I went to Philadelphia for a conference and wandered into an amazing flower show.
The purpose of my Amtrak trip to Philly was to speak at an AI conference, AAAI. I led a panel on the topic of responsible AI in education. I left DC at 6:00 am and was in Philadelphia by 7:20 am, then walked across town, had breakfast at a classic diner and was on time for the 8:30 am workshop.
At the convention center, I learned that the Philadelphia Flower Show was happening in the other half of the space. So I decided to skip lunch and go see it. All I can say is “Wow!”
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The flower show fully fills an enormous convention space. The first section focused on dramatic displays with many different kinds of cut flowers. These were fantastic. My favorite was a whimsical dinner party set behind the facade of a house. There was also a perfect backyard scene.
Then there were areas for competitions among orchids, cactus, and many other species. The show also had a space for photos and other flower art, for arts and crafts, and for vendor booths. Towards the end, I came across a fun theme of “cactus in a teacup.” It was an amazing experience. Highly recommended. Periodically, judges in yellow jackets walked the floor.
After my conference was over, I met niece Kayla for dinner near the University of Pennsylvania. And the on the Amtrak, back to DC by 9 pm.