Skip to Main Content
Road Scholar logo
Florida

Beautiful Sanibel Island and the Southwest Florida Gulf Coast

Program No. 20899RJ
Discover the rich cultural and ecological heritage of Sanibel Island as you explore its museums, photograph its diverse wildlife and beachcomb for shells with an expert conchologist.
Watch VideoWishlistShare
Start
  •  
Regional StudiesNature & Environment
Length
6 days
Rating (4.96)
Activity Level
Starts at
1,899
Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
12 meals ( 5B, 3L, 4D )
4 expert-led lectures
6 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
4 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Expand All
Activity Note
Hotel check-in available from 4:00 p.m. Lobby is on the 2nd floor. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 4:00-5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Sanibel Island has no street lights or traffic lights. This is to help preserve the island's natural beauty and to protect sea turtles. Please be careful walking at night and bring a flashlight. Finally, and important thing to keep in mind during your program is that the island has been recovering for the past 2 years due to devastating hurricanes. Two years ago, Category 4 Hurricane Ian slammed Sanibel with a 13-foot storm surge, followed by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The island has been resilient. It is very exciting that the island is reopening and at the same time important to remember that the recovery is a long process and rebuilding may still be visible.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 40 miles, approximately 1 hour riding time. Walking about 1 mile; standing at museum.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
With our Group Leader, we’ll board a motorcoach and set out on a field trip to the Edison & Ford Winter Estates and Gardens, a National Historic Landmark that comprises 20 acres of historical buildings and gardens. Renowned inventors Thomas Edison and Henry Ford became lifelong friends after meeting in 1896. They maintained an active correspondence, vacationed together, and eventually had winter homes near one another in Fort Myers. We will get a docent led-tour followed by time for self-directed exploration. We will see the museum, Edison's lab, and hear tales of these two famously complex men as we see how their indelible legacies changed American industry as well as Fort Myers itself.
Lunch:
At local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We will return to the hotel with time to rest and relax before departing for dinner.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
Returning to the hotel, we’ll be joined by local Sanibel author Charles Sobczak for a presentation exploring how the wildlife in the area, and across the planet, is adapting to us as we likewise adapt to them. This includes a studied look at the increasing influx of wildlife into our urban, suburban and exurban environments.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 12 miles, approximately 1 hour riding time. Walking about 1 mile; standing up to 3 hours during field trips.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
For our next field trip, we will board a motorcoach and ride to the Sanibel Historical Village and Museum. Founded in 1982, it traces local history from the days of the Calusa who arrived here roughly 500 BCE through Spanish explorers and early 19th century pioneers. Each building moved here — dating from 1896-1926 — has been restored. Docents will lead our exploration. We’ll then return to the hotel.
Lunch:
At the hotel.
Afternoon:
Back aboard the motorcoach, we will ride to the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum. This is the only museum in the U.S. solely dedicated to shells, the animals that make them, and their importance to the environment. It features more than 30 exhibits of mollusks from around the world. A museum educator will lead the exploration as we see exhibits devoted to shells in art and history, shell habitat, rare specimens, fossil shells, common Southwest Florida shells, and more.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Walking for approximately 2 hours; sand. Field trip is weather dependent. Extent of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will hear from an expert conchologist on the art of shelling and what we can expect to find on the beach. *Please make sure you have signed and returned to Sanibel Sea School Waiver at the end of this packet to rscentralprograms@roadscholar.org Include your name, program number, and program start date in the email.* Lather up with sunscreen, bring a water bottle, and wear comfortable walking shoes. We will walk out to the beach with the conchologist to do some beachcombing on our own. We’ll look for shells, sea glass, sea beans (also known as drift seeds), and other gifts from the sea amid the surf and sun – as the weather allows.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Complimentary beach chairs, bikes, kayaks, and more are available at the resort.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy local fare.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach. Getting on/off a pontoon boat. 1.5 hour cruise. Walking about 2 miles; boardwalks, uneven terrain.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will set out via motorcoach on a field trip to the J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the U.S. and world renowned for its migratory bird populations. President Harry Truman issued an executive order establishing the refuge in 1945. Many years later, it was named for Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling, an ardent conservationist who helped create the National Wildlife Federation and loved to go birdwatching here. After an expert-led presentation, we will have the option to go on a short hike. This will be followed by a ride on the Ding Darling Tram, where we will drive through the refuge and try to spot wildlife most visitors would never see!
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch we'll board the motorcoach and ride over to Sanibel Marina for a dolphin and wildlife cruise. We will cruise out into one of the world's largest dolphin populated waters. A friendly and knowledgeable Naturalist will talk about the area's natural beauty and diverse wildlife.
Dinner:
At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure after our closing session in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll be joined by a local expert from the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife. They will give a lecture on what the organization is doing to help the fascinating wildlife on the Sanibel island. This concludes our program. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
Please select a day to update the map
Map details are not available for this location.