The Best of Charleston and Savannah: A Tale of Two Cities

Program Registration: 5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby 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: 6:00 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. You are about to embark on a very special learning adventure, seeing firsthand how history lives on in the present, from stately homes to extraordinary Lowcountry plantations in historic Charleston. Known as the “Holy City” because of its many houses of worship, this was one of the few cities in colonial America to protect religious diversity. You'll explore and learn about magnificent dwellings, often adorned with graceful gardens, and the lives of the people who lived and worked there in two of the most popular historical cities in the USA, Charleston and Savannah. 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.

At the hotel.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow participants, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

At the hotel.

A local historian will provide an introduction to Charleston and the Carolina Lowcountry. This introductory history of Charleston will prepare you for the field trips we will take during your stay starting with the first field trip through historic downtown Charleston after lunch

At a local restaurant.

Next, we’ll set out with a local expert on a field trip by motorcoach through the Charleston Historic District. This is truly one of the most historic cities in America, with a deep and rich cultural heritage. We will be getting off at the Battery where our historian will accompany us and point out historically significant locations with commentary. Then we’ll travel to The Citadel, one of the six Senior Military Colleges in the United States, where we’ll explore the campus with our expert. The Citadel was established in 1842 and was originally located on Marion Square in beautiful downtown Charleston, SC. Today the picturesque campus, which was moved in 1922 to the bank of the Ashley River, is home to 24 major buildings and over 3,400 men and women enrolled in over 20 full and part time graduate and undergraduate programs. While here, we’ll enter a non-denominational church and enjoy a lecture before continuing our field trip through campus via motorcoach with commentary provided about the history and significance of The Citadel.

At a local restaurant.

Our special presentation this evening features a live performance. The Gullah people, descendants of slaves, are a distinctive group of African-Americans living in the Coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia. Because of their isolated community life, the Gullah have retained more of their African cultural heritage than any other group and speak an English-based Creole language that retains many elements of African language and culture. In addition to their informative presentation, we’ll also enjoy a selection of songs performed by our local expert that will entertain and delight us with insights into Gullah culture.

At the hotel.

At the hotel, we’ll be joined by a local expert who will tell us the history of sweet grass baskets. We’ll also observe a demonstration and see finished baskets. Next, we’ll set out walking on a culinary field trip to visit several different well-known local restaurants and taste samples at each one. We’ll also see renovated buildings that have been transformed into popular restaurants. When we finish, we will have had our lunch! This is a great way to experience several of the city’s top restaurants.

Our lunch today consists of the movable feast we experience during our culinary discovery field trip.

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. You might like to visit the City Market, another historic home, or explore the Charleston Museum. There are numerous possibilities throughout the Historic District.

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.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

Setting out by motorcoach, our local expert will provide commentary en route to and at the plantations. Middleton Place is a National Historic Landmark situated on the Ashley River, a carefully preserved 18th-century plantation that has survived revolution, the Civil War, and an earthquake. During our field trip, we’ll learn that it was the home of four important generations of Middletons, beginning with Henry Middleton, President of the First Continental Congress; Arthur, a signer of the Declaration of Independence; Henry, Governor of South Carolina and an American Minister to Russia; and William, a signer of the Ordinance of Secession. We’ll explore the gardens and the plantation stable yards, as well as see the rice fields.

In the Middleton Place restaurant.

Next, we’ll ride to Magnolia Plantation. Founded in 1676 by the Drayton family, it has survived the centuries and witnessed the history of our nation unfold from the American Revolution through the Civil War and beyond. It is the oldest public site open to visitors in the Lowcountry, with the oldest public gardens in America, opening its doors to visitors in 1872 to view the thousands of beautiful flowers and plants in its famous gardens. We’ll learn about Magnolia’s vivid and complex history as we experience the beauty of the house and gardens. While riding through the landscape on a tram, we’ll see sights that evoke the plantation’s past such as a row of slave cabins, 19th century rice ponds, and a Native American ceremonial mound.

On your own to enjoy what you like.

We will walk to the Circular Church for a performance called Sound of Charleston. "Through gospel spirituals, Civil War songs, Gershwin’s “Porgy & Bess” and “Rhapsody in Blue”, jazz and light classics of the St. Cecelia Society, you'll never forget this special event."

At the hotel.

En route to Savannah, we’ll stop in Beaufort, South Carolina, about 1.5 hours from Charleston. We’ll have some time to explore the tiny village before continuing on our ride to Savannah. Beaufort is a Lowcountry gem with massive, moss-draped oak trees. It served as the backdrop for films such as Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, G.I. Jane, and more. We’ll see Antebellum and Victorian homes and other structures to appreciate their architecture. Chartered in 1711, Beaufort is South Carolina’s second oldest city after Charleston. It grew as a result of shipbuilding and then, with slavery, became a prosperous community of planters whose wealth derived from cotton, indigo, and rice plantations. Many of the lovely dwellings date from that era. After a series of devastating natural disasters that brought destruction and bad economic times, Beaufort made a comeback in the 20th century as a destination for vacationers. The entire downtown area is a designated National Historic Landmark.

At a local restaurant in Savannah.

Boarding a motorcoach, we’ll depart on an expert-led field trip to see some of Savannah’s highlights, including the Massie Heritage Center (once a public school – Savannah’s first – from 1856 to 1974), the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Forsyth Park, and the Victorian District. We’ll see and hear about aspects of the city’s fascinating history, getting on and off the trolley for close-up looks and entrances into these historic sites.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We will visit the Andrew Low House facing Lafayette Square that provides a look at the life of Savannah’s gentry in the 19th century. Low, born in Scotland in 1812, arrived in Savannah at the age of 17 and went to work for his uncle’s cotton export company. A few years before the Civil War, he had become the richest man in the city. His house was designed by one of the leading New York architects of the day in neo-Classical style with Italianate exterior features. The interior was opulently decorated. It remains one of Savannah’s foremost house museums. We’ll explore with a local expert. Our next stop will be the Isaiah Davenport House. Built in 1820, this Federal-style home marked the beginning of Savannah's historic preservation movement. Upon our return to the hotel, we’ll adjourn for the day.

On your own to enjoy what you like.

Free Time.

On your own.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We’ll begin the day with a field trip to Old Fort Jackson, dating from 1808. This beautifully preserved fort along the Savannah River is Georgia's oldest standing brick fortification and a National Historic Landmark. We will enjoy the view from the strategic location. Our next stop will be Wormsloe Historic Site. The site was once an estate of Noble Jones, one of Georgia's Colonial founders. We’ll drive down a 1.5-mile entrance way of over 400 stately live oak trees and experience the ruins of Jones' fortified house built of tabby, as well as a museum. We will then return to the hotel for a free afternoon.

On your own.

Free Time.

At a popular restaurant near the hotel. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends at our farewell dinner.

We’ll be joined by one of Savannah’s finest musicians, who will give us a presentation on music of the Civil War era and demonstrate instruments from that time. Then prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel.

We will then depart from the hotel via motorcoach, going first to the Savannah Hilton Head International Airport, Charleston International Airport, and then the Francis Marion Hotel. 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 another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!