Garden Trips
Now that I’ve moved one more step closer to full retirement, I’m drastically cutting back on the garden trips I’ve been doing with Lowee’s Group Tours for the past 15 years or so.
Other than annual trips to the Philadelphia Flower Show, I’m retiring from the travel business. However, my wife, Sue, who has gone on most trips over the years, is planning to pick up some of the slack with a few trips of her own. If you’d like to get on her list for upcoming trip details, email her at sueweigel@gmail.com.
Call Lowee’s at 717-657-9658 for details or to sign up for any of the below, already-scheduled trips. You can now book trips directly online at Lowee’s website. All of the trips are open to the public.
2025 Trips with Sue
Gardens of the Pacific Northwest
Fri., June 27-Tue., July 8, 2025
My wife, Sue, organized and will be leading this 12-day fly/drive tour of great gardens and more in the Pacific Northwest from June 27 through July 8, 2025, including visits to Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. The day-by-day intinerary:
Butchart Gardens’ flagship Quarry Garden.
Day 1, Fri., July 27: Fly to Portland, Ore., for the beginning of a four-night stay and enjoy a welcome dinner in the “City of Roses.”
Day 2, Sat., June 28: Start the morning with a visit to the 10,000 roses in Portland’s famed International Rose Test Garden, then tour the 5½-acre Portland Japanese Garden with its great view of the mountains. Then you’ll have time to browse Portland’s Historic Old Town and its Saturday Market, followed by a visit to one of the nation’s top Chinese gardens, the Lan Su Chinese Garden. The day is capped with a river cruise.
Day 3, Sun. June 29: Today is scenery day in the Cascade Mountains, highlighted by the Columbia River and the 611-foot-tall Multnomah Falls in addition to the stunning mountain vistas. The day also includes a visit to a lavender farm and a wine-tasting at a local vineyard.
Day 4, Mon., June 30: The day starts with a tour of the huge Iseli Nursery, a wholesale grower specializing in conifers and Japanese maples. Then it’s off for a tour of the 80-acre Oregon Garden, followed by a stop at one of the nation’s leading perennial growers, Terra Nova Nursery.
Day 5, Tue., July 1: It’s off to Seattle today with a stop in Olympia, Wash., along the way, where you’ll learn more about the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Then cross the Puget Sound via the Washington State Ferry and see the Seattle skyline from the water.
Day 6, Wed., July 2: Explore Seattle’s waterfront and Pioneer Square with a local guide, then head to the Pike Place Market. Next up is a tour of Chihuly Garden and Glass with its lush garden backdrop, followed by a visit to Seattle’s Space Needle and then free time for dinner.
Day 7, Thur., July 3: Two amazing private gardens are on the agenda this day: a private tour of Windcliff Nursery, Dan Hinkley’s gardens and plant place overlooking Puget Sound, and Heronswood Garden, a 15-acre garden featuring unusual plant varieties from around the world. The balance of the day is free time to explore Seattle.
Day 8, Fri., July 4: Head to the coastal town of Port Angeles and enjoy lunch, then go on a bus drive through Olympic National Park to enjoy views of the Olympic Mountains. Finish the day with a ferry to Victoria.
Day 9, Sat., July 5: Start the day with a city tour of Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, then head out to Brentwood Bay for a tour of the world-class Butchart Gardens. End the day with a tour of Abkhazi Gardens, known as “the garden that love built.”
Day 10, Sun., July 6: Head to Vancouver by ferry and visit Sun Yat-Sen Gardens, the first Chinese garden built outside Asia. Then tour the 988-acre Stanley Park with its large rose collection, colorful arbors, and flower beds.
Day 11, Mon., July 7: Visit VanDusen Botanical Gardens and its 12,000 trees in the morning, then tour Queen Elizabeth Gardens and the Bloedel Conservatory, the horticultural gem at Vancouver’s highest point. A farewell dinner caps the day and the trip.
Day 12, Tue., July 8: Fly back east.
