On the Road: Atlanta, Asheville, Charleston and Savannah

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Program Registration: 5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the conference room 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. 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 review COVID-19 protocols and will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and requirements throughout the program. Lectures and field trips will be led by local experts unless specified otherwise. Transfers and transportation will be via motorcoach. 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 a local restaurant.

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; city driving. Walking during field trips and standing up to 1 hour at a time; city streets and sidewalks.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll be joined by a local expert for an overview of Low Country history with an emphasis on the Civil War pertinent to areas we will explore in Atlanta, Asheville, Charleston, and Savannah. Atlanta in 1861 was a mercantile and manufacturing center, a transportation hub, and Georgia’s largest arsenal. It became one of the Confederacy’s most important military supply depots. General Sherman’s siege in the summer of 1864 included a fusillade of more than 100,000 shells. He occupied Atlanta in September and by November it was virtually destroyed by fire. It took generations for anger and bitterness to recede until Atlanta became an economic powerhouse and a focus of civil rights advancement. Next, we will board our motorcoach for a field trip to the Sweet Auburn Historic District and sites related to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. From the National Park Service: “The Sweet Auburn Historic District reflects the history, heritage and achievements of Atlanta’s African Americans. The name Sweet Auburn was coined by John Wesley Dobbs, referring to the ‘richest Negro street in the world.’ Like other black communities throughout the country, Sweet Auburn’s success was intricately tied to the residential patterns forced on African Americans during the early 20th century. It was here that many African Americans established businesses, congregations, and social organizations.” We will then ride to the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historical Park and Ebenezer Baptist Church where the Reverends Martin Luther King, Senior and Junior, served as pastors. In addition to the church where he preached, we will see the burial site and crypts of Dr. King and his wife Coretta. In the MLK Visitors Center, we will see an exhibit that traces the Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King’s mission.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Next, we will visit the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum for a close-up view of the modern American Presidency. We’ll also have an expert-led exploration of the museum of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. We’ll be able to see photographs and historical memorabilia from the Carter presidency (1976-81), an exact replica of the Oval Office, and gifts received by the Carters. The permanent exhibit of significant events during Jimmy Carter’s life and political career includes photographs with interpretative text as well as the Nobel Peace Prize he received in 2002 “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

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

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 208 miles, approximately 4.5 hours riding time with stops. Walking and standing during field trips; at Tallulah Gorge, dirt paths, some uneven, some concrete; at Balsam Inn and Thomas Wolfe home, steps, no elevators.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll check out of the hotel, board our motorcoach, and ride to Tallulah Gorge State Park where we will have some time to stretch our legs. The gorge is two miles long and nearly 1,000 feet deep. We’ll view it from the visitor’s station that is also a museum.

Lunch: At a local restaurant in Asheville.

Afternoon: Arriving in Asheville, we’ll visit the Basilica of St. Lawrence, built in 1905 by Spanish-born architect Rafael Gustavino, who has been called “the greatest architect you’ve never heard of.” He was invited to North Carolina to work on Biltmore House. The exterior of the church is Spanish Renaissance style while the interior displays an ancient tile and mortar building system. The self-supporting elliptical dome, 58 feet by 82 feet and made entirely of tiles, is the largest unsupported dome in North America. Next, we’ll ride to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial for an introductory film followed by an expert-led exploration of the home. Wolfe grew up here in what was then a boarding house called the Old Kentucky Home. This would become the setting for his 1929 novel “Look Homeward, Angel.” Wolfe’s portrayal of his family, Asheville, and the Old Kentucky Home earned it a place as one of American literature’s most famous landmarks. We’ll then proceed to the hotel for check-in with some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 5 miles, approximately 1/2 hour riding time. Getting on/off shuttles from parking lot to Biltmore House. Walking according to personal choice at Biltmore House (178,926 square feet) and gardens (30 acres).

