Florida
Key West at a Slower Pace: Living on Island Time
Program No. 21797RJ
Find out what makes Key West such a unique city as you stroll its vibrant streets, discovering its heritage, culture, world-class museums and the true spirit of island life.
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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.
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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
)
5 expert-led lectures
8 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Location:
Key West Old Town
Meals:
D
Stay:
Opal Key Resort & Marina
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon:
Hotel check in is at 4:00 p.m. Program Registration: 3:00-5:00 p.m. Join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to meet with 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: 5:30 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. We will learn from our knowledgeable Group Leader along with a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via trolley unless noted otherwise. Meals will feature local cuisine in a variety of settings. 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/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
2
Boat Cruise, Key West Trolley
Location:
Key West Old Town
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Opal Key Resort & Marina
Activity Note
Getting on/off a boat; riding for 1.5 hours. Walking up to 1.5 mile to travel to our destinations, with breaks in between. Walking on sidewalks. Getting on/off a trolley which has three steps; riding for 1 hour. Remember to wear comfortable shoes, use sunscreen, and wear a hat.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. The Opal’s restaurant is currently undergoing renovation. We will be eating in the hotel's walled, air-conditioned tent.
Morning:
We will set out to enjoy Key West by boat on a morning cruise.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
This afternoon, we’ll experience Key West by private trolley with commentary from our driver. We will hear stories from Key West’s most famous – and infamous – residents and learn what draws so many people to this unique destination. While you’re out and about, take note of some of the things you’d like to see and do in Key West during your free time this week.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
3
Hemingway House, Tennessee Williams, San Carlos Institute
Location:
Key West Old Town
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Opal Key Resort & Marina
Activity Note
Getting on/off a trolley which has three steps. Climbing a flight of stairs at Hemingway House. Walking up to 1.5 miles with breaks in between. Remember to wear comfortable shoes, use sunscreen, and wear a hat.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. The Opal’s restaurant is currently undergoing renovation. We will be eating in the hotel's walled, air-conditioned tent.
Morning:
This morning, via trolley ride, we will go on a literary journey of Key West starting with the Hemingway House. There, a local expert will lead us through the former residence of one of America’s most iconic writers, whose personal life was as colorful as any of his characters. Ernest Hemingway first visited Key West in 1928, arriving from Havana. We will learn about the lives and times of Hemingway and his wife Pauline in Key West, and about the house itself. Personal touches are still visible throughout the house, from European antiques to trophies and skins which are the legacy of Hemingway’s African safaris. It was at the house that Hemingway produced some of his best known works including “To Have And Have Not” which is set in Key West. Descendants of his six-toed cat still flourish there. Afterwards, we will learn about Key West literary figure Tennessee Williams during an expert-led visit to an exhibit dedicated to the playwright.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We will walk to the nearby San Carlos Institute, a cultural hub for Key West’s Cuban diaspora since 1871. With donations from tobacco farmers in Cuba, the Institute served as the epicenter for the Cuban independence movement from Spain and as a school for exiles with instruction in both English and Spanish – one of the first schools to do so in the U.S. During our visit, we will delve more into the San Carlos Institute’s rich and storied past and learn about its present-day functions with a short introductory film followed by an exploration of the Institute’s current site and an expert-led lecture.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
4
Audubon Lecture & House, Custom House, Free Time
Location:
Key West Old Town
Meals:
B
Stay:
Opal Key Resort & Marina
Activity Note
Walking up to 1/2 mile on paved sidewalks. Standing up to 1 hour; climbing a flight of stairs at the Audubon House. Please note that the elevator at Custom House is currently out of order, so any participants who cannot manage stairs will not have access to the second floor. Extent and duration of walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. The Opal’s restaurant is currently undergoing renovation. We will be eating in the hotel's walled, air-conditioned tent.
Morning:
At the hotel, we’ll learn from a local expert about John James Audubon, America’s greatest wildlife artist and early naturalist. Audubon began exploring Florida in 1831 and visited the Keys and Dry Tortugas the next year. He left having seen 22 different bird species, and created drawings of each for his “Birds of America” folio. After the lecture, we’ll go on a docent-led visit of the Audubon House and Gardens, the place Audubon lived and worked while in Key West which was then the home of one of the town’s founders. In the center of the lot was a garden of native and imported tropical plants Audubon used in his images of local birds. We will learn about Audubon’s life and work there as well as the history of the house itself, which was the first restoration project in Key West in 1958 and is still considered the gem of the island’s restoration movement. The home also displays 28 first-edition Audubon works. We’ll end our morning with a visit to the Custom House Museum. This living link to Key West’s historic past was built in 1891 to house the island’s customs office, postal service, and district courts. “Old 91” is now the headquarters of the Key West Art and Historical Society that maintains a collection of artifacts and art significant to the Florida Keys. A local expert will lead us through this amazing space.
Lunch:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your 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. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. One idea before dinner is attending the daily Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square Dock. In Key West, watching the sun go down is a daily ritual accompanied by a festival with arts and crafts exhibitors, street performers, vendors, and a crowd of thousands of locals and visitors alike. People begin gathering about two hours before sunset for this multicultural “happening” that embodies the spirit of Key West.
Dinner:
On your own to sample local fare.
Evening:
At leisure. Enjoy a stroll to view the passing parade. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, wet your whistle in one of Hemingway’s favorite hangouts. Hint: Two local bars lay claim to being his “real” favorite.
Day
5
Little White House, Mel Fisher
Location:
Key West Old Town
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Opal Key Resort & Marina
Activity Note
Walking up to 1.5 miles throughout the day with breaks in between; standing at sites on docent-led trips. Mel Fisher Museum is next to the hotel. An elevator is available at the Mel Fisher Museum, though you may need to climb a flight of stairs to reach some parts of the facility.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. The Opal’s restaurant is currently undergoing renovation. We will be eating in the hotel's walled, air-conditioned tent.
Morning:
Our Truman expert will tell us all about the President’s days in Key West and what came to be known as The Little White House. Florida’s only Presidential site, the Harry S. Truman Little White House was constructed in 1890 as housing for naval officers. Its most important usage was as President Truman’s “Winter White House” from 1946 to 1952. We will then head over to the Little White House. President Harry S. Truman’s first 19 months were grueling and left him physically exhausted. His doctor ordered a warm vacation and Key West was chosen as the location. President and Mrs. Truman arrived in November 1946 for a week of relaxation. He fell in love with the climate and small-town charm and returned to what became known as the Little White House for 11 presidential working vacations and five post-presidential trips after leaving office. Truman claimed Key West was his second favorite place on earth – surpassed only by his hometown, Independence, Missouri.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Next, we will visit the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum where we will learn from a docent about marine archaeology and see treasures including gold and silver bars retrieved from beneath the sea. Dedicated to educating the public on maritime and colonial activity in the New World and preserving maritime culture resources, the museum celebrates 500 years of history. As a special highlight, we will go behind the scenes to see the conservation lab. If you have not done so already, this evening is your last opportunity to attend the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square Dock. In Key West, watching the sun go down is a daily ritual accompanied by a festival with arts and crafts exhibitors, street performers, vendors, and a crowd of thousands of locals and visitors alike. People begin gathering about two hours before sunset for this multicultural “happening” that embodies the spirit of Key West.
Dinner:
At a restaurant near Mallory Square. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Day
6
Program Concludes
Location:
Key West Old Town
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. The Opal’s restaurant is currently undergoing renovation. We will be eating in the hotel's walled, air-conditioned tent.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. 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!
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