The trip cost is $7,999 per person double, which includes round-trip airfare, 11 nights of lodging, 16 meals, on-tour transportation, and all admissions. (FYI: This is a Sue trip, and George isn’t planning on going.)
More information and sign-ups are available by calling Lowee’s Group Tours at 717-657-9658 or toll-free 1-888-345-6933 or by emailing CKelly@Lowees.com. Or you can book directly online at Lowee’s website.
Georgia Adventures in Green
Sat., Sept. 20-Sat., Sept. 27, 2025
My wife, Sue, will be leading this eight-day/seven-night tour of great gardens in Georgia Sept. 20-27, 2025, including visits to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Gibbs Garden, Callaway Gardens, and the huge Georgia Aquarium. Here’s the itinerary:
The “Earth Goddess” at the Atlantic Botanical Gardens. (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 1, Sat., Sept. 20: Stop on the way to Georgia in Charlottesville, Va., for a tour of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and stay overnight in Charlotte, N.C.
Day 2, Sun., Sept. 21: Visit the Bavarian German Village in Helen, Ga., and tour Hardman Farms, a historic site known for its 19th-century Italianate mansion and Sautee Nacoochee Indian Mound House. Finish the day with a tour of the Red Oak Lavender Farm and diner.
Day 3, Mon., Sept. 22: Tour the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens with its 300 acres of collections, trial gardens, and theme gardens in the morning. After lunch, take the Covington Movie Tour Trolley Tour in Social Circle, Ga., and explore where more than 40 movies and shows were filmed, including Dukes of Hazzard, Vampire Diaries and more. Stay overnight in Atlanta tonight and tomorrow.
Day 4, Tue., Sept. 23: Tour the Georgia Aquarium, the biggest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere. Have lunch at The Varsity – the world’s largest drive-in restaurant and an Atlanta institution – and then tour the Atlanta Botanical Gardens in the afternoon. Dinner at Pappadeaux’s Seafood Kitchen.
Day 5, Wed., Sept. 24: Take a guided tour of Atlanta, featuring Centennial Olympic Park, MLK National Park, Sweet Auburn Street, and more. Then head to Senoia, Ga., for a tour of this charming town with its picturesque streets and film history. Finish the day with a tour of the Hills and Dales Estate and Gardens in LaGrange, Ga.
Day 6, Thur., Sept. 25: Spend the morning touring the 2,500-acre Callaway Gardens with its woodlands, plant collections, and themed gardens. After lunch at the Bullock House, tour Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Little White House’ in Warm Springs.
Day 7, Fri., Sept. 26: Tour Alo Farms, which specializes in hydroponics and vertical farming. In the afternoon, tour the Gibbs Garden, one of the largest residential gardens in the U.S. with 16 different garden areas. Then head to Chattanooga for a Southern-comfort-food dinner stop at Nic and Norman’s, owned by stars of the TV show The Walking Dead.
Day 8, Sat., Sept. 27: Head home from Tennessee with a stop at the Natural Bridge in Virginia.
The cost is $2,739 per person double, which includes seven nights lodging, 16 meals (including gratuities), transportation, and all admissions and guided-tour fees.
More information and sign-ups are available by calling Lowee’s Group Tours at 717-657-9658 or toll-free 1-888-345-6933 or by emailing CKelly@Lowees.com. Or you can book directly online at Lowee’s website.
2026 Trips With George
2026 Philadelphia Flower Show Day Trips
Mon., March 2, and Tue., March 3, 2026
This is America’s biggest and longest running flower show (197 years and counting), and it’s taking place over 10 acres inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch streets, Philadelphia.
This display featuring topiary animals was a favorite at the 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show.
The 2026 theme hasn’t been announced yet, but the show always offers cutting-edge displays and tens of thousands of cut and live flowers.
The show also features a huge gardening marketplace, the world’s biggest judged amateur plant-growing competition, and dozens of educational displays.
We get there around noon (avoiding the early lines), drop you off at the front door, and stay until 6 p.m. after the crowds have begun thinning out (usually). These two trips have pickups from both the West Shore (Sam’s Club parking lot in Silver Spring Twp. at 6520 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg) and the East Shore (the At Home store parking lot at 5070 Jonestown Road, next to Best Buy).
