Compare Birding in the Everglades, Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas by Road Scholar vs Country Roads of the Deep South 2022 Small Group by Insight Vacations

Day 1

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Hyatt Place Miami Airport-East

Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m. Complimentary shuttle available from Miami Airport to hotel.

Afternoon: Program Registration: After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar table at the Orientation session [please ask the front desk for the specific location] to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing your name-tag, up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes. If your arrival is delayed, please ask for your packet when you check in. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. If your arrival is delayed, please ask for your packet when you check in. Unless specified otherwise, all transportation will be provided via passengers vans. Our Group Leader will lead all field trips unless otherwise noted. Evenings will often include a review of the day’s sightings and an introduction to the activities for the following day with the remainder of the night at leisure. Meals at local restaurants will have plated table service of regional dishes from a select menu with soft drinks, coffee, tea and water included; other beverages available for purchase. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. 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 local restaurant, we’ll enjoy a plated meal from a select menu with soft drinks, iced tea, and water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the full day ahead.

Day 2

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Marathon

Everglades National Park, Transfer to Marathon

Activity note: Hiking about 2 miles on uneven terrain. Total driving distance is about 88 miles, approximately 2.5 hours.

Breakfast: At the hotel, choose from a variety of hot and lighter breakfast options including hot and cold cereals, fresh fruit, breakfast breads and pastries, an egg dish, juice, coffee, tea and water.

Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we will board our van and set out for the Everglades for a morning of birding at the Anhinga Trail and the Pine Island Area. Led by our Group Leader, we’ll go for a walk along the Anhinga Trail while learning about local animals and the impact of human development on the ecosystem of the Everglades.

Lunch: At the park, we’ll have a delicious and healthy picnic lunch including fresh salad and/or sandwiches.

Afternoon: We’ll then finish up our time at the Pine Island Area and transfer to Marathon. Along the way, we will have some other birding opportunities at Duck Key and Isla Morada so be sure to keep an eye out! Upon arrival, we will check into the hotel with some time to relax and freshen up before dinner.

Dinner: At a local restaurant, we’ll have a plated meal from a select menu with soft drinks, iced tea and water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At the hotel each evening, we’ll review the day's birding activities and outline the destinations for the following day. The remainder of the evening will be at leisure.

Day 3

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Marathon

Long Key State Park, Curry Hammock, Ohio Key, Layton Trail

Activity note: Walking about 2 miles on a combination of uneven terrain and boardwalks.

Breakfast: At the hotel, a bountiful breakfast buffet will include many choices including an egg dish, breakfast meats, pastries and breads, yogurt, hot and cold cereals, coffee, tea and water.

Morning: We’ll embark on a field trip to Long Key State Park where white-crowned pigeons and the rare Key West Quail Doves can be spotted. Most migratory songbirds, including warblers, vireos and thrushes migrate at night, guided by the stars, landmarks and the earth’s magnetic fields. During the peak of migration, hundreds of songbirds can be heard and seen at first light, arriving from their flights over the Gulf and Florida Bay waters to make landfall in the Florida Keys. We will walk the Golden Orb trail through the park led by our knowledgeable Group Leader.

Lunch: At the park, we’ll enjoy a delicious and healthy lunch including fresh salad and/or sandwiches.

Afternoon: We’ll then continue our bird search along the coastal Layton Trail, abundant with plant and animal life. Once we complete our walk, we will board the van and transfer back to Marathon.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 4

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: 24 North Hotel - Key West

7 Miles Bridge, Bahia Honda, Keys Sugarloaf, Deer & West

Activity note: Walking about 2 miles on a combination of uneven terrain and boardwalks. Driving about 52 miles, approximately 1.5 hours.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Once checked out of the hotel, we’ll transfer to a field trip to Bahia Honda, one of the most productive shorebird sites in the Keys. The 3 mile beach supports a diverse array of species including reddish egret, short-billed dowitcher, piping plover and blackbellied plover. We’ll join a Florida Park Service Biologist to observe and learn about the shorebird species that utilize the park before assisting her in conducting a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Non-breeding Shorebird Survey as citizen scientists.

Lunch: At the park, we’ll enjoy a lunch of salads and sandwiches.

Afternoon: Carrying on to Key West, we’ll make stops at Summerland Key, Sugarloaf Key, and Key Deer Sanctuary where local experts will lead us to some of the most famous birding spots in the region while providing commentary on the local area’s ecological characteristics. We will check into the hotel upon arrival in the mid afternoon.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 5

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: 24 North Hotel - Key West

Dry Tortugas National Park

Activity note: Walking about 1.5 miles on terrain of varying smoothness and some sandy trails. Early embarkation before breakfast to walk to the Dry Tortugas National Park Ferry; getting on/ferry; indoor air conditioning and outdoor seating on this 150 passenger catamaran for the 2.5 hour ride.

