Highlights

Itinerary

Day 1 – Amelia Island

Travel today takes you to Amelia Island, FL for a three-night stay at a local hotel.  Dinner is included tonight at a local restaurant. (D)

Day 2 – Guided Tour of Amelia Island – Fernandina Beach – Kingsley Plantation Tour – Free Evening Amelia Island

Start the day with a Guided Tour of Amelia Island. With 13 miles of beautiful beaches, abundant native wildlife, and pristine waters, this barrier island has long been a beloved destination for visitors and residents alike. Enjoy a tour through the historic downtown covering the history of the buildings, homes, and a historical exploration (it was controlled by France, Spain and England) of the area.

This afternoon you will have time to explore Fernandina Beach. Fernandina Beach is on Amelia Island at Florida’s northeast border.  Downtown Fernandina Beach also offers boutique shopping and a range of scrumptious restaurants. 

Then you head to Jacksonville to tour the Kingsley Plantation located on Fort George Island. Anna Kingsley was the first black woman in Florida to own three plantations and her own slaves. This is a must hear story. You can explore the grounds at Kingsley Plantation, which include the slave quarters, barn, waterfront, plantation house, kitchen house, and interpretive garden. The visitor contact station/bookstore is located in a 1920s building adjacent to the plantation buildings.

Returning to Amelia Island, dinner is on your own. Explore the town, there are many wonderful shops and restaurants. (B)

Day 3 – Guided Tour of St. Augustine – Black Raven Pirate Cruise – Fountain of Youth – Dinner & Show Lives of Henry Flagler

This morning you head to St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city, and also one of the nation’s most charming. Meet a local guide and start the day with a city tour. Discover more than four centuries of history that owes much to the Spanish and English, to Greeks and Native Americans and African Americans. Afterwards, you have time for lunch on own and shopping in the Historic District.

Next, you take a ride on the Black Raven Pirate Ship. This is a one-of-a-kind live pirate show full of music, thrills and pure entertainment! Participate in our adventure, sing along with our crew, and find your inner pirate while you see the beautiful sights of the Matanzas River.

Then the last attraction of the afternoon is Ponce De Leon’s Fountain of Youth (c.a.1513.) You will discover it as an Archaeological Park and you will learn of that first encounter in 1513 between the Spanish and the Indians. Your tour guide will also show you the original spring and you will have a chance to drink from just as thousands before you have.

Tonight, you will enjoy a dinner and show at the Raintree Restaurant, a restored St. Augustine 1879 Colonial Victorian Home.  Following dinner, you enjoy the “The Lives & Wives of Henry Flagler”. Hear the story of empire builder Henry Morrison Flagler. His tremendous accomplishments during the glorious Gilded Age are seen through the eyes of his three captivating wives. As each tells her own story the true Henry Flagler comes alive. Return to Amelia Island after dinner. (B,D)

Day 4 – Kennedy Space Center – Cocoa Beach

Departing Amelia Island this morning, you travel to Cape Canaveral to visit the Kennedy Space Center. The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center) is one of ten National Aeronautics and Space Administration field centers. Since December 1968, Kennedy Space Center has been NASA’s primary launch center of human spaceflight. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC.[2] Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Then end the day in Cocoa Beach, FL for an overnight stay.  Enjoy free time at Cocoa Beach, known as the Last Stop Before Space. Cocoa Beach is where astronauts and their families enjoy their time before launching to the stars. Stroll down the Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier like Alan Shepard, and head to his park located behind Ron Jon Surf Shop, to enjoy the sun, sand and surf. Dinner is on your own this evening. (B)

Day 5 – Miami – Little Havana Art Tour – Biscayne Bay and Millionaire’s Row Cruise – Dinner at Havana 1957

Travel today to Miami, FL where on arrival, you meet a local guide for a Little Havana Art Tour. Little Havana boasts a thriving arts and culture scene with a distinctly Cuban flair. The streets are colorful with both painted and mosaic tile murals. They depict symbols of Cuba, like tropical fruit, musical instruments, dominos, and cigars, while others illustrate Cuban legends, from poet and revolutionary Jose Marti to the singer Celia Cruz who once performed in the neighborhood.

This afternoon, enjoy a sightseeing cruise of Biscayne Bay. You will have the best views of the Downtown Miami skyline, the Port of Miami, Fisher Island, Miami Beach and Millionaire’s Row – the homes of the rich and famous.  Then check into your Miami hotel for the night.

