Pre and Post Tours

Friday, June 1 – Monday, June 4. Three nights

Enjoy the beautiful, off-the-beaten-path Englewood Beach area, where sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico combine with sugar-soft sand and sunshine to make for the perfect beachside getaway. Whether you are searching for seashells, finding fossilized shark teeth, or visiting the nearly pristine, undeveloped Stump Pass Beach State Park, you’ll discover that the beauty and natural offerings of our beaches are unparalleled. Explore Florida’s Gulf Coast by waterway aboard a personal, motorized catamaran on a sunset eco-tour with Riding The Waves, then challenge yourself and test your balance while stand-up paddleboarding with Hooked on SUP. Unique water activities are as much a staple of the destination as are meals of fresh caught seafood and Sunday evening sunset drum circles on the beach. Join us to see why our motto is “Our Best Side, is Outside!”

www.ridingthewaves.net
hookedonsup.com/

Minimum: 2
Maximum: 4
Level: Easy Attire: Cool and comfortable. Walking shoes. Sunscreen. Sunglasses. Hat.

Saturday, June 2 – Monday, June 4. Two nights

Enjoy accommodations in the resort city of Marco Island with easy access to the Gulf Coast portion of Everglades National Park and the expansive Big Cypress National Preserve. You’ll be greeted with a beachfront welcome dinner at sunset. The following day, find out the latest news about the invasive Burmese pythons that are negatively impacting native wildlife in the western Everglades region. Meet “Wildman,” one of the python hunters contracted by South FL Water Management District to hunt pythons, and Big Cypress National Preserve’s resident photographer, Joey Waves. Through stories and images they’ll share news and views of what’s happening in the Big Cypress, and escort you on a nature boardwalk hike into the heart of a cypress dome. Back on the island, take some time to enjoy the beach. Later, you’ll learn about the ancient “Key Marco Cat” Calusa sculpture discovered on Marco Island in 1896, which will be returning for an extended exhibit this November on loan from the Smithsonian. Take a cruise on board the research vessel Dolphin Explorer with the team from the 10,000 Islands Dolphin Project to spot and learn about the area’s resident dolphin population.

Transportation to Westin Cape Coral Resort – arrive by 3:30 pm

Minimum: 2
Maximum: 5
Level: Easy Attire: Cool and comfortable. Walking shoes. Sunscreen. Sunglasses. Hat.

Saturday, June 2 – Monday, June 4, 2018, Two nights

Saturday, June 2

Arrive in Fort Myers, day on your own. Overnight at hotel

Sunday, June 3

Departing at 8 am for fast ferry Key West Express will whisk up to 10 guests from Fort Myers to historic Key West, the fascinating and scenic southernmost city in the continental United States. The catamaran cruises through the Gulf of Mexico’s aquamarine-tinged waters at 40 mph (34 knots), aboard the three-deck 170-foot-long Key West Express. Comfortable amenities for the smooth four-hour journey include air-conditioned interiors and exterior sun decks, a full-service galley and bar, couches or reclining airline-style seating, and flat screen TVs with satellite television.

With a scheduled arrival into Key West at noon, guests will get VIP treatment with complimentary attractions passes, a custom tour, meals highlighting succulent Florida Keys seafood, and leisure time to explore the historic two- by four-mile island. Nightly sunsets are something to celebrate in Key West.

Our host hotel is the luxurious, iconic beachside 311-room Casa Marina Key West, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, located at 1500 Reynolds St., established in the 1920s, and within easy walking distance of famed Duval Street. With two subtropical pools, 1,100 feet of beachfront, fine dining and water sports, Casa Marina combines modern luxury and historic beauty.

Monday, June 4

After breakfast, participants can choose from a variety of water- or land-based activities. After lunch, guests are free to explore individual story angles with scheduled interviews or relax poolside at Casa Marina.

Key West Express departs Key West at 6 pm, although boarding will take place earlier to go back to Fort Myers, with a scheduled 10 pm arrival.

June 7 – June 9. Two nights.

On this trip to Punta Gorda, you will spend your days surrounded by nature and your nights enveloped in luxury. Take a guided tour of Babcock Ranch, a sustainable community and the first solar-powered town in the country. Nearby, a Babcock Ranch Eco-Tour will provide an exciting excursion on a refurbished school bus, acting as a swamp buggy, to show you the area’s authentic Old Florida environment, wildlife and diverse terrain. Enjoy staying at The Wyvern Hotel, a designated Condé Nast Johansens property, complete with luxury amenities, a rooftop bar and pool. The next day, return to nature at Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens, offering a harmonious balance between lush greenery and funky modern art, this 27-acre waterfront oasis is set to become the largest botanical garden in Florida. Finally, visit Fishermen’s Village, a one-stop-shop plaza with waterfront views, offering quirky local shops, delicious restaurants and a bustling full-service marina.

www.babcockranch.com
babcockranchecotours.com/
www.thewyvernhotel.com/
peacerivergardens.org/
www.fishville.com/

Minimum: 2
Maximum: 4
Level: Easy Attire: Cool and comfortable. Walking shoes. Sunscreen. Sunglasses. Hat.

Be among the eight lucky travel writers who will earn the exclusive opportunity to visit “Gloriously Natural Glades County.” Enjoy accommodations at Silver Lake Preserve, owned by Lykes Bros. Inc., just outside LaBelle, in Muse. This pristine 1,876-acre tract of land offers a customized hunting program during season and features some of the best year-round native wildlife viewing – alligators, quail, wild hog and Osceola turkey – opportunities in Southwest Florida.

The Silver Lake Preserve lodge, built in the mid-1900s, can accommodate eight guests and offers satellite TV and internet access, private bedrooms with bath and a bonfire for socializing.

On Friday, following a full country breakfast, travel to Fisheating Creek Outpost in Palmdale. There will be a chance to canoe the famed 52-mile paddling trail, one of most pristine creeks in Florida. There will be two experiences to choose from, for a portion of the trail. Bring your walking shoes and hike the cypress knee trails immortalized by landscape photographer Clyde Butcher.
Then on to Gatorama, where you can step back in time to when roadside attractions were king in Florida. Along the boardwalk you’ll find one of the largest collections of alligators and crocodiles (six species) in the U.S. Gatorama also has bobcats, raccoons, peacocks, ducks and geese.

Take an airboat trip (from Gatorama) to the eastern side of the creek. Sample gator tail and ribs. Experience a gator shining before returning to your beds at Silver Lake.

Finally, on Saturday, travel to the Seminole Reservation at Brighton, to tour the new Florida Seminole Veterans Building. The star-shaped building opened in 2009 and each side represents the five branches of the U.S. armed forces. There is a quarter-mile walking path with exercise equipment and gazebos around the trail.

Visit the Seminole Arts and Crafts Center, featuring traditional Seminole jackets, shirts, jewelry, arts and crafts.
Finally, try your luck at the Seminole Brighton Casino, which features more than 300 gaming machines, blackjack and roulette. Enjoy lunch at the Josiah Restaurant at the casino before going to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) to catch your flight.

Maximum: 8-9 people (there is one queen bed for 2 people, the rest are twins)
Minimum: 4
Level: Easy Attire: Cool and comfortable, long sleeves and long pants for night-time activity. Walking shoes and an extra pair you don’t mind getting a little dirty, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat.