History & Ecology: Okefenokee Swamp, Amelia & Cumberland Islands

I really enjoyed this program. Of the four days, my favorite days were the trips to Okefenokee Swamp and Cumberland Island. The other days were nice, but I'm more interested in nature. We did learn a lot about the history of the people who lived in the area. My personal (selfish) preference would have been to spend less time on the history of rich people and more time on nature. The last day, our Cumberland Island ramble was fabulous, except the naturalist guide never stopped talking so I couldn't enjoy the sounds of nature. I suspect most people enjoyed her chatty talk. The hotel was very nice and quiet. There's a "greeenway" behind it with miles of paths... and it's 0.2 miles from the beach. Our fearless leader, Becky, was wonderful.

This was a lovely adventure that I probably wouldn't have undertaken on my own. The activities were perfectly curated, and the company was very enjoyable. Thank you for another wonderful trip!

great program from Road Scholar

We had a wonderful time on the Amelia Island trip with Terri. She was a great leader and very nimble as we had to make many changes to the itinerary due to extremely cold weather. Stana and Don Bextel

Overall, would rate this trip as a "C". Based on our last three trips, Road Scholar hasn't updated their "info" mailing since before Covid, and they have become lax on including a "final" mailing. For example, on this trip the info packet said to bring two water bottles and a backpack to carry your lunch on Cumberland Island. However, our Group Leader said "I only bring one water bottle as there are several places where you can get water", and "everybody eats on the ferry". Our accommodations, particularly the Inn food, were excellent as were the staff. Our kitchenette didn't meet our standards of cleanliness. Our Group Leader didn't have us introduce ourselves (at least she didn't until we asked her to), and wasn't precise on our next day activities. I had the wrong lens on my camera two days because of her vague descriptions. Another example was that we had a 3.5 mile nature trail that started behind the Inn. She never mentioned it. I stumbled on it the last day. We didn't get to see the end of a DVD because it took 45 to get sound, something one of our group finally figured out. We were very disappointed in the National Park guides. They didn't mention sea turtles, feral pigs, or discuss the ecology. Rather, they gave us Carnegie's ancestors version of the island's history. We would have loved to have heard about Carol Ruckdeschel; if it wasn't for her, Cumberland Island would be another Hilton Head. The Trolleys, while quaint, only let you see in the direction your seat faced. The historic homes and building were set too far back for a trolley view; mature trees and vegetation also blocked the view. I would have liked to have had a walking tour. We went there to learn about the ecology and to see the shorebirds. We NEVER had a chance to walk on the beach. The Okefenokee, where we had an outstanding guide, only took us on the old man-made canals. While we had a short walk on a boardwalk, it would have nice if we could have gone on a walk in the woods.

This was a fun trip. Our guide, Jennifer was well organized and very kind. The leaders/presenters were great. Christina was an encyclopedia of knowledge. The food was good, but a couple of meals were messed up for us, as is somewhat usual, as we are vegetarians. The hotel was conveniently located, clean and spacious. The hotel dining staff was wonderful, especially Jerry, who made us feel really special. We didn't see many alligators in the swamp, which was disappointing, and we couldn't go on the beach at Cumberland Island because of the recent hurricanes. That being said, we enjoyed the trip and loved being on the beach at Amelia Island.

We had a fantastic time! The trip is the perfect balance between nature and history. It was very well-organized with nice accommodations and good food. The speakers were all extremely interesting, knowledgeable, and friendly, as was our group leader, Camilla. She did a great job guiding us through the week.

Thank you Anne Perry for ensuring all participants of this tour had an excellent Road Scholar tour. I would recommend this tour to others and will also recommend Anne Perry as a Group Leader.

I enjoyed my first Road Scholar trip. It was very well organized. Everything that was promised was 100% delivered. The accommodations and restaurants selected were outstanding.

Fantastic program! We were lucky to have ideal weather--no rain, neither too hot nor too cold--and Terrie was a wonderful group leader. I would love to attend another program led by her. Our experts were so varied but all wonderful!

This was another delightful Road Scholar experience, combining local history with interesting exposure to nature and uncommon subject lectures.

Highly recommend this trip, and Road scholar tours. This was our first experience, and loved every minute of it, plan on doing another.