Breakfast: Aboard the ship, we’ll have a breakfast buffet including bagels, cereal, yogurt, fruits, juices, coffee, tea and water.

Morning: En route to Dry Tortugas National Park, our onboard naturalist will give provide an orientation lecture on the area and the national park's surroundings. During our voyage, we will enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Marquesa Islands, Boca Grande, and have the possibility to see turtles and dolphins while listening to pirate legends.

Lunch: Aboard the catamaran, we’ll enjoy a buffet lunch.

Afternoon: Continue birding in the park. The Dry Tortugas play an important part in the lives of birds migrating between South America and the eastern United States because they are the first bits of dry land that these birds see during that trip. Many birds even die of starvation en route. Birders may be so lucky as to see an Antillean short-eared owl, sighted fairly frequently, as well as peregrine falcons, warblers, ruddy turnstones, and frigatebirds. The only nesting colony of Magnificent Frigatebirds in North America resides on these islands along with the largest Sooty Tern colony in the Northern Hemisphere on nearby Bush Key with some Brown Noddies.

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. Sample something from the many restaurants Key West has to offer.

Evening: At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

Day 6

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Ocean Pointe Suites at Key Largo

Fort Zachary Taylor, Key West Beach, Windley Key, Tavernier

Activity note: Walking about 2 miles on a combination of uneven, sandy, and boardwalk terrain. Driving about 98 miles with stops along the way, approximately 2 hours.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: To begin, we’ll check out of the hotel and transfer to Fort Zachary Taylor for a field trip led by a park ranger. We’ll learn about Florida's southernmost state park, U.S. Military history of the Civil War and the Spanish-American War, and the role that Fort Zachary Taylor played in it. The fort was built in the mid-1800s and completed in 1866 as one of a series designed to defend the nation's southeastern coastline. Afterwards, we’ll hit the sand at the Key West Beach Area for a birding walk with our Group Leader and a local expert.

Lunch: At the park for a lunch of salads and sandwiches.

Afternoon: We’ll travel to Widley Key Fossil Reef State Park for a field trip where we will walk along 8-foot-high quarry walls to see cross sections of ancient coral. Led by a local expert, we’ll learn about the history of the quarry and its operation—an important part of Florida's 20th century history—as we walk among samples of the quarry machinery that has been preserved at the park. We’ll then carry on to check-in at the hotel and have some time to freshen up before our farewell dinner.

Dinner: At a local restaurant. Share some of your favorite experiences from the program with new Road Scholar friends.

Evening: At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Day 7

Meals: Breakfast

Dagny Johnson Botanical State Park, Program Concludes

Key Largo Florida Keys  B

Activity note: Hotel check-out by 7:00 a.m. Walking about 1.5 miles on paved terrain and boardwalks. Driving about 70 miles, approximately 1.5 hours.

Breakfast: At a local restaurant, we’ll have a plated meal including juice, coffee, tea and water.

Morning: After breakfast, we’ll begin our transfer to Miami Airport with a stop on the way to the Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park where we will enjoy our final field trip of the program. Led by our Group Leader on some trails, we may find breeding populations of white-crowned pigeons, black-whiskered vireos, mangrove cuckoos and, if we are lucky, migrating warblers. Sightings of the Zenaida dove, thick-billed vireo and the rare LaSagra's flycatcher are also documented. We’ll then continue our transfer to the airport. This concludes our program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Day 1: Arrive in Nashville

Welcome to Nashville, the capital of Tennessee and the USA’s glittering centre stage. From the Everly Brothers' “Bye Bye Love," to Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman," the streets are paved with talent. Your airport transfer will whisk you to your hotel.Relax and unwind before meeting your Travel Director and mingling with guests at 18:00 followed by a Welcome Dinner with wine.

Day 2: Take centre stage in Nashville

Start your day with an orientation tour of music city. You'll visit the picturesque Riverfront Park, Tennessee State Capitol and the 132 acre Centennial State Park, where you'll encounter an exact replica of the Parthenon. Pass by the city's lively honky-tonks and street performers on Broadway, as you make your way to the Ryman Auditorium, former home of the Grand Ole Opry. Built in 1885 as a building for religious gatherings, it held its first concert in 1892, before opening its doors to Hollywood greats. It is here where Johnny Cash first met June Carter, where bluegrass was born and where country music found an audience. Tonight, head to the famous Grand Ole Opry, the world-renowned country music stage and longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history.