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll gather for a presentation on some of Asheville’s legendary locals by an Asheville native who is an historian, author, and executive director of Western Carolina University Programs at Biltmore Park. Next we’ll board our motorcoach for a field trip to Biltmore Estate and Gardens. Biltmore House, as it is modestly called, today comprises 8,000 acres outside Asheville. George Washington Vanderbilt II (1862-1914) conceived the idea for his country house during a visit to the Blue Ridge Mountains in 1888. A year later, construction began on what would become the largest privately owned home in America, a French Renaissance chateau with 250 rooms covering four acres of floor space. Vanderbilt opened the finished house to family and friends on Christmas Eve 1895. The acres of beautiful gardens and grounds were designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead. We’ll enter the mansion for a self-directed exploration along a marked route, using audio guides that will tell the story of Biltmore, the Vanderbilts, their guests and servants, and the amazing architecture and interior decoration. The Biltmore Gardens are approximately 50 yards from the mansion. You are welcome to stroll and explore on your own.

Lunch: In the Stable Café at Biltmore.

Afternoon: Next, we’ll go to the Antler Hill Farm and Winery on the estate, taking a virtual step back into the 1890s and lives of the families who lived on the estate. Then at the wine bar in the heart of Antler Hill Village, we’ll enjoy some complimentary tastings and more as part of our experience at one of America’s most-visited wineries.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At the hotel, we’ll enjoy a performance by a notable musician-vocalist skilled in autoharp, guitar, hammered dulcimer, and more. She will sing and play ballads and folk songs representing the musical heritage of America and the British Isles. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 268 miles, approximately 4.5 hours riding time with stop. Walking and standing during field trip.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will board our motorcoach bound for Charleston, South Carolina, with a stop en route in Columbia for a field trip to the State House. After a long and complicated history beset by a series of disastrous events, what we see today is one of the more architecturally impressive state capitol buildings in the country, both inside and out. An expert will lead our exploration as we learn about fascinating history and see paintings and other historical artifacts. The Confederate flag that flew over the capitol dome for more than 50 years was removed in 2017 by an act of the legislature and placed in a museum on the grounds.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Reboarding our motorcoach, we’ll continue our ride to Charleston and check in to our hotel with some time to freshen up before dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure. Take time to unwind. Our hotel is in the Historic District. Named for King Charles II when it was founded in 1670, over the years Charleston earned its nickname the “Holy City” due to its many historic churches and practices of religious toleration.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 25 miles throughout the day, approximately 1 hour riding time. Walking up to 2 miles; concrete paths and dirt pathways in the Battery; dirt paths at Boone Hall, benches available.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll be joined by a local historian who will provide an introduction to Charleston and the Carolina Lowcountry. This introductory lecture will set the stage for our field trips. We’ll then set out on a field trip by motorcoach. We will be getting on and off to walk 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. Next, we’ll ride to The Citadel, one of the six Senior Military Colleges in the United States, where we’ll explore the campus. 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 more than 3,400 men and women enrolled in more than 20 full- and part-time graduate and undergraduate programs. It has been designated a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Our next field trip is to Boone Hall, one of America’s oldest living and working plantations — and reputedly, the most photographed — where we can imagine what plantation life was like in the 1800s. The spectacular avenue of moss-draped live oak trees was planted in 1743 and today forms a magnificent, intertwined, overhead corridor. During our self-directed exploration, we’ll learn about the experience of enslaved and other people of color at Boone Hall and how it relates to black history in America. Nine of the original slave cabins, built between 1790 and 1810, have been preserved and feature life-sized figures, audiovisual presentations and recorded narratives, historical relics, pictures, and biographical information. Each building presents a different theme in the saga of black history from past to present. Boone Hall is the only plantation in the South Carolina Lowcountry to present a live presentation of the unique Gullah culture that developed from the lives of African slaves. These entertaining and educational performances take place in The Gullah Theater, located at the end of Slave Street. Sitting on benches, we’ll get a sense of what slavery was like on a Carolina plantation, see different aspects of daily life, how the people worked and lived, their struggles, celebrations, and historical progression. We’ll ride back to the hotel after our field trip.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening: We’ll meet up at the hotel to enjoy a performance by a local singer, songwriter, and storyteller whose roots are in Negro Spirituals, church music, pop, and jazz.

