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Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Activity note: Inn check-in from 3:00 p.m.
Afternoon: Program Registration: 3:00 p.m. After you have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff and to confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously). Orientation: 4:00 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. We will have the same kayaking instructors throughout the whole program. Participants will be responsible for loading/unloading kayaks at paddling locations, and carrying the boats to/from the water’s edge. 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. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy the wine and cheese welcome reception before dinner, and spend some time getting to know our fellow lifelong learners.
Dinner: At the inn, we’ll savor a buffet dinner featuring Southern favorites, with water included; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening: On the porch of the inn, we’ll settle in for an introductory discussion and viewing of a film on Florida’s many springs. The remainder of the evening will be 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 in/out of kayaks; approximately 2 hours paddle time in the afternoon; one-way, downstream with gentle current. Getting on/off shuttle bus; driving approximately 27 miles throughout the day.
Breakfast: At the inn, we’ll have a delicious breakfast buffet featuring a rotating daily menu of hot items as well as homemade granola, yogurt, fresh local fruit, English muffins and toast, and preserves, plus milk, juice, coffee, tea, water.
Morning: Board a shuttle bus we will transfer to the Florida Springs Institute where we’ll meet an expert lecturer-biologist-ecologist for a lecture on the Florida springs and aquifer sustainability, followed by a question and answer session.
Lunch: Picnic lunch at the Ichetucknee State Park
Afternoon: Arriving aboard our vehicle, we’ll meet our outfitter for an afternoon of kayaking on the river at Ichetucknee Springs. This is a one-way downstream paddle is on a quiet spring of clear water, all within Ichetucknee State Park. Its width ranges from 10 feet in the narrowest parts of the headwaters to over 100 feet in the wild rice marshes, and the current is very gentle.
Dinner: Inn buffet.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting in/out of kayaks; paddling about 4.5 hours; one-way, downstream on Santa Fe River; relatively wide waterway (averaging nearly 100 feet across) with gentle current.
Breakfast: Inn buffet.
Morning: Arrive at the put-in point on the Santa Fe River, our paddle downstream will be a one-way trip on this broad, easy-flowing river. While this is primarily a blackwater river (the most common river type in Florida), we will pass one of the greatest concentrations of clear, artesian springs in Florida. Our route will carry us past over 15 named springs and many smaller, unnamed ones, as well as a couple of swallet holes where the water flows down into the ground—basically the reverse of springs. Few rivers compare with the Santa Fe for viewing and studying freshwater springs, swallets, and the karst terrain. Along the way, we’ll make stops and have opportunities to learn more about the springs the keep our eyes peeled for wildlife.
Lunch: At Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park, we’ll have picnic lunches.
Afternoon: Remaining at Blue Springs, we’ll gather with the head park ranger who will lead a lecture and walk focused on the ecology and biodiversity of Florida’s springs, which represent some of the most endangered natural land forms in Florida. The environmental health of these systems is inextricably tied to the health of the Florida Aquifer and this presentation will illustrate the importance of springs as natural gardens, the threats that are resulting in their degradation, and a possible path for their recovery and sustainable future. We’ll then return to the inn.
Dinner: Dinner at a local restaurant
Evening: We’ll then settle in on the porch for a lecture from a Florida historian on the commerce of the river, which will feature reports about industries such as logging, impact on Native American communities, and more.
Activity note: Walking approximately 4 miles throughout the day; boardwalks, paved and packed earth trails, some avoidable steps. Getting on/off shuttle bus; driving approximately 30 miles; less than 1 hour.
Breakfast: Inn buffet.
Morning: Arriving to the park, we’ll set out on north rim of the La Chua Trail in Paynes Prairie State Park and take a morning hike with a local interpreter, who is also a senior park ranger. Paynes Prairie is the only park in Florida where visitors can experience bison and horses roaming wild, making it a unique place. Nearly 300 species of birds also frequent the park along with alligators, deer and many other animals.
Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like in the town of historic town of Micanopy. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Afternoon: We'll have a lecture in Micanopy. Continuing, we’ll hike the rims of La Chua Sink, still in Paynes Prairie, followed by a lecture from an environmental scientist who will explain why this feature plays an important role in Florida's first state preserve. Our hike will finish at Paynes Prairie headquarters where you may wish to climb to the top of the three-story Observation Tower. It’s the perfect location to take in the views of the Big Lagoon State Park landscape.
Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening: At leisure.
Activity note: Getting in/out of kayaks; paddling about 2.5 hours one-way downstream; Silver River is relatively wide, from 70 to 100 feet across, with a gentle current. Getting on/off shuttle bus; driving approximately 80 miles total; about 2 hours roundtrip.
Breakfast: Inn buffet.
Morning: Traveling via shuttle bus, we’ll arrive at Silver River Springs State Park where we will kayak down the Silver River. There are the dozens of springs along the first mile of the river including Mammoth Spring, one of the largest in the world. The clear water flowing from these springs merge to form one of Florida's most scenic rivers. The entire 5.5 mile river and the land surrounding it on both sides is within Silver River State Park, which features a semi-tropical forest of bald cypress, tupelo, red maples, green ash, holly, dogwood, elm, and palm trees.
Lunch: At Silver Springs State Park, we’ll have our picnic lunches.
Afternoon: We’ll visit the Silver Springs State Park’s head where we will board a glass bottom boat for a ride on the water. Better able to see the goings on beneath the surface, we will see the river in a whole new way.
Dinner: Inn buffet.
Evening: At leisure. You may wish to explore the Gainesville Farmers Market nearby or prepare for check-out and departures in the morning.
Activity note: Inn check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast: Inn buffet.
Morning: Immediately following breakfast, we’ll settle in for a wrap-up featuring photos and events regarding our program and Florida Springs. 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!