![]() NEA member travel benefits: Reserve airline tickets through the NEA Travel Program to Baltimore Washington International (BWI) or Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which is about an hour’s drive away. (Admission is free, but a $5 per person donation is encouraged.) Watch for an early peek at spring flower displays or join a Sunday educational session if you can. Tour the Tropical House, the Mediterranean House, the Desert House, the Palm House, and the Orchid Room-which has more than 30,000 species on display-to get your fill of lush foliage and flowers. The best part about visiting is that some plant or other is always in bloom, making it worth repeat visits. That’s exactly what you get at Rawlings Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, majestic home to a dazzling array of plants, and the second-oldest glass conservatory in America. Imagine a conservatory that lets you move from a balmy Mediterranean climate to an arid desert and then on to the warm tropics. Rawlings Conservatory & Botanical Gardens in Baltimore, Maryland Plan your itinerary: Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden | Catch Des Moines | Travel Iowa 3. If you’re up for a splurge of an average of $167 a night, try the Surety Hotel, which is a chic boutique hotel in a historic building. For example, Hyatt Place Des Moines Downtown is an average of $119 a night, or for an average of $66 a night you can book a room at Baymont by Wyndham Des Moines North. Then find the perfect hotel at the perfect price on NEA Travel’s Hotels page. NEA member travel benefits: For great airfare deals, visit NEA Travel: Airfare and search for tickets to Des Moines International Airport (DSM). (Admission: $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and military personnel, $7 for children ages 4–17 and free for children 3 and under.) Guests also can enjoy various sculptures and have a tasty bite at the Trellis Cafe. Meanwhile, the 7 acres of outdoor gardens feature everything from daffodils to bluebells to irises in spring. ![]() Tucked in here is also an incredible desert garden, which showcases yucca, jade plants and more. The dizzying array of tropical plants at Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden includes the starfruit tree, traveler’s palm and chenille plant, among other fascinating varieties. The stunning geodesic-domed conservatory at this Des Moines gem is an invitation to a tropical paradise. ![]() Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden in Iowa Plan your itinerary: Longwood Gardens| Visit Philadelphia | Philadelphia Global Convention & Visitors’ Bureau 2. Visit NEA Travel: Hotels to find deals like an average of $109 per night at Fairfield Inn By Marriott Kennett Square Brandywine Valley, $117 per night at Hilton Garden Inn Kennett Square and just $46 per night at Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham West Chester. NEA member travel benefits: Book a flight through the NEA Travel Program to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to get the best prices, and then drive about 35 minutes to Kennett Square. (Admission starts at $25 for adults, $22 for seniors 62+ and college students with a valid ID, $13 for children ages 5–18 and free for children 4 and under.) And if it’s warm enough, gardens like the Topiary Garden, Wisteria Garden and Peony Garden will surely beckon. As schedules vary, be sure to call or check the events section of the website in advance of your visit. As an extra bonus, you just might be able to catch Longwood’s popular orchid and spring bloom events. While many people visit for the spectacular winter holiday displays, Longwood Gardens’ jaw-dropping conservatory is a half-acre under glass with almost every kind of greenery imaginable, tropical and otherwise. One of the world’s greatest gardens is tucked into the Philadelphia countryside and is inviting all year-round. Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania Many of these have low admission fees, but consider joining as an annual membership to the garden if you are local to a garden for greater discounts and access to special perks not offered to the general public. Or, start planning an outdoor visit for when the weather gets warmer over the next few months. Bursting with foliage and flowers, a leisurely trip to the garden is the perfect way to shake off winter. You can get an early taste of spring by visiting an indoor conservatory or greenhouse or a botanic garden in a destination with warmer climes. The tail end of winter can feel like a moving goalpost: You can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you’re not there yet.
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