Chicagoland Orchid Festival Thread

[Ross]

I'm just getting ready to pack for our trip down to Mpls/St Paul tomorrow, where Julie and I will meet with 40 other orchid crazies to ride a bus to Chicago for the orchid festival. We stay tomorrow night at a hotel, then get on the bus at 7:00 AM and head for Chicago.

I am going to try to chronicle our trip in this forum, taking pictures at each stop, and posting as we travel on the bus. I will try to take pictures not only of plants, but of the people we meet along the way, including, hopefully some Slippertalk members. If anyone has any special photo requests as we move along, feel free to post suggestions. I will try to keep tabs on posts through the day. This whole idea assumes that the bus has WiFi (it did last year) and my battery holds out while traveling. At the very least I will post when at the hotel.

For anyone interested in meeting, here is our itinerary in case you want to meet us, or keep one step ahead :evil::

ORCHID SOCIETY OF MINNESOTA
2009 CHICAGOLAND ORCHID FESTIVAL BUS TRIP
September 25, 26, 27, 2009

Approximate itinerary:

Friday, Sept. 25: 7:15 a.m. departure from the Country Inn, Woodbury.
- Lunch in the Waunakee area, Wisconsin;
- Bonus stop: Orchid Garden Centre, Madison, Wisconsin. (Formerly Orchids by the Ackers)
- Visit Windsong Orchids in the late afternoon. Pick up your prize drawing form here.
- Arrive at Quality Inn, Schaumburg, Il, around 6:00 p.m.
- Dinner on your own.

Saturday, Sept. 26:
- 8:30 a.m. departure from Quality Inn.
- 9:30 a.m Arrrive at Natt's Orchids.
- Lunch at Natt's Orchids.
- 12:15 Noon: board buses for trip to Oak Hill Gardens;
Option to attend lectures while at Oak Hill Gardens:
- 6:00 p.m. Return to the Quality Inn.
- Dinner on your own.

Sunday, Sept. 27:
- Depart from the Quality Inn at approx. 9:15 a.m
- Visit Orchids by Hausermann and Fox Valley Orchids.
- Remember to turn in your prize drawing entry form at Orchids by Hausermann, our last orchid stop.
- Approx. noon: depart for Minnesota with a late lunch/early dinner stop in transit.
-Arrive back at Country Inn by 8:00 p.m.

Please feel free to comment at any time. Also, anyone attending should feel free to add their own pics and comments.

 

[rdhed]

I think this will be a fun thread to follow. It will only make those of us unable to attend this year very envious. When I see all those plants for sale I start getting very :drool:anxious:drool:.

--Allen--

 

[Ross]

It will be a challenge for me to concentrate on the thread with so many plants to look at.

 

[JeanLux]

....

I am going to try to chronicle our trip in this forum, taking pictures at each stop, and posting as we travel on the bus. I will try to take pictures not only of plants, but of the people we meet along the way, including, hopefully some Slippertalk members.
....

Excellent initiative Ross:clap::clap::clap: Jean

have a nice and save trip!!!

 

[tomkalina]

Looking forward to your visit, Ross. Take care......

 

[cnycharles]

too bad more st members don't live near central ny for our cnyos show next weekend oct 4-5, would be fun! have fun everyone at the chicago event

 

[Ross]

Julie and I just completed the 120 mile drive to St. Paul and checked into the hotel where the bus will pick us up tomorrow morning. On the way we stopped at Skip and Lynn Saeger's house for dinner. While they are not going on the trip, both are avid orchid growers.

Here's Skip in front of some of his blooming orchids.

Paph spicerianum

Phrag Sedenii?

Anguloa virginalis

More tomorrow.

 

[goldenrose]

:drool::drool::drool::drool::drool:THE WHITE PHRAG !!!!!!

 

[Renegayde]

I was thinking the same thing.....what is that white phrag????

Todd

 

[NYEric]

LaVivace Epicure?

 

[SlipperFan]

LaVivace Epicure?

That one's not white.

Robert said he was going to breed for a long-petaled white Phrag. Maybe this is it???

 

[Ross]

The Phrag is a pale green and cream color. The lighting is just washing it out.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to post during the day because the WiFi is not working on the bus. I'll post some pics from today's trip in a few moments

 

[Ross]

We started out early in the morning while it was still fairly dark. Below is Linda, our trip leader, who is a parole officer by trade.... Just type needed to control 42 orchid "crazies".:evil:

Here is our driver, Lenny at the mid morning stop. Lenny has been the driver for the annual OSM Chicago trip since before we started going on the trip in 2002.

One of the crazies getting off the bus at our bonus stop at the Orchid Garden Center, formerly Orchids by the Ackers, in Madison, Wisconsin. The "crazie" in the photo is my wife, Julie.

There to greet us was Chuck Ackers

 

[Ross]

Here's a couple of shots of plants at the OGC

Finally, my haul
Top, from left to right: Oddly growing small complex, Bulbo dearei, Paph malipoense (in bud)
Bottom, from right to left: small complex Paph (in bud), Paph armeniacum (in bud), Paph fairrieanum (in bud)

 

[Ross]

Finally, we arrived at the first Chicagoland Orchid Festival sponsor, Windsong Orchids. My apologies, but I was so engrossed in searching out plants, that I forgot to get any action photos. Here is a picture of my haul from Windsong, though.

Top left: Phrag schlimii 'Afton' (in bud), Top right: Paph sukhakulii
Bottom left: Paph (Black Cherry x sukhakulii) Bottom right: Paph (Psyche x Black Cherry)

More tomorrow evening after trips to Natts and Oak Hill Gardens

 

[NYEric]

If your wife isn't a crazie, let her take the photos! I cant imagine how much [more] I'd have bought!

 

[JeanLux]

thanks for the cool pics!!! And great buys !!! A fairrie in BUD:sob: !!! Jean

 

[Ross]

thanks for the cool pics!!! And great buys !!! A fairrie in BUD:sob: !!! Jean

I wasn't going to buy a fairrieanum, but then I saw this one with wider than normal leaves, so a little voice in my head says, "Why not just one more?":evil:

 

[goldenrose]

........ so a little voice in my head says, "Why not just one more?":evil:

:rollhappy: that same voice was in my head when I arrived at Fox Valley Friday morning! I already have 2 Doll's Kobold but doesn't everyone need a 3? Well there were too many other choices & I ended up passing on it (knowing Ross will have more to choose from!). I ended up with gratrixianum in bud, platyphyllum & Peppermint (niveum 'Select' x adductum 'Black Top').

 

[biothanasis]

Great purchases!!!! hehe!!! I have sometimes ignored that voice!!!! (What's wrong with me??)