Florida’s Natural Treasures: Hike, Bike & Kayak the Everglades

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).

Afternoon: After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to meet the Group Leader and confirm the time and place of Orientation. Your program materials will be sent to you a few days before the program, digitally, through your roadscholar.org account. This includes your program itinerary, any related handouts, and restaurant/free time suggestions. Please plan to print them out and bring along to the program, utilize the hotel's business center to access them, or view them on your own personal electronic device. 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. Our kayaking adventure will be led by a local naturalist who will provide commentary on our surroundings. All transportation throughout the program will be via hotel van. 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 Ivey House.

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: Biking up to 14 miles in 3 hours. Walking on trails, sometimes on uneven terrain. Picnic lunch after bike loop.

Breakfast: At the inn.

Morning: Boarding a van, we will ride to our first trailhead at Shark Valley. We will embark on a 14 mile bike loop and have an opportunity for a nature walk to see local flora and fauna.

Lunch: Boxed lunch.

Afternoon: We will venture to the gallery of Clyde Butcher, a wilderness photographer who specializes in the Florida landscape. You will have an opportunity to tour his gallery and learn more about the diverse Florida environment.

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.

Activity note: Kayaking up to 5 miles in 3 hours; transfers via hotel van; 2 mile trail walk during sunset; lecture in evening

Breakfast: At the inn.

Morning: After breakfast with our naturalist, we will ride by van to the put-in for our next kayaking field trip from Seagrape Drive to Halfway Creek. As we paddle among the mangroves, we’ll learn about some of the unique adaptations of flora and fauna of the Everglades.

Lunch: Boxed Lunch

Afternoon: We will visit the 10,000 Islands National Wildlife Refuge to embark in a sunset nature walk up to 2 miles.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: After dinner, we will return to the Ivey House to listen to a local expert lecture about the conservation of the Everglades.

Activity note: Getting in/out of a van. Biking up to 14 miles; Walking up to 2 miles; private airboat ride

Breakfast: At the inn.

Morning: After breakfast, we will arrive to the Fakahatchee State Park to bike Jane's Scenic Drive, an 11- mile long road that is only accessible by bicycle.

Lunch: Boxed lunch.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will explore an area via foot that is known for Royal Palms, Cypress trees, and rare orchids. We will then experience a private airboat ride to explore a wildlife refuge.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Boat tour, kayaking up to 6 miles in the afternoon; due to a limited number of kayaks allowed on the Turner River, you may need to share a tandem kayak.

Breakfast: At the inn.

Morning: We will be taking a boat tour of the Ten Thousand Islands - a chain of islands and mangrove islets off the coast of southwest Florida.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Paddle into the heart of the Everglades entering a Bald Cypress Pond Apple Ecosystem. We will glide through the fresh water observing air plants, wading birds, and alligators in their natural habitat. Float by basking alligators as we start to paddle into a brackish water ecosystem and enter the mangrove tunnels.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

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

Activity note: Getting in/out of a van. Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.; airport shuttle leaves at 11:00 a.m.; please book departures no earlier than 2:00 p.m.

Breakfast: At the inn.

Morning: We’ll head by hotel van to Big Cypress Nature Preserve, where we’ll hear an expert lecture on the Everglades before returning to the 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 rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!