Activity note: Walking 4 blocks round-trip to Aiken-Rhett House, Charleston Museum, Manigault House. Walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will have tickets provided to explore three historic sites according to personal preference at any time today: the Aiken-Rhett House, the Charleston Museum — America’s “first” museum — and the Joseph Manigault House. The Historic Charleston Foundation describes the Aiken Rhett House as “a unique survivor.” Built by merchant John Robinson in 1820, it was sold to William Aiken, Sr., in 1827 and remained in his family for 142 years. It includes the grand house, an outbuilding kitchen, original slave quarters, and more. The slave quarters, virtually untouched since before the Civil War, help us understand how enslaved domestic servants lived as they maintained the household. The Charleston Museum was the first natural history museum in America, founded in 1773. Harvard scientist Louis Aggasiz declared its collections of ethnological and zoological specimens to be among the finest in the country in 1852. The museum is also a repository of the nation’s most comprehensive collection of South Carolina materials. Highlights include the Bunting Natural History Gallery, the Lowcountry History Hall, and the Armory. The Joseph Manigault home, built circa 1803, was an outstanding example of a neo-Classical, antebellum urban residence with exceptional features and architectural details. Like many others that survived the Civil War, it experienced a period of severe decline until it ended up as a tenement in 1920. It was saved from destruction just a few years later, one of the first successes in Charleston’s preservation movement. Now a registered U.S. National Historic Landmark, it reflects the lifestyle of a wealthy, rice-planting family and the enslaved African Americans who lived there.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy 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. If you like, bike taxis are readily available at low cost to take you anywhere on the Battery.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like from Charleston’s culinary delights.

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

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 108 miles, approximately 2 hours riding time. In Savannah, getting on/off a trolley; walking up to 1.5 miles; city streets and sidewalks.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll check out of the hotel, board our motorcoach, and begin our transfer to Savannah, Georgia. On arrival, we’ll go straight to the Visitor Center in the old brick railroad passenger terminal. The Savannah History Museum is also located here. We will see a film and pick up maps before heading to lunch.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Next, we’ll set out on an expert-led field trip by trolley to see some of Savannah’s highlights. We will be getting on and off the trolley as we stand in front of many of these sites and walk around while hearing about aspects of fascinating history. We will visit the Massie Heritage Museum which was once a school in 1856. It was Savannah’s first free public school and is noted for its gable roof, wood cupola and cornice, and its unique connecting passageway. Completed in 1856, the wings were added in 1872 and 1886. We’ll continue on the trolley to sights such as the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Forsyth Park, Victorian District, and famed squares.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; city driving. Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day, standing up to an hour at a time. Cooking demonstration may be viewed sitting or standing.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will ride via trolley to the Owens Thomas Home. At this Regency style mansion, we’ll see gardens, carriage house, slave quarters, and review the relationship between the most and least powerful people in the city. The north half of the building contains the original slave quarters. Nine to 15 enslaved people lived and worked on the site at any given time between 1819 and the end of the Civil War. Next, we’ll take a trolley to Telfair Academy, home to a substantial collection of 19th and 20th century American and European art showcased on various mediums. The building itself is a two-story mansion from 1819 with a rich and fascinating personal history that compliments its priceless interior possessions. A docent will lead our exploration.

Lunch: On your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Afternoon: We will walk across the street for a self-directed field trip to the Jepson Center for the Arts. This masterpiece of modernism features permanent collections along with limited-engagement, special exhibitions of talented artists and diverse subject matter. We will then go via trolley to the cooking school where we will observe Chef Darin and volunteer to assist in slicing, dicing, tossing, stirring, and sautéing ingredients.

Dinner: At the cooking school, we’ll enjoy the meal we’ve helped prepare. Bon appetit!

Evening: Returning to the hotel, the remainder of the evening is at leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 248 miles, approximately 4 hours riding time.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll check out of the hotel, board our motorcoach, and leave at 8:00 a.m. for the ride to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. We advise making arrangements for flights departing after 2:00 p.m.

Lunch: Aboard the motorcoach, we will have boxed lunches.

Afternoon: Arriving at the airport, 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!