Trips and Tours

Glorious Gardens and Nurseries of Athens Tour
May 8 & 9
Information and Itinerary

Full Itinerary and Registration - Click Here

Join the South Carolina Garden Clubs, Inc., for a 2-day jaunt to Athens, Georgia, for an afternoon with Dr. Allan Armitage and tours of the UGA trial gardens, as well as Coach Vince Dooley=s garden.  After dinner with friends and an overnight stay at the Holiday Inn Athens, the group will visit the State Botanical Garden of Georgia and enjoy plant shopping at two outstanding nurseries.

The cost of the tour is $148 for double occupancy, or $208 for a single.  Cost includes bus transportation from Columbia, overnight stay and breakfast at the Holiday Inn, all garden entrance fees, Tuesday’s light lunch (on bus), and snacks and bottled water for both days of travel.

Make your tour reservation by sending the registration form and payment to Marian St.Clair, no later than April 20.  The tour is limited to 45 participants. 

Tuesday, May 8
9:45 sharp, bus leaves Columbia (location TBA)
12:00 light lunch on bus
1:30 arrive at University of Georgia Trial Gardens
1:30-5:30 afternoon with Dr. Allan Armitage, including tour of Dooley garden
6:00 arrive at Holiday Inn Athens
6:30 Gather in hotel lounge, dinner on your own, various restaurants within walking distance

Wednesday, May 9
8:00 sharp, bus leaves Holiday Inn
8:30 arrive at Goodness Grows
8:30-9:45 shop at Goodness Grows
9:45 bus leaves Goodness Grows
10:15 bus arrives at State Botanical Garden of Georgia
10:15-12:15 Tour garden and enjoy lunch on your own at the cafe
12:15 bus leaves State Botanical Garden of Georgia
1:00 bus arrives at Piccadilly Farm
1:00 tour Piccadilly Farm with Dr. Sam Jones 
2:00 shop nursery at Piccadilly Farm
3:00 depart for Columbia
6:30 arrive in Columbia

REGISTRATION
General Instructions:

  • Please type or print legibly.

  • Read the Terms and Conditions and the Payment and Refund Policy before signing.

  • Make checks payable to Marian St.Clair.  Detach the bottom section and mail it to Marian St.Clair, 357 Riverside Drive, Greenville, SC 29605, with your payment of $148 (double) or $208 (single). Keep a copy of all information for your records.

Detailed Instructions:

  • Dietary and Health Information.  It to know if special meals or assistance will be required.  The tour is paced for comfort, but a certain amount of walking is involved.  Participants should have sufficient stamina and mobility to keep pace with a group.

  • Emergency Contact.  Please provide contact information to reach this person at any time.

  • Rooming Requirements.  Non-smoking rooms are booked unless otherwise requested.  If you are sharing a room, please indicate with whom.  If you would like to share a room but do not have a roommate, I can try to match you but cannot guarantee this will be possible.  If no match is available, the single charge will apply. 

Terms and Conditions:

  • Space is limited and registrations are accepted strictly on a first come, first serve basis.

  • Registration and payment imply acceptance of the terms and conditions described herein.

  • Registration and payment release Marian St.Clair and any person employed or utilized by her from all claims resulting from events beyond their control, including, without limitation: natural disasters, war, strikes, incidents of politically-motivated violence, sickness or quarantine, government restrictions or regulations, and in the absence of gross negligence, those arising from the use of any vehicle or bus or car rental agency, taxi or tour service, hotel, restaurant, or other firm, agency, company or individual.

  • Registration and payment is certification that the applicant is mentally and physically capable of full participation in the tour.

  • The host reserves the right to substitute hotels and activities in response to changes in availability, provided they do not adversely affect the overall quality of the tour. 

  • The host also reserves the right, without penalty, to withdraw the tour, to decline to accept any person as a participant in the tour, and to require a person to withdraw from the tour at any time when such action is determined to be in the best interests of the health, safety or general welfare of the tour group or the individual.

Payment Schedule and Refund Policy: 

  • Payment must accompany the completed Registration Form.

  • If refunds are offered, they are subject to a $25 cancellation penalty. 

  • All cancellation requests should be made in writing, by mail or email, by April 20.

  • The following items and services are not included in the tour price: transportation to and from the participant’s home to the point of departure, meals not listed, tips to couriers and tour bus drivers, and items of a personal nature.