Discover Your Adventure: For the Gardeners

Travel Advisor: Susan Thompson
Personal Interest: Gardening
Destination: Gardens across Europe

A beautiful thing about travel is its potential to inspire us. International Travel Advisor Susan Thompson still cherishes her visits to the royal gardens of France, while on a Grand Tour of Europe at the age of 17.  “The images of the elaborate formal gardens of Versailles, Chateau de Chambord and Chenonceau Castle are still with me today,” she says.

They must have made quite an impression, because Susan has an exceptional eye for color and beauty in her surroundings, and she’s now an accomplished gardener in her own right.  Born and raised in Texas, Susan was spoiled by a longer growing season than what she has now at her home in Minnesota, but she makes the best of it, carefully cultivating tulip bulbs late into the fall, and surrounding her back yard with a bounty of summertime prairie blossoms and vegetables.

She translates that love for nature to her travels, embracing experiential adventures. “If I could design my own tour, I’d center it around gardens,” she says. “For example, I’d include the Chelsea Flower Show, put on by the Royal Horticultural Society in London each May. It’s a spectacular affair, showcasing exciting new plant varieties, and revivals of all the classics, like roses, geraniums, and peonies.”

“Then we can cross the channel and make our way to The Netherlands, where the world’s finest tulips grow in perfect climate and soil conditions.” she adds. “And over 20 million flowers from all over the world are sold at the flower auction in Aalsmeer.”

A beautiful thing about travel is the joy of reflection.  “Someday I’d like to find my way back to those gardens of my youth, this time with a mature perspective, gained from a lifetime of inspiration. “

For more information on authentic and inspiring travel experiences, contact Susan Thompson at sthompson@aaaminneapolis.com.