- Overview
- Pricing
- Trip Outline
- Trip Includes
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As you approach the Keys by car from the mainland, you feel a sense of anticipation building. The scenery changes dramatically as you start traveling down the Overseas Highway. You will see these amazing panoramic views of the sparkling turquoise ocean, setting the tone for what will be an unforgettable educational journey. It starts with realizing you are traveling the Overseas Highway along an archipelago, a series of islands, which form a magnificent trail on this 113-mile road from Key Largo to Key West. We will be leapfrogging from island to island via a mind-boggling 42 bridges! So let's examine the many learning activities we will explore on this Homeschool Travel Adventure!
Registration Fee is $250 (is non-refundable) and holds your spot on the trip. The registration fee is due immediately.
The core trip October 15 - 19, 2023. The hotel is $189 per night plus tax for the standard queen (sleeps 4.) For a queen suite that sleeps 6, the price is $229 plus tax per night. If your party is over 4, you will need to get two rooms or a suite. The activity fee is $900 per person plus tax.
The add-on trip is actually a pre-trip this time. It is October 13-15, 2023. The hotels in Key West are crazy expensive. We have sold out all the queens. We now have have kings that are $395 plus tax per night. There is a $17.50 parking fee and a $10 per person porterage fee. Plus the activity fee is $350 for adults (ages 17+) and $300 for Youth (4 - 16) plus tax.
Please complete this form https://forms.gle/ECychcHQxstJrYY56 instead of using the checkout here. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/trish.corlew/ or email me at Trish at HomeschoolTravelAdventures dot com.
Each portion of this trip will be invoiced separately. We will need to reserve the ferry over to Dry Tortugas NOW, so the add-on will need to be paid immediately as well. You can pay for the core trip with the final payments due on Thursday, August 31, 2023.
This adventure consists of the core trip and an optional add-on. The add-on is before the core trip this time, and due to the time sensitivity for obtaining ferry tickets it will be invoiced separately and must be paid immediately.
Itineraries
Add-on Day 1 Pre-Trip Night Time Kayaking
Date : October 13, 2023
Night Time Kayaking
For this activity we have to divide into teams. We will have three teams each night we are in Key West. We will journey with the only night kayaking company offering a one-of-a-kind glow kayak experience into the amazing mangrove tunnels of the Florida Keys. Their clear bottom kayaks are outfitted with bright LED lights that glow and illuminate the abundant marine life under you. They are family owned business and call Key West home. They have been leading people on tours here since 2012.
Their fun, knowledgeable guides will lead us through the calm water, pointing out the nocturnal species along the way. To see the glowing lights as you paddle through crystal clear water is a unique experience you will never forget! Lets go see the brilliant underwater life of the Florida Keys in a way you have never seen before.
Add-on Day 2 Pre-Trip - Dry Tortugas
Date : October 14, 2023
Explore this Fort Jefferson and Dry Tortugas
Almost 70 miles west of Key West, nestled among coral reefs, and white sandy beaches, lie seven remote islands called the Dry Tortugas. Unforgettable adventures await you on this most memorable Key West tour. En route to Dry Tortugas National Park our onboard naturalist will give you an orientation about the area and the national park’s surroundings. During your voyage, you will have an opportunity to see turtles and dolphins, and listen to pirate legends.
We will take the Yankee Freedom Ferry over at 7:00 am sharp (this is why we are staying in a hotel so close to the ferry). The ferry is 110’ long and 30.6’ wide, a broad and stable vessel certified to carry 175 passengers.
They provide breakfast, lunch, and snorkeling gear. We will provide Ashley Chellberg Miller, our very own Marine Biologist! She will guide our snorkels! If you choose to not snorkel, there is still beach walking, exploring, birding, and looking at the flora and fauna of this pristine island.
Add-on Day 2 Pre-Trip Night Time Kayak
Date : October 14, 2023
Night Time Kayaking
For this activity we have to divide into teams. This is the second group of three teams. We will journey with the only night kayaking company offering a one-of-a-kind glow kayak experience into the amazing mangrove tunnels of the Florida Keys. Their clear bottom kayaks are outfitted with bright LED lights that glow and illuminate the abundant marine life under you. They are family owned business and call Key West home. They have been leading people on tours here since 2012.
Their fun, knowledgeable guides will lead us through the calm water, pointing out the nocturnal species along the way. To see the glowing lights as you paddle through crystal clear water is a unique experience you will never forget! Lets go see the brilliant underwater life of the Florida Keys in a way you have never seen before.
Add-on Day 3 Pre-Trip Explore Key West
Date : October 15, 2023
Explore Key West on Your Own
Laid back, free-spirited, artistic, quirky, and scenic, Key West is one of the most unique places in the United States. There are several things I would recommend doing here:
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, 200 Green Street
Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory
Key West Aquarium
Key West Shipwreck Museum
Southernmost Point
Just don't forget Marathon is an hour away and our Welcome party starts at 3:30!
Day 1 - Core Trip
Date : October 15, 2023
Time : 5:00 am
Welcome Party!
We will kick off our Florida Keys Homeschool Travel Adventure at Crane Point Hammock, a natural history museum and nature center. This natural oasis is tucked away in the heart of Marathon and is a 63-acre tropical oasis located in the City of Marathon filled with hardwood trees, nature trails, and educational opportunities. We will enjoy a good old-fashioned cookout, with a DJ spinning some fun oldies