After you check-in at the lovely Palm Key community, explore the grounds, and meet your fellow scholars at a little party before dinner.

Note: Check in, settle in, and meet the scholars sharing your cottage or lodge. Join us for a little "meet and greet" before supper. An orientation to the week's activities will follow dinner.

Afternoon: Arrive at Palm Key's community of cottages between 4:00-5:00 pm to check in and pick up program materials. Once you are settled into your room, meet the others who are sharing your cottage and enjoy a chat on the back porch. At 5:30 pm, meet and greet other participants before dinner at our gathering spot.

Dinner: You are probably hungry after traveling, so enjoy the first of our many sumptuous lowcountry dinners, served at 6:00 pm. The food here is often organic and always prepared on site, and our kitchen staff is happy to accommodate your dietary requirements. Join other scholars to compare notes about previous programs and follow up on earlier conversations. Don't miss the dessert table!

Evening: After supper, join us for a short orientation as the instructors share specific plans for the week and answer any questions you have about the program, facilities, and gear. Share your expectations and goals for the week. We'll make it an early night, as you're probably tired from traveling, and tomorrow is a big day!

Lodging: Palm Key community of cottages

Meals Included: Dinner

Overview about safety and equipment, paddle on saltwater, and interactive evening program.

Note: Scholars can dress for land activities in the morning and boating in the afternoon. For a while this morning, we'll spend some time discussing our paddling experiences, equipment, techniques, and safety. The day will continue with a paddle. After supper, enjoy an interactive evening program. Plans for any day may be affected by tides or the weather.

Breakfast: Breakfast served at 8:00 am. Fuel up on our sumptuous lowcountry breakfast--you'll have an active day! Dress for paddling, and don't forget to prepare your bag lunch from the delectable variety of options provided.

Morning: During a classroom-like session, kayakers review equipment, techniques, and safety. Even experienced kayakers may appreciate information about equipment to make their paddles more safe and convenient. Scholars will receive PFDs and discuss paddling and the types of kayaks we'll be using this week. Once we've loaded the trailer, off we go!

Lunch: Lunch is out and about today; we'll find a place to pull over if we can and enjoy those delicious sandwiches and treats we prepared earlier.

Afternoon: We continue to explore the pluff mud and spartina grasses along our waterway. Don’t forget to bring along a snack—your lunch calories might need reinforcement through the afternoon.

Dinner: Back on site and cleaned up, enjoy a glass of iced tea along with your leisurely lowcountry dinner, served at 6:00 pm. Will it be barbecued ribs with baked beans? Or black-eyed peas and collard greens? Always check out what's at the end of the buffet, so you can save room for what's to come.

Evening: After dinner, join us for our evening program. Priorities for our side trips and evening programs this week will be the lowcountry's natural world, boating activities, and locale.

Lodging: Palm Key community of cottages

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, we might do a little sightseeing before our paddle; once off the water, we return for a delicious supper and a fun evening program.

Note: Be prepared for an active day! Come to breakfast dressed for paddling. Ahead of us, we've more opportunities for kayaking--and sightseeing--in the beautiful South Carolina lowcountry. Bring money with you on our outing today, in case you find a souvenir you can't live without! Today's schedule is a likely one; because of tides and weather during your program, some changes may be necessary for the group's safety or convenience.

Breakfast: Start the morning out right with a delicious low country breakfast at 8:00 am. Is today the day you'll try grits? Or is oatmeal more your style? Choices abound, but be sure to fill your plate: you'll need energy for today's paddle! And don't forget, you'll want to pack your lunch before going back to your cottage to make your final preparations for the morning's paddle.

Morning: As we did yesterday afternoon, we will load up in the van--but this time, we'll be heading out after breakfast to explore a different waterway. (Each day, your instructors will try to show you a different aspect of the lowcountry--by salt water, brackish water, blackwater.) Today we are off to paddle a lovely blackwater river and see how its flora and fauna differ from those of a salt marsh. On our way, we may stop at a local spot where you'll enjoy the atmosphere as well as have the opportunity to purchase a souvenir of the lowcountry.

Lunch: Once again, we'll picnic while on our paddle. We can chat about our paddling and rest up a bit while munching on sandwiches, trail mix, and fruit.

Afternoon: More paddling--after all, this program offers MORE of a good thing: more paddling, more scenery, more wildlife and saltwater breezes. Be sure to stay hydrated--always keep your water bottle handy!

Dinner: At 6:00, we'll meet back for another lovely lowcountry meal. Swap stories about the day's adventures with your table-mates. Of course you’ll have a lovely green salad, but what else is on the menu?

Evening: This evening, join us our special program. The LifeTides Institute is known for its engaging presenters and interesting evening activities. We try to provide a sampling of programs to please every taste.

Lodging: Palm Key community of cottages

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A wonderful paddle awaits us today as we explore another local waterway. Your instructors are trying to work with the wind and tide to maximize your enjoyment.

Note: Be prepared for another workout today: more paddling and more loading boats on the trailer! But our muscles are getting stronger as we improve our paddling technique this week. The trick is abs, not arms! This day's schedule is a likely one; because of tides and weather during your program, some changes may be necessary for the group's safety or convenience.

