McLean Traveler
Winter/Spring session registration will begin on Monday, Dec. 5, for McLean tax district residents and Monday, Dec. 12, for all others.
The Phillips Collection
2012 Philadelphia Flower Show
National Gallery of Art
Spring Gardens in Richmond
Memphis at the Kennedy Center
The Phillips Collection
Snapshot: Painters and Photography,
Bonnard to Vuillard
Thursday, Feb. 16
Sponsored by the McLean Project for the Arts. Known primarily as painters and printmakers, a group of post-impressionist artists experimented with photography for their private use, interpreting the new medium and producing surprising, inventive results.This exhibition debuts many previously unpublished photographs taken by painters including Pierre Bonnard, Felix Valloton and Edouard Vuillard with the handheld Kodak during the 1890s. Approximately 200 photographs, 40 paintings and 60 works on paper integrate the histories of painting and photography and explore the inspiration afforded by the new medium in such subjects as domestic interiors, city streets, nudes and portraiture. Limited to 22 participants.
The exhibition is co-organized by The Phillips Collection, the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. This tour will be led by a docent from The Phillips. There will be time to visit other exhibitions at The Phillips and to enjoy lunch in their café.
Activity No. 6002.312
$35 per person/$30 McLean district residents, which includes transportation, entrance to the museum and the tour. Arrive at MCC at 9 a.m. Bus will depart promptly at 9:15 a.m. Tour returns at approximately 2 p.m. Please make checks payable to MCC.
Image caption: George Hendrik Breitner, Girl in Red Kimono, Geesje Kwak, 1893–95, Oil on canvas, 24 x 19 ½ in., Noortman Master Paintings, Amsterdam, on behalf of private collection, Netherlands
2012 Philadelphia Flower Show
Monday, March 5
Come join us on a day trip to the spectacular Philadelphia International Flower Show. The theme this year is “Hawaii: Islands of Aloha,” which promises to transport us to an island paradise filled with exotic scents and a kaleidoscope of colors. We will enter through a giant wave of orchids and then be delighted by waterfalls, hula dancers, torch-twirlers and even a rumbling volcano. Lunch will be on your own. Sample the plentiful food of the vendors at the Convention Center or go across the street to the historic Reading Terminal Market, where the selections range from Philly Cheese Steaks to home-baked Amish goods.
As in years past, garden shoppers will be thrilled with the over 150 dealers selling anything from garden furniture to unique plants and flowers. Horticultural, artistic and culinary lectures and demonstrations by world-class experts are all free to show visitors. Do not miss this opportunity to visit the “Islands.” Comfortable walking shoes are advised.
Activity No. 7021.312
$132 per person/$127 McLean district residents, which includes deluxe motor coach transportation, tickets to the flower show, morning snack and a driver’s tip. Arrive at MCC at 6:45 a.m. Bus leaves promptly at 7 a.m. Tour returns at approximately 8 p.m. Please make checks payable to Excursionaire.
The 
National Gallery of Art
Colorful Realm of Living Beings
Scrolls from the Imperial Collection of Japan
Thursday, March 29
Sponsored by the McLean Project for the Arts. This exhibition is a historic collection of scrolls depicting birds and flowers on silk. Considered a cultural treasure in Japan, the paintings will be part of a larger exhibition devoted to the work of Jakuch. The scrolls are considered the greatest work of bird and flower painting in Japan’s history and are on loan from the Imperial Collection.
This is a self-guided exhibition. There will be time for you to have lunch on your own at one of the gallery’s restaurants. Admission to the National Gallery of Art and to all it exhibitions, tours and other public educational programs is free of charge. Any charge or request for contributions is totally unrelated to the National Gallery of Art. Limited to 22 participants.
Activity No. 6004.312
$30 per person/$25 McLean district residents, which includes transportation. Arrive at MCC at 9 a.m. Bus will depart promptly at 9:15 a.m. Tour returns at approximately 2 p.m. Please make checks payable to the MCC.
Image caption: Ito Jakuchu, Peonies and Butterflies, c. 1757 (Horeki 7), ink and color on silk, c. 1757–1766, The Museum of the Imperial Collections, The Imperial Household Agency
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Spring Gardens in Richmond
Tuesday, April 17
The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is one of the oldest garden properties in Virginia. Originally a Powhatan hunting ground, this land was once owned by Patrick Henry. Lewis Ginter purchased the land in 1884, and it remained in his family until 1968. Upon arrival we will be having a “Heart of the Garden” tour learning about the history of this beautiful garden and viewing all the daffodils, tulips and many other spring flowers. As an added treat, “Orchids Galore” is a spectacular exhibit in the Conservatory. Lunch will be very special since it will be a buffet served in the Atrium.
Agecroft Hall is next and has quite an unusual history. It was originally built in Lancashire, England in the late 15th Century. The Industrial Revolution came along and Agecroft fell into total disrepair and was sold at auction in 1925. Richmonder Thomas C. Williams, Jr. purchased the building, had it dismantled, crated and shipped across the Atlantic, and then carefully reassembled in Richmond, Virginia on the James River. Today, a guided tour of Agecroft Hall is a trip back in time to Tudor and Stuart England. This is a spring trip not to be missed if you love history and gardens. Register early, bring a friend and enjoy one of the most beautiful months in which to visit our state capital.
Activity No. 7022.312
$135 per person/$130 McLean district residents, which includes deluxe motor coach transportation, admission to Lewis Ginter and Agecroft Hall, buffet lunch, morning snack and a driver’s tip. Arrive at MCC at 7:45 a.m. Bus will depart promptly at 8 a.m. Tour will return at approximately 6:30 p.m. Please make checks payable to Excursionaire.
Memphis at the Kennedy Center
Sunday, June 24
Winner of four, 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Memphis is a hot Broadway musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, unforgettable songs and a scintillating story of fame and forbidden love. Memphis is the tale of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s that is a mix of gospel, rhythm & blues and dancing choreographed by Sergio Trujillo who brought Jersey Boys to Broadway.
We will have lunch before the performance at Sequoia Restaurant on the Georgetown waterfront. From Sequoia, you will enjoy a picturesque view of the Potomac River, the Watergate and of course, the Kennedy Center. Bring yourself, your family and friends to Memphis and enjoy an exuberant musical with non-stop dancing, catchy songs and talented performers that will leave you with magical memories.
Activity No. 7030. 112
$200 per person/$196 McLean district residents, which includes deluxe motor coach transportation, lunch at Sequoia Restaurant, orchestra seats at the Kennedy Center, and a driver’s tip. Arrive at 10:45 a.m. Bus departs promptly at 11 a.m. Tour returns at approximately 5 p.m. Please make checks payable to Excursionaire. Register by Thursday, May 24; after this date registrations will not be accepted.
Tour Guidelines
Please note: Most of our tours require a fair amount of walking. Participants should be fit and able to handle the activities included in the tour. Someone who can and will be totally responsible for providing all required assistance must accompany participants who require extraordinary care.
MCC retains the right to decline, to accept or retain any person as a member of a tour when such action is deemed to be in the best interest of the health, safety or general welfare of the group or the individual concerned.