Activity note: Hotel check-in 4:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Program Registration & Orientation: 5:00 p.m. We will gather in our hotel meeting room in the for registration and to get your welcome packet containing your name-tag, up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes, and other important information. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. Orientation: 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. The program begins in Fort Myers and concludes in Key West. Travel will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. We will transfer from Fort Myers to Key West via catamaran ferry. Periods in the daily 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.

Dinner: At a local restaurant, we’ll have a plated meal with soda, coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Activity note: Walking a total of 2 miles, standing up to an hour at a time; sidewalks, flights of stairs at museums.

Breakfast: In the breakfast area of the hotel, the buffet offers choices such as eggs, French toast, waffles, cereal, fresh fruit, yogurt, breads, pastry, milk, juice, coffee, tea, water.

Morning: We’ll visit the Marco Island Historical Museum to learn more about Southwest Florida’s Calusa Indians. Through informative exhibits and a recreated village, we’ll imagine their vanished civilization brought back to life.

Lunch: At Naples Pier, we’ll have a delicious and healthy lunch with fresh salad; iced tea, juice, water included.

Afternoon: For our next field trip, we’ll ride to Naples and visit historic Palm Cottage, on the National Register of Historic Places. The Naples Historical Society is the guardian of this structure built in 1895 of tabby mortar that represents Old Naples. We’ll have an expert led exploration.

Dinner: Restaurant plated meal.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Walking over rough terrain; boat ride approximately 1 hour.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll transfer by van to Fish Tale Marina and board the Estero Bay Express for a Road Scholar exclusive field trip to Mound Key, Capital of the Calusa. We will learn about the rich history of the Calusa as well as new findings scientists are discovering about this ancient society. Participants will disembark from the boat to hike the trails of Mound Key. All along the way, we’ll learn about the ecology of Estero Bay as we look for diverse wildlife such as dolphins, manatees, and birds.

Lunch: At a scenic spot, we’ll have a delicious and healthy lunch with fresh sandwiches plus iced tea, juice, water.

Afternoon: We’ll take another expert-led field trip to the Mound House, an archaeological and historic where we’ll encounter further aspects of Calusa and later Florida history. The house, dating from 1898 with numerous later revisions, was built on top of a 2,000 year old Calusa shell mound.

Dinner: Restaurant plated meal.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Walking a total of 1.5 miles, standing up to an hour at a time; sidewalks. Getting on/off a trolley at Ding Darling.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll hop into our van for a full day field trip on Sanibel Island begins at the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. We’ll explore areas of this amazing 6,300 acre nature preserve that provides habitat for more than 200 species of birds, alligators, mangrove forests, and more. During a self-directed exploration, we’ll see interesting exhibits in the Education Center about the many animals living in this ecosystem.

Lunch: At a scenic spot, we’ll have a delicious and healthy lunch including fresh salad and sandwiches.

Afternoon: Next on our agenda is the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum on Sanibel. This non-profit museum features more than 30 exhibits of mollusks from around the world. Exhibits are devoted to shells in art and history, shell habitat, rare specimens, fossil shells, common Southwest Florida shells, and more. We’ll also have some independent time to walk along the beach, collect shells, or just relax, then return to the hotel.

Dinner: Restaurant plated meal.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

Activity note: Catamaran ferry ride to Key West approximately 3.5 hours. You may carry on two small pieces of luggage for free. If you can carry it on an airplane you can carry it on the ship. $10.00 per piece of additional luggage. Walking 1/4 mile; sidewalks.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll take the express catamaran ferry from Fort Myers to Key West. The ferry covers the distance of about 132 miles in approximately 3.5 hours. On-board amenities include A/C interiors, open air sun decks, comfortable seating, satellite television, a full-service galley, and restrooms. Upon docking, we’ll put our luggage in a van to be taken to the hotel, then walk to a restaurant for lunch.

Lunch: Restaurant plated meal.

Afternoon: After checking in to the hotel, the remainder of the afternoon is free. The hotel is located in the Historic Seaport District of Old Town Key West. You might like to go out and do some exploring on your own, stroll through the hotel gardens, take a dip in the pool, or just relax.

Dinner: We will walk to a local restaurant for a plated meal with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: We’ll have a leisurely walk with our Group Leader to Mallory Square for the daily Sunset Celebration, a uniquely Key West event when people raise a glass in tribute to the sun and the celebration itself. In addition to locals and visitors, the participants might include artists, clowns, jugglers, magicians, musicians, psychics, and more as well as a variety of food vendors. Stay as long as you like! The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions about where to go and what to do such as entertainers worth seeing.

Activity note: Getting on/off a trolley. Walking a total of 1.5 miles and standing up to an hour at a time; sidewalks.

Breakfast: By the hotel pool, the breakfast buffet offers choices such as eggs, cereal, fruit, bagels, pastries, eggs, milk, juice, coffee, tea, water.

Morning: We’ll take a field trip via trolley with narration to learn about the city’s history and some of its attractions. At the Overseas Railroad Museum, we’ll imagine the thrill of riding down the Florida Keys in 1929 aboard the “railway that went to the sea.” We’ll learn about the Key West Extension, and the tragic demise of Flagler’s dream in the devastating Labor Day hurricane of 1935. The Custom House, built in 1891, served as a post office, court house and government center when wrecking made Key West the richest city.

Lunch: Restaurant plated meal.

Afternoon: Next, we’ll visit the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, a natural history museum in Key West. Its exhibits cover the plants and animals of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Dinner: On your own.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Walking and standing at field trip sites.

Breakfast: Poolside buffet.

Morning: We’ll visit The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum in the heart of Old Town Key West for an expert-led field trip. Hemingway visited Key West for the first time in 1928. He and his wife Pauline grew to love the place and a rich uncle bought this house for them in 1931. After writing in the early morning, “Papa” would go fishing or hang out with local friends in his favorite bars. The Hemingways lived here with their two sons until divorcing in 1940 when he left for Cuba. Today, the house looks much as it did during their residence. We’ll learn about the Hemingway era in Key West, his life, and work during some of his most productive days. We may also catch a glimpse of one or more descendants of his original six-toed cat.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like.

Afternoon: Free Time. See and do what interests you most. Key West has no end of interesting places to visit and explore. Or just relax at the pool.

Dinner: Restaurant plated meal. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.

Breakfast: Poolside buffet.

Morning: Remaining by the pool, we’ll have an informal wrap-up session with our Group Leader to share what you thought was most interesting, exciting, and enjoyable. This concludes our program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!