Following time to freshen up, dinner is included this evening at Havana 1957. Offering an authentic taste of Cuba, Havana 1957 is a new breed of restaurant in Miami, Florida offering guests the chance to spend un dia en la Habana and to experience the glory and glamour of old Cuba during 1950s. (B,D)

Day 6 – Everglades Tram Tour – Sun Harvest Citrus – Fort Myers – Broadway Palm Dinner Theater

Departing Miami today, take a two-hour Everglades Tram Tour through the Shark Valley section of Everglades National Park. Shark Valley naturalists escort this tour, and are fully prepared to make your journey a memorable one. Besides giving insight into the ecosystem as a whole, your naturalist will also help to point out some of the “hidden” aspects of the Everglades that help to make this a world-renowned wetlands.  The open vehicles used on this tram tours allow visitors to view wildlife within the sawgrass prairies on either side of the tram.

Travel continues to Fort Myers, FL, but first you make a stop at Sun Harvest Citrus. For over 30 years they have been a must stop for locals and tourists alike. Known for their juicy hand-picked citrus, the fresh squeezed juices along with gourmet foods, tropical wines and famous soft serve ice cream it will be sure to please. 

Then check into your Fort Myers hotel for a two-night stay.  Tonight, enjoy dinner and a show at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. Broadway Palm Theatre features nationally selected performers, dazzling sets and costumes and a live orchestra. The show is just part of the package, as chefs put their talents to work creating a menu that changes with each production.

Current 2023 schedule: Joseph in the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Jan 6-Feb 11, Jersey Boys Feb 17-April 9, Sister Act April 14-May 20, Footloose May 26-July 1, and The Little Mermaid July 11-Aug 12. (B,D)

Day 7 – Edison & Ford Winter Estates – Old Town Sanibel – Tram Tour – Sunset Dolphin Cruise

Start the day with a visit to the Edison Ford Winter Estates and discover the genius of two American innovators, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. There are many different options to explore, with nine historic buildings, acres of lush gardens, Edison’s original botanic research laboratory and the 15,000-square-foot museum filled with hundreds of inventions and artifacts, special exhibit galleries and documentaries about the famous inventors.

Then you head to Sanibel Island for the afternoon. Enjoy a break for lunch and shopping in Old Town Sanibel. Old Town encircles the east end of the island near the Sanibel Lighthouse. Historically, it was the center of much of the island’s activity; today, it is a place to stroll quaint village shops, inns and restaurants.

This afternoon you explore the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge with a tram tour. Your experienced naturalists can help you spot wildlife most visitors would never see. Hop on the tram that travels along Wildlife Drive through the J.N. “Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge for a 90-minute tour. Search for roseate spoonbills, herons, egrets, ibis, alligators and much more while learning about the refuge’s ecology and history!

Dinner tonight is at restaurant located at the Sanibel Marina.  Returning to Fort Myers, this evening you enjoy a Sunset Dolphin Cruise. Delight in a 90 minute scenic journey in to the Gulf of Mexico stopping for dolphins, bird rookeries and other wildlife along the way. Learn about the green flash that sometimes is seen at sunset, this cruise is laid back and a great way to end your day. Bring your favorite drinks! (B,D)

Day 8 – St Petersburg/Clearwater – Dali Museum – Tour & Tasting at the Florida Orange Groves Winery – Clearwater Dinner Cruise

Today, travel to the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area. Start with a tour the Dali Museum, housing the largest collection outside Europe of the works of the artist Salvador Dali. Visitors to the museum, who often know Dali solely as a surrealist, are surprised at the variety of his art. His early works include landscapes, portraits and still life, while his later works capture fascinating double images and immense religious paintings.

The afternoon features a tour and tasting at the Florida Orange Grove Winery. It is Florida’s original tropical fruit winery, producing over 43 different varieties of tropical wines. Each of the flavored wines are made from 100% juice, never grape base, creating premium tropical wines with true fruit flavors. With unique options such as Key Lime, Hurricane White Sangria and Mango Momma, you’ll be relieved to sip on wine that actually tastes good!

Then check into your St. Petersburg area hotel for the night.  This evening, take a Clearwater Beach Dinner Cruise. Enjoy a great dinner, live entertainment and dancing with some of the best waterfront views in all of Clearwater Beach. (B,D)

Day 9 – Silver Springs Nature’s Theme Park – Gainesville – Florida Museum of Natural History

This morning, stop in Silver Springs Florida at Nature’s Theme Park. This was one of Florida’s first tourist attractions. It is also one of the largest artesian springs in the world, and the park quickly became renowned for the Glass Bottom Boat tour. It provides you a unique vantage point and the experienced Tour Guides will give you an up-close and personal look at Florida’s amazingly diverse ecosystem! You have the best seats in the house for viewing wildlife, taking pictures, asking questions, and learning about the lore and history of Silver Springs!

Continue travel to Gainesville, FL where you visit the Florida Museum of Natural History. Your visit includes the Butterfly Rainforest and additional exhibits.  Then check into your Gainesville hotel for the night.  Dinner is included this evening at a local restaurant. (B,D)

Day 10 – Depart for Home

After breakfast, depart for home. (B)