Fun program with a good leader and good participants. Enjoyed staying in one convenient location with a free shuttle for free time, close to the beach and some good restaurants

This was my second participation on this superb program ; we had an exceptional coordinator / leader Peggy B and experienced experts on all the excursions. Highlights were the Okefenokee Swamp / Chesser Island outing , a day on Cumberland Island and the marvelous Egan's Creek Greenway just behind our hotel that we also explored by boat.

Enjoyable experience and looking forward to our next Road Scholar trip. -George

Well planned, interesting, easy pace, exceptional guides, excellent accommodations, delightful participants, amazing wildlife. Yes, I would do it again. Julia

Excellent Program!

Combining Cumberland Island with Okefenokee Swamp, and an educational boat ride with an expert on the shrimping industry makes an interesting outdoor experience

My first Road Scholar trip was to Cumberland Island, Okefenokee Swamp and Amelia Island. I had to coerce my husband into going but, am happy to report the experience was so positive we are BOTH looking forward to our next trip!

Because of their variety, educational components, various timeframes and value, the Road Scholar programs enable travelers to select the perfect trips for their individual needs/interests.

This was a fun and interesting trip. I especially liked the boat trips -- ferry ride to Cumberland Island, narrated boat trip on Amelia River, and narrated boat ride into Okefenokee swamp.

Road Scholar provides a well organized, well-led trip with interesting, informative, truly expert guides. Their small group trips make for fun comradery and all for a great value! If I never go on anything but Road Scholar trips from now on that is fine. They have so many, varied trips it will never grow old!

This was a 5 Star trip! The group leader Micki was organized and friendly, making each day relaxing and enjoyable. The naturalists and speakers were VERY interesting and immersed in their subjects, making the classes and field trips to this lovely area extra special. The Residence Inn was tops. Staff really pleasant. Breakfast super. Don’t miss this experience!

This was a fun and interesting experience and I highly recommend it .

Delightful winter location to learn about Cumberland Island, salt marshes and estuaries, the Okefenokee Swamp, Amelia Island and Ft. Clinch in a short program.

5 stars for this program! We loved the itinerary and the variety of outdoor experiences. Well planned bathroom breaks, and fascinating lectures made this week special and comfortable. We saw alligators, turtles, birds of prey. The “free time and dinner on our own” was the only disappointment - without a car on Amelia Island there isn’t much to do. Luckily, we had rented a car at the airport and so for the one half day “free time”, we visited the local animal shelter. The Marriott hotel was above average food - 4 of us had selected the vegetarian meal choice and the Marriott did a great job of providing tasty vegetarian entrees.

Very peaceful and educational trip of serene nature protected Cumberland Island; the Okefenokee Swamp (I never knew it was in Georgia!); and Amelia Island in Florida. Felt like a different world from the Walt Disney World Florida we all think about. Highly recommended esp in the cooler months

We had a great time: Cumberland Island & the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge are jewels. Amelia Island is a pretty little beach town. The Resident Inn by Marriott was very comfortable & staff was welcoming (although a couple of the dinners were overcooked/under-seasoned but we appreciated the effort during this pandemic). The group lead, Julie Cardenas, was friendly, professional & organized. The program speakers, from the island ecology expert to the local historian to Kevin McCarthy on the river boat trip, were excellent & informative. This trip is definitely recommended!

A fun Island experience combining seashore and swamp events.

I enjoyed the program and every day was interesting. The trip to the Okefenokee Swamp was special. We are in Florida for the winter, and wanted to see a part of Florida and Georgia we were not familiar with.

Fabulous trip, even if it was unseasonably cool. Great leader, excellent food, especially the local shrimp. Our motel was close to the beach, had bicylces you could explore the beautiful local greenways, and the town of Amelia was charming. Boat ride on Okefenokee was beautiful and Cumberland Island was spectacular with wild horses, empty beaches and gorgeous live oaks with palmetto palms. Toured original mansions and modest dwellings of original inhabitants, but wish we had had more time to walk through the beautiful natural areas.

A delightful exploration of the history that makes this region so unique as well as opportunities to view the flora and fauna of the area in their natural habitat. Discoveries galore!

The Amelia Island, Cumberland Island, and Okefenokee Swamp trip was a delightful winter break in unique places. The trip was a good blend of experiences by boat, van, bus, and walking.