The cost is $109, which includes your show ticket and show-seeing tips and prizes by George on the way to Philly.
More information and sign-ups are available by calling Lowee’s Group Tours at 717-657-9658 or by emailing CKelly@Lowees.com. Or book directly online at Lowee’s website.
Philadelphia Flower Show Day Trip from the East Shore and Mt. Joy
Wed., March 4, 2026
We’re heading back to the 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show on Wed., March 4, except this time we’re picking up at the At Home store parking lot on the East Shore and Clearview Lanes, the bowling alley at 1990 W. Main St., Mt. Joy, Lancaster County.
We’re scheduled to arrive at noon and leave at 6 p.m.
The cost is $109, which includes your show ticket and show-seeing tips and prizes by George on the way to Philly.
More information and sign-ups are available by calling Lowee’s Group Tours at 717-657-9658 or by emailing CKelly@Lowees.com. Or book directly online at Lowee’s website.
Philadelphia Flower Show Day Trip from Boiling Springs and the West Shore
Thur., March 5, 2026
We’re heading to the 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show one last time on Thur., March 5, this time picking up at the South Middleton Twp. building, 520 Park Drive, Boiling Springs, and at Sam’s Club in Silver Spring Twp. (6520 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg).
We’re scheduled to arrive at noon and leave at 6 p.m.
The cost is $109, which includes your show ticket and show-seeing tips and prizes by George on the way to Philly.
More information and sign-ups are available by calling Lowee’s Group Tours at 717-657-9658 or by emailing CKelly@Lowees.com. Or book directly online at Lowee’s website.
2026 Trips With Sue
Maine’s Coastal Gardens
Sun., July 5-Fri., July 10, 2026
My wife, Sue, will be leading a six-day/five-night tour of several great gardens in Maine and Massachusetts, plus visits to three of the mansions in Newport, Rhode Island, from July 5 through 10, 2026. Here’s the itinerary:
The Five Senses Garden at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.
Day 1, Sun., July 5: Drive to Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and visit the Green Animals Topiary Garden, home to more than 80 topiary animals and figures. Stay overnight in Warwick, R.I.
Day 2, Mon., July 6: After breakfast at the hotel, spend the day touring three of Newport’s biggest and best “summer cottages:” 1.) Rosecliff, modeled after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles; 2.) The Breakers, the grandest of Newport’s mansions and once the Gilded Age home of the Vanderbilts, and 3.) The Elms, known for its formal gardens, paintings, and tapestries. Dinner is included.
Day 3, Tue., July 7: Head up the Atlantic coast for a visit to the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden, one of the country’s top public gardens featuring 300 acres of gardens and coastal woods. Then head toward Bar Harbor, Maine. Dinner is included.
Day 4, Wed., July 8: Start the day with a three-hour Puffins and Lighthouse Cruise at Bar Harbor, Frenchman’s Bay, and the Gulf of Maine. Then spend the rest of the day on your own enjoying the shopping, restaurants, and scenery in the town of Bar Harbor. Overnight in nearby Ellsworth.
Day 5, Thur., July 9: Head to Kennebunk, Maine, and visit the Wallingford Farm Garden Center. After lunch at Duffy’s Tavern, head to Stockbridge, Mass., for an overnight stay.
Day 6, Fri., July 10: Tour the Berkshire Botanical Gardens, a public garden covering 24 acres with dozens of theme gardens and displays in Stockbridge. Then drive back to the Harrisburg area for an approximate return time of 6 p.m. (6:30 to the Mechanicsburg stop).
The cost is $1,609 per person double, which includes five nights lodging, nine meals (including gratuities), transportation, the cruise, and all admissions to gardens and the mansions.
Pickups are at both Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg.
More information and sign-ups are available by calling Lowee’s Group Tours at 717-657-9658 or by emailing CKelly@Lowees.com. Or you can book directly online at Lowee’s website.