinson of Rochester invited her along.

“I did go to Sterling last year on Black Friday, and I just fell in love with it,” Jones said.

Robinson said she was going to check out the kids gifts to see if she could find something for her step-son, niece and nephew.

She also had her eye on the women’s accessories. She said she picked up a great wallet on her first trip last year.

“This is just the kind of store where you will find some stuff that you’re not looking for, but you have just got to have,” she said.

The trip’s organizers estimated that the group spends $25,000 collectively during their one day in Austin. But, shoppers say that grabbing a great deal, or finding a perfect gift is not the true point of the voyage.

“It’s really about so much more,” Snyder said. “The fun part is the camaraderie between the women.”