Day 3: A day of legends

Go behind the scenes of a Nashville recording studio. This intimate experience introduces you to a performing artist, musicians and the techniques behind a song’s development. Make a stop at Nashville’s Farmers' Market and Market House to explore its artisanal crafts and produce.Explore Nashville with Insight Choice. Choose to visit Nelson’s Green Brier, a local Tennessee distillery and home of the Original Tennessee Whiskey. Alternatively, visit the National Museum of African American Music, which shares the story of the American soundtrack through history and interactive technology.Tonight's dinner at Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant will introduce you to the colourful flavours of Nashville. Perhaps try the crabmeat cheesecake.

Day 4: Heading back home to Memphis

This morning you'll head to Memphis. Whether it’s your first or hundredth time visiting this vibrant city, you’ll be drawn in by the lively melodies coming from Beale Street.Spend the morning on a sightseeing tour of the city, followed by a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the National Civil Rights Museum. While there, you’ll be guided through five centuries of The Civil Rights Movement history and its impact on our culture today.End your day by joining a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with a private evening at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The museum is part of The Soulsville Foundation, which aims to prepare young adults for life success and inspire future artists.

Day 5: A day dedicated to the King

Begin you day with a visit to Sun Studio, the “birthplace of rock and roll”, where music legends, including B.B. King, Johnny Cash and Elvis recorded.Make your way to the magnificent Graceland, the former home of the "King of Rock and Roll," Elvis Presley.Dinner this evening will be served at The Beauty Shop, a former parlour turned whimsical New American eatery where Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla, was said to get her hair done.

Day 6: Memphis to Greenwood

Travel through the Mississippi Delta down the Mississippi Blues Trail, a route that tells the stories of bluesmen and women. Explore the Delta town of Greenwood at your own pace, before heading to the Viking Cooking School for a hot tamales cooking demonstration - a regional specialty.Later, dine on a mouthwatering dinner at a James Beard Award finalist restaurant that features southern inspired dishes that include produce local to the area.

Day 7: Moving on to Natchez

Learn more about Southern history and hospitality as you head to Natchez. Tour the historic antebellum mansions, and discover the preservation efforts of later generations to tell the story of African-Americans through the decades, understanding that slavery and cotton allowed plantation owners to build these mansions. Test your mixologist skills as you concoct a traditional Southern cocktail, the Mint Julep. Minty, cooling and with a touch of sweetness, you're sure to learn a few party tricks to bring back home with you. Enjoy an evening to yourself. Ask your Travel Director for restaurant suggestions and discover one of the wonderful options in town.

Day 8: Natchez to Lafayette

Move on to Lafayette for a taste of the Cajun and Creole culture. Get to know more about Cajun culture and how it is defined by its roots.Head to the Acadian Cultural Center followed by a unique Cajun music experience.A genre rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians, it is both eclectic and joyous. Learn more about this fast tempo music and its history from a local accordion maker and musician.In the evening, indulge in a delicious dinner with your fellow travellers.

Day 9: Lafayette for foodies

Start the day with a crawfish farm tour just outside the city. You will be joined by a Local Expert who will help you catch your lunch the old-fashioned way, using hand nets. You’ll be taught how to prepare a traditional boil, before sitting down to the meal. If crawfish are out of season, you'll take part in a boil experience with seasonal seafood. Later, enjoy time at leisure or head out on an optional swamp tour.

Day 10: Welcome to the Big Easy

New Orleans is a lively and dynamic city, known for its vibrant culture and electric jazz festivals. On the way down south, stop at the Tabasco® Factory for a self-guided tour and discover how the world-famous red hot pepper sauce is made. This afternoon, head to the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, where you’ll learn more about the city’s diverse cuisine with a guided tour and included lunch.

Day 11: Festivities in New Orleans Relaxed Start

Get to know the city with a Local Expert as you discover each neighborhood's unique architecture and explore the vibrant art scene. See how the community comes together through celebration.In the afternoon, take your pick of optional activities, perhaps getting to know the local culture through a jazz music experience or by meeting a voodoo specialist.End your day by joining your fellow travellers at a Celebration Dinner at the Palace Cafe - a contemporary and upbeat Creole restaurant at the foot of the French Quarter.

Day 12: Depart New Orleans

It’s time to say goodbye to your fellow travellers as your adventure comes to an end with a departure to the airport.