Breakfast: As always, be sure to fuel up with a delicious lowcountry breakfast, beginning at 8:00 am. Whether you are trying grits for the first time or slathering jelly on enormous biscuits, you'll be happy you woke up in time for this meal. Don't forget to pack your bag lunch--and save out a snack for the morning!

Morning: The morning brings an opportunity for more exploration of the lowcountry by kayak. Today, our plan is to to paddle from a small, tight blackwater river down to wide, open saltwater. Though you’re surrounded by water when you’re paddling, it’s easy to become dehydrated—so always keep your water bottle handy! There's nowhere to get out of the boats onto the dark, sticky pluff mud, so be prepared to sit in your kayak even during our snack breaks.

Lunch: Once again, we're enjoying a bag lunch. Sample the variety--peanut butter, turkey, black bean wraps, veggies, fruit, and of course a delicious cookie. You’ve earned it!

Afternoon: Our paddle continues this afternoon. It won't be too long till you're back at Palm Key and ready to dive into some supper and participate in our evening program.

Dinner: Will it be barbeque chicken with rice, or salmon with black-eyed pea salad? Whatever the menu, you're going to enjoy our delicious supper at 6:00 pm. Don’t forget to make your way all the way down the whole buffet—frequently there are special delights to be found at the very end.

Evening: You don't want to miss our engaging evening program. We pride ourselves in keeping you awake till bedtime!

Lodging: Palm Key community of cottages

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Kayaking on Cuckhold's Creek to Steel Bridge take-out. And tonight is our lively and entertaining wrap-up party!

Note: Today, we'll combine some of the best that the lowcountry has to offer: stately live oaks, local history, and kayaking! Come to breakfast prepared to paddle. This day's schedule is a likely one; because of tides and weather during your program, some changes may be necessary for the group's safety or convenience.

Breakfast: What will it be this morning? Ham and eggs? Breakfast salad? Homemade bread? Or maybe a bowl of fruit? Every day, you can have something different. But don't be late: breakfast begins at 8:00, and we have a busy day ahead! Allow time to prepare your bag lunch before making final preparations for a big day.

Morning: Bring your camera today—on the way to our paddle, we’re going to stop to visit one of the most lovely places you’re likely to experience around here—Old Sheldon Church, a ruined brick church serving as a reminder of wars past, now surrounded by dogwoods, live oaks, and an old cemetery. Wander the grounds, read the stones (some local notables are buried here), take photographs, breathe in the history and beauty. From there, we'll travel through the countryside to the tiny landing at Cuckhold Creek, where we will launch our colorful boats and begin exploring.

Lunch: We’ll gather for a picnic on our outing today, fueling up for our expedition. What treats did you stow in your bag lunch today? Don't forget to refill your water bottle!

Afternoon: We spend the afternoon in brackish water, traveling from a narrow, winding creek as it becomes a wider river. This route has us paddling through history, as it has left its mark on the riverbanks. Cuckhold Creek is popular for fishing, so we'll likely meet some locals; also, we'll be paddling right by some old rice trunks, or gates, that once opened and closed canals in rice fields to the incoming and outgoing tides. The group reveals its easy teamwork when we load the boats back on the trailer one last time and turn the van homewards towards our cottages and much-needed showers.

Dinner: This delicious lowcountry dinner will be one to remember! We'll be serving oysters roasted on an open fire as appetizers, while the kitchen crew is preparing something extra-tasty in the kitchen. Now we can tell our stories of the day and swap email addresses with new friends.

Evening: After dinner, you won’t want to miss the wrap-up party. This is our last evening, and we can’t let it go by without doing something special. Everyone will find something to enjoy as we share highlights from the week over a special dessert (if you still have room). You don’t want to miss this--but to tell you more right now would be to spoil it!

Lodging: Palm Key community of cottages

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We'll share one last filling, delicious breakfast together as we take a break from packing and getting ready for . . . who knows? Please don't forget to share your contact information with us so that we can keep in touch.

Note: Today we say good-bye to new friends and paddling partners. But perhaps we'll say "see you soon, or see you next time!" Scholars often return to see us and bring their friends, and we hope you will do the same. Please turn in your name tags and lanyards before you leave us, so we can use the materials again. Thanks so much for joining us for Kayak (MORE of) the Lowcountry!

Breakfast: Breakfast at 8:00, and your last chance for grits! If you haven’t tried them yet, you just have to have some today. And yes, you’ll find the usual delectable buffet of eggs, bacon or ham, fruit, delicious bread, oatmeal, cereal—whatever your stomach desires! You’ll want to eat hardily, as today you will be packing up and leaving us for wherever your road takes you.

Morning: This morning, after telling parting stories, asking questions, issuing invitations, or listening to one more joke from you-know-who, it’s off to pack up and prepare for departure. We hope you’ll stay in the area and do some more exploring—and/or kayaking--ask the staff for recommendations and directions. We’d love to share more of South Carolina and the lowcountry with you!

Lodging: Palm Key community of cottages

Meals Included: Breakfast