Florida
Back to Nature: Kayaking the Waterways of Florida
Program No. 22647RJ
The Florida coastline boasts beautiful nature reserves and some of the finest kayaking in America. Kayak through mangroves and wetlands to search for wildlife with expert naturalists.
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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
13 meals (
5B, 4L, 4D
)
3 expert-led lectures
5 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Location:
Cocoa Beach, FL
Meals:
D
Stay:
Beachside Hotel
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 4:00 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. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. We will be kayaking for up to four hours with breaks each paddle. Some of the paddles during the program will have sections of open water. We will be using sit-in kayaks; single or tandem kayaks are available upon request. Field trips will happen rain or shine. Due to weather and nature, there is no guarantee we will see all wild/plant life marketed in materials. Our local kayaking experts may alter routes and locations to allow for a more enjoyable experience. Evenings at leisure offer opportunities to make the program more meaningful and memorable through personal independent exploration, engaging in available activities on your own, or simply relaxing and making new friends among fellow participants. The Group Leader will always be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may be changed due to local conditions/circumstances. 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. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
2
Nature Talk, Kayaking Thousand Islands Conservation Area
Location:
Cocoa Beach, FL
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Beachside Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach. Kayaking for about 2 miles throughout the day; getting in/out of the kayak with assistance.
Breakfast:
At hotel
Morning:
At the hotel, we will be joined by our local master naturalist who will discuss wildlife and marine mammals of the Indian and Banana Rivers and of the adjacent Atlantic Ocean. Afterwards, we will set off via motorcoach for our launch point at the nearby Thousand Islands Conservation Area, an area known for its lush mangrove channels. Our outfitter use sit-in kayaks with back support designed for waterways. Single or tandem kayaks are available upon request. At the launch site we will receive a safety briefing and an introduction to our kayaks. Our local kayaking experts will point out local flora and fauna and explain the history of the area during the paddle.
Lunch:
Along the way, we will stop to have boxed lunches.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will continue our kayaking exploration of the Thousand Islands Conservation Area. We then return to the hotel to have a short break before walking a short distance to dinner.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant
Evening:
At leisure. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Day
3
Kennedy Space Center, Night Paddle
Location:
Cocoa Beach, FL
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Beachside Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 45 miles throughout the day, approximately 2 hours total riding time. Walking dependent on personal preference at the Kennedy Space Center; seating areas to rest throughout facility. Kayaking for approximately 1.5 hours; getting in/out of the kayak with assistance.
Breakfast:
At hotel
Morning:
After transferring via motorcoach, we’ll start off our exciting adventures with an independent exploration of the Kennedy Space Center. Be sure to check out the Heroes & Legends exhibit, which is an amazing addition to Kennedy Space Center that celebrates pioneers of NASA's early space programs.
Lunch:
With vouchers, enjoy what you'd like at Kennedy Space Center.
Afternoon:
Our Kennedy Space Center field trip will continue with more self-led exploration and recommendations from your Group Leader. If you have not been yet, a trip to the Apollo/Saturn V Center is in order to explore the exhibits surrounding these two series of missions. Most notably, the giant F1 thruster engines of the Saturn V moon rockets that took the first humans to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s are showcased here along with command modules from Apollo XIV, space suits, and even real lunar samples that you can touch. Also on site to view is the monumental 363-foot rocket, which was launched 13 times from the Kennedy Space Center.
Dinner:
At the hotel
Evening:
After dinner, we will head out top watch the sun set for a sunset paddle in the Barge Canal area where we will attempt to encounter the comb jellies that live in this habitat. After our paddle, we’ll return to the hotel.
Day
4
Indian River Paddle
Location:
Cocoa Beach, FL
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Beachside Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 60 miles, approximately 2 hours total riding time. Kayaking for up to 4 hours on this day with breaks; getting in and out of the kayak with assistance.
Breakfast:
At hotel
Morning:
By motorcoach, we'll head over to this morning's launch site near the Indian River Lagoon Preserve State Park where our expert naturalists and kayaking instructors will greet us. Setting out into the Indian River Lagoon, we will have the opportunity to discover this natural habitat of mangroves and salt water marshes, and perhaps even spot wildlife such as wading birds, dolphins, ospreys, and manatees.
Lunch:
Boxed lunches along the way.
Afternoon:
We will finish our paddle for the day and head back to the hotel for some well deserved rest and an opportunity to freshen up before dinner.
Dinner:
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.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
5
Paddle Turkey Creek, Farewell Dinner
Location:
Cocoa Beach, FL
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Beachside Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 60 miles, approximately 1.5 hours total driving time. Kayaking for about 4 hours on this day with a break for lunch; getting in/out of the kayak with assistance.
Breakfast:
At hotel
Morning:
We will hear a lecture at the hotel on lagoon plant life from an experienced naturalist. Then, we’ll head out by motorcoach to our final kayak outing at Turkey Creek in nearby Palm Bay. There, we will paddle through fresh water as we make our way towards the creek. Along the way, we will see a different habitat with fewer mangroves and surrounded by sand pine scrub. As we paddle, be on the lookout for gators, turtles, and other wildlife.
Lunch:
Boxed lunches along the way.
Afternoon:
Our paddling will conclude in the early afternoon and we will return to the hotel. Upon our return to the hotel, take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
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 in the morning.
Day
6
Lecture, Program Concludes
Location:
Cocoa Beach, FL
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At hotel
Morning:
We will have a final expert-led lecture on program-related themes in the local area. This concludes our program. 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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