“Lifelong Learning Travel” by Steve Leichner, PSL Travel; [email protected]; (877)-387-4660
I just returned from an amazing journey! PSL Travel was asked to put together a bus trip to Key West for students of a Lifelong Learning Center. The topics they covered in their classes last semester included Ernest Hemingway, Florida’s natural environment, and the shipwrecked Atocha. I started doing some research and developed an itinerary, questioning how to make the trip interesting, educational and a fun vacation.
We started out on a Sunday, and our first stop was at Shark Valley in the Everglades. When we arrived, we learned that if you plan a trip to Shark Valley on a nice weekend day, even with a tour reservation, there may not be enough parking. So we all got off the bus with our lunches, and the bus driver waited until they would let him in. We took a 2 hour tram ride where we saw all kinds of plants, 5 bio-diversity areas and a lot of GATORS! From there we headed to Islamorada for dinner. We ate at a sports bar which caters to bikers. The food was delicious and everybody was ready to get to the hotel. The rest of the ride was uneventful and we checked in.
The next morning, I found out that one of my guests had a rooster keeping him awake all night. We changed his room and the problem was solved. Everybody had breakfast and we boarded the bus for the Audubon House. I arranged a half hour private tour before letting people wander on their own. Everybody grabbed lunch and met at the Hemingway House. Again, we had a private half hour tour and then guests wandered the grounds. At 2:30 PM, we boarded the bus and went back to the hotel. The bus took us to an amazing Key West restaurant for dinner. It was even better than the night before. One of my guests said that I would have a hard time topping the meal!
Tuesday, we boarded the bus for the Mel Fisher Museum for a behind-the-scenes look at the art of shipwreck preservation. We roamed the museum where objects from the shipwreck Atocha were stored. After were finishing at the museum, they got Hop-On/Hop-Off tickets for a trolley and had a free afternoon and evening. We all met at the Mallory Square Sunset Celebration to watch the sun go down. We separated for dinner before returning to the hotel.
Wednesday we loaded the bus bright and early (6:45 AM) and headed home. We had one more stop to make: At 12:25 PM, we pulled into Club Med at Sandpiper Bay for lunch. We were set up in a private room by the water. The buffet was excellent and included wine and beer by the bottle or glass. One guest commented that for an upscale buffet akin to a cruise ship, on a scale of 1 to 10, it was definitely an 11!
At 2:00 PM we boarded the bus one last time. At 4:30 PM we pulled up at our starting point, exchanged contact info, and said farewells. Based on my conversations with the guests, my mission was accomplished!
Steve Leichner is a travel consultant for PSL Travel. Call (877) 387-4660 or email him your travel questions at [email protected]!