Learning Trips
Southeast Journeys spends several weeks traveling each semester. Each group goes on a one-week Learning Trip and a one-week Wilderness Adventure.
The spring 2008 semester concluded with a two-week trip to Florida where students were able to take advantage of the natural beauty of the Florida Everglades and Florida Keys. Below is a copy of the iteneray we followed for our trip through Florida.
Day 1
Travel to Manatee Springs State Park
Day 2
Students enjoy the Manatee Spring, a first-magnitude spring that discharges approximately 100 million gallons of water each day. Students can witness the wonder of the huge manatees that swim in the spring, as well as other wildlife such as alligators and Gulf sturgeon.
Day 3
Travel to Everglades National Park
Day 4 through 6
Students will depart on a three-day, two-night backcountry canoe trip through the mangrove trails in Everglades National Park. Students witness a range of wildlife including crocodiles, alligators, sharks, and a plethora of birds and water fowl. Nights are spent aboard wooden platforms called "chickees." Students follow the marked trails through the mangrove forest each day with the trip concluding back at the trailhead on
Day 6.
Day 7
Students travel to the Florida Keys and enjoy a trip to the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon, FL, where they learn about the wonders of dolphins and the people who work to protect them.
Day 8
Students enjoy some down time at a KOA campground. They can do laundry and relax before heading to Key West on Day 9.
Day 9
Students travel to Key West for a day of fun and sun downtown and at the beach.
Day 10
Students travel north to John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park and enjoy a glass bottom boat tour. The park is the first underwater state park in the United States.
Day 11
Students spend the day exploring John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park, canoeing swimming, and fishing. The evening concludes with a shrimp boil and key lime pie!
Day 12
Travel Day
Day 13
Arrive back at Southeast Journeys.
Our schedule for the Fall: Appalachian Adventures will delve into the historical and cultural richness of our region. Students will see the history of the Appalachian Mountains come alive as they experience traditions such as cider-pressing, craft-making, and storytelling, as well as many other aspects of mountain life both past and present. Semester destinations may include St. Augustine, FL, the Georgia Sea Islands, Charleston, SC, and Jamestown, VA. Students will participate in weeklong learning trips, studying aspects of American history such as the civil rights movement. Then we'll take the ridgeline north to witness the culmination of the presidential campaign and the ongoing political process in Washington, D.C.