1455 Palmer Drive, Janesville, WI  (608) 752-3885

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Gardens of Iowa

Rotary Botanical Gardens invites you to join us for our annual bus trip to the finest gardens of the region. For 2009, we’ll cross the mighty Mississippi River and tour some of the great gardens in Iowa—you’ll quickly see they can grow more than corn in that state!

Our itinerary will bring us to several of the major botanical centers in eastern and central Iowa, including the Quad City Botanical Gardens (IL), Des Moines Botanical Center, Iowa State University’s Reiman Gardens, and the Cedar Valley Arboretum. Each garden offers a unique experience for you to enjoy.

Overnight accommodations will be at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Des Moines. The downtown area offers a variety of entertainment opportunities, especially along the Court Avenue area. Evenings will be free for you to explore on your own. But the Saturday morning down town farmer’s market is a not-to-miss event for the early birds. This multi-block market is walking-distance from our hotel; enjoy your morning coffee as you stroll through the vendors of this large market.

No bus trip is complete without shopping. The Flying Frog Farms and The Garden Barn in nearby Indianola offer a variety of plants and garden related items that can make lovely souvenirs of this trip.

The annual bus trip is a great opportunity to travel at a reduce cost, share an experience with family, meet new friends, and see some great gardens you may have never known about. We hope you can join us.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We have made every effort to keep the expenses associated with this trip at a minimal, but still offer you a fun and unique experience. We are strictly enforcing a 40 person minimum for this trip. Please register early and encourage others to do so, as well. The registration deadline will be June 15, 2009.

Download Registration Materials here. (PDF)

 

Itinerary

 

Friday

6:00am Depart Dutch Mill, sharp! (Madison)

7:00am Depart RBG, sharp!

9:45am Arrive at Quad City Botanical Center 

Visit the Quad City Botanical Gardens (Lunch and Chocolate Tour included)

1:00pm Leave for Des Moines

4:00pm Arrive at Mariott, Des Moines

Evening and dinner on your own

Des Moines Event Calendar

 

Saturday

7:00am Des Moines Downtown Farmer's Market  (on your own)

9:30am Leave for Des Moines Botanical Center 

10:00am Arrive at Des Moines Botanical Center

Visit Des Moines Botanical Center

11:30am Leave for Flying Frog Farms, Indianola (lunch on bus)

Visit Flying Frog Farms

2:30pm Leave for the Garden Barn, Indianola

Visit the Garden Barn  

4:00pm Return to hotel, Des Moines

Evening and dinner on your own

Des Moines Event Calendar 

 

Sunday

8:00am Leave for Reiman Gardens  , Ames

9:00am Arrive at Reiman Gardens

Visit Reiman Gardens

12:00pm Leave for Cedar Valley Arboretum, Waterloo (lunch on bus)

2:00pm Arrive Cedar Valley Arboretum

Visit Cedar Valley Arboretum

4:00pm Leave for Rotary Botanical Gardens, Janesville

7:00pm Arrive at Rotary Botanical Gardens

8:00pm Arrive Dutch Mill (Madison)

 

 

 

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