on the record ❖
On The Record Readers Offer Tips on Garden and Theater Tours FOLLOWING ARE ANSWERS from Leisure Group Travel readers who responded to the query: Tell us about your best garden or theater tours. What makes them special and what perks do you add in to make them different? There are many garden walks in Chicago and its suburbs. The most enjoyable for my group was initiated via The Garden Conservancy (www.gardenconservancy.org). When you contact them, you will pay a small fee for their catalog detailing garden walks throughout the U.S. After doing this, I selected the date and area we preferred. When you know how many you will have participating, you send a check for that number, and tickets will be issued. We visited two gardens in the morning and had lunch in a lovely restaurant located in close proximity of the two gardens we were visiting in the afternoon. One owner, located on a high hill above Lake Michigan, had a beautiful screened porch where he served us coffee/tea and cookies – absolutely beautiful! It is most interesting to learn how the owners became so interested in gardening and nature. Each garden was different with totally different atmospheres. One location had a mansion-like home with swimming pool, a lovely arbor, extensive patio, etc. The garden included the swimming pool in its layout of flowers, trees, bushes, etc. Awesome! I highly recommend garden walks – even the slow walkers have a good time. Esther M. Scott Assistant Vice President Hinsdale Bank & Trust Hinsdale, IL 62 April 2011
alissa Preston
MicHael lundquist
Some of the best gardens can be visited in the southeastern United States. At the Globus family of brands we have crafted several custom programs that visit these majestic gardens and famous estates. We start our 9-day “Gardens of the Old South” tour in Atlanta, with visits to Martin Luther King’s home and the Swan House, an elegant, classically styled mansion built in 1928. One visit to these lavish gardens will take your breath away. These gardens feature a pair of cloverleaf pools, cascading fountains, a terraced lawn and roses tumbling over a stone retaining wall. The Swan House garden is one of the most photographed sites in Atlanta. The next site visited is Biltmore Estate, near Asheville, N.C. If you love gardens, you will marvel at the 80 varieties of roses in the Rose Gardens, 50,000 tulip bulbs in the English Walled Garden, 1,000 poinsettias that decorate Biltmore House every Christmas and the most complete collection of wild azaleas in the United States. In Charleston, S.C., there are visits to Magnolia and Middleton Place plantations, where trails through the gardens will transport you to a forgotten era. The colorful azaleas, camellias,
Ginny Howell
roses, fragrant Carolina jasmines and wisteria mingle with the majestic oak trees. Spanish moss hangs from each tree to complete the magical Old South imagery. The tour ends in Savannah, where we enjoy the gardens in the city squares and famous private homes complete with their own gardens. A trip to the Southeast is a must for anybody who enjoys gardens and good times. Michael Lundquist National Group Sales Manager Globus family of brands Littleton, CO We have a fabulous new tour that combines the romance and ease of train travel on a deluxe “hotel on wheels” plus the exciting world of opera, ballet and choral music in Russia and Ukraine. Among the special touches: the artists will come on board to meet with the guests and demonstrate on board in addition to the performances. One special musical performance will be monks in a monastery singing. Eleanor Flagler Hardy President The Society of International Railway Travelers Louisville, KY LeisureGroupTravel.com