Signature City Savannah

Program Registration: 5:00 p.m. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table in the lobby to meet with program staff and get any updated information. 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 be accompanied on some field trips by local experts who will provide commentary as we go. At some field trip sites, the extent and duration of walking and other activities will be according to personal choice. Travel and transfers will be via trolley unless noted otherwise. Periods in the daily 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.

At the hotel.

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

At the hotel.

At the hotel, our expert in Savannah history will enlighten us on the first years in the 13th colony as experienced by our new country’s earliest citizens. The colonial era extended from the founding of Georgia in 1733 until the Revolutionary War. The last of the original 13 colonies, its early experience was markedly different from the rest. Boarding a trolley, we’ll depart on an expert-led field trip to see some of Savannah’s highlights. With our Study Leader, we’ll learn more about Savannah and her famous squares by trolley, getting on and off at select historical points. We will visit the Massie Heritage Museum, which was once Savannah’s first free public school. Completed in 1876, it is noted for its gable roof, wood cupola and cornice, and its unique connecting passageway. Wings were added in 1872 and 1886, and the school remained in operation until 1974.

At a local restaurant.

After lunch, we’ll continue on the trolley to sights such as the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Forsyth Park, Victorian District, and Squares. We will be getting on and off the trolley as we stand in front of many of these sites and walk around while hearing stories of Savannah and her people from the Study Leader. We will also be going inside the Cathedral, dedicated in 1876.

At the hotel.

An expert musician will provide a program on Negro spirituals which will include the emergence of Black music in the White world after the end of slavery, and the success of black musicians and songwriters like Scott Joplin, W.C. Handy, and Louis Armstrong. He also plays the 5-string banjo, an instrument that came out of the slave quarters of the 18th century to become a “crossover” hit in the White world during the 19th century. This talented musician accompanies his singing with guitar, banjo, and ukulele, and also plays the fife, hammered dulcimer, and concertina.

At the hotel.

We will ride by trolley to the Davenport Home where we will have a special program designed just for our group. The Federal-style home neared completion in 1820. We will have a 40-minute discussion with a slideshow before being divided into smaller groups. This experience will include refreshments in the garden at the end of the field trip. We’ll continue our discovery of Savannah’s people and places at the Savannah College of Art and Design. We’ll discover its origin story through an immersive 4D experience. The SCAD story takes guests on a journey through history, across four decades of beauty, design, and invention.

At a local restaurant.

After lunch, we’ll board our trolley to travel to the First African Baptist Church (derived from the first black Baptist congregation in North America and a National Historic Landmark). With a local historian, we will view the original fixtures and solid oak pews made by enslaved Africans. The church was a meeting place during the Civil Rights Movement.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We will begin the day with a visit by trolley to the Owens Thomas Home, where a docent will lead us. At this Regency style mansion, we’ll see the gardens, carriage house, and 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. Leaving by trolley, we will visit 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 be our expert leader throughout the museum. You may spend time in this area to browse many of the shops and a special bookstore. Afterwards, we have the choice of walking or taking the trolley back to the hotel as we adjourn for the day.

On your own.

Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. You might like to explore further in the beautiful Historic District or venture out into surrounding areas to take in sights and points of interest not included in our program.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure. See and do more of what interests you most.

At the hotel.

At the hotel, we’ll start the morning off with a presentation by a local expert on Strong Women, Strong Spirits. Afterwards, we’ll delight in an entertaining musical presentation featuring the songs of Savannah’s own Johnny Mercer, performed by an outstanding trio of a noted professional singer and musicians. Between songs, we’ll learn about the man behind the music and the life behind those timeless lyrics!

At the hotel.

Following a short block of time to ourselves, we’ll board the trolley and head to a local cooking school for an interactive demonstration of Lowcountry cooking with opportunities to volunteer for hands-on participation. We’ll learn how to prepare popular local and regional specialties as Chef Darin gives us valuable tips — spiced with humorous wit — from his vast experience.

We’ll enjoy the “fruits” of our cooking class labors, savoring the flavors of the meal we helped to prepare. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

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

At the hotel. 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!