 |
 |
 |
Monday June 4, 2018
Longwood Gardens and the Festival of Fountains
COST: $95.00
Join us for a trip to America’s premiere public botanical garden. The Longwood Gardens of today bears little resemblance to the farm that Pierre duPont purchased in 1906. Driven by duPont’s interest and drive to preserve an existing arboretum on the farm, he expanded the property and facilities to make it one of the premier gardens of its kind in the world. With a yearly budget of nearly $50 million, and a staff of 1,300 employees, students, and volunteers, Longwood is continuously evolving to inspire people through excellence in garden design, horticulture, education, and the arts in anticipation of the demands and tastes of the next century.
Today, the 1,077- acre Longwood Gardens consists of a variety of outdoor gardens, ranging from formal to naturalistic in their landscape design, and 20 indoor gardens within a 4.5 acre (1.8 hectares) section of heated greenhouses. Longwood’s Conservatory contains 4,600 different types of plants and trees, as well as spectacular water lighted fountains that adorn the property. The Gardens also has extensive educational programs including a tuition-free two-year school of professional horticulture, a graduate program, and extensive internships. It hosts hundreds of horticultural and performing arts events each year, from flower shows, gardening demonstrations, courses, and children’s programs to concerts, organ and carillon recitals, musical theatre, fountain shows, and fireworks displays. It also hosts an extensive Christmas light display during the holiday season.
The Festival of Fountains features the main fountain display that recently reopened after a $90 million dollar renovation. Shows will run at 11am, and 1pm, and the Italian water garden fountains will run at 10am, 12pm, and 2pm.
Notes: This trip requires a great deal of walking. The gardens cover 1 1/2 miles. Scooter rentals are available for those in need. Please contact Sandy Schenck (rockman@udel.edu) prior to May 1 if you need this type of assistance.
We will arrive at 9:30 for a small group tour highlighting the history of Longwood Gardens and the vision of Pierre duPont who started with buying a farm. The schedule is below:
7:00am Bus leaves the Atlantic Sands Hotel
8:30am Smyrna Rest Stop for bathroom break
9:30am Arrive Longwood Gardens and check in
10:00am Guided Tour for group with history of Longwood and Pierre DuPont
11:00am Main Fountain Display Festival of Fountains show, Conservatory Terrace
11:20am Main Conservatory
12:30pm Lunch
1:30pm Stroll gardens, gift shop
2:00pm Italian Water Garden Fountains Show
3:00pm Load Bus
4:30pm Smyrna Rest Stop for bathroom break
5:30pm Arrive Atlantic Sands Hotel
A minimum of 15 participants is needed for this trip to run, with a maximum of 20 participants. The cost will be $95, which covers ticket entry, fountain show, and bus service. Lunch on your own at the Longwood restaurant, with optional outdoor seating. Come experience the beauty of Longwood Gardens.
Visiting Tips:
It is best to wear comfortable shoes, and leave ample time to take in the gardens. Longwood Gardens is a rain or shine, indoor and outdoor experience. Walking is required. No shuttle service inside the Gardens is available. Scooters, wheelchairs, and strollers are available for rent on a first-come, first-serve basis, weather conditions permitting. Please note that the fountain schedule is subject to change or cancellation due to severe weather or special events. During your visit you may be filmed, or photographed for promotional purposes only. Your attendance serves as your permission for the use of your image by the Gardens and its constituents.
Our Gardens are smoke free.
Wednesday June 6, 2018
TAX FREE Shopping at Rehoboth Beach’s Tanger Outlets
COST: Free
This trip requires a great deal of walking, please plan accordingly.
Lunch is on your own at either location. Early lunch options at Tanger Outlets Surfside are just a short walk away at Grandpa Mac for fast, casual pasta and paninis or the Pickled Pig Pub, a gastropub with a wide selection of local brews. Both are located in the shopping center southeast of the outlets behind Kate Spade and open at 11:00, so plan accordingly!
At noon, we’ll board the vans and travel two miles south to Tanger Outlets Seaside. Factory and outlets stores include J. Crew, Gap, New York and Company, The Children’s Place, Merrell, and Yankee Candle. Later lunch options at Seaside are Chipotle Mexican Grill for quick burritos and tacos and Applebee’s for burgers, sandwiches, and salads. At 2:45 we’ll load up the vans and arrive back at the hotel around 3:00 with plenty of time to rest up from your day of shopping before the banquet.
This trip is free. 10-passenger vans will be used to shuttle guests from the hotel to the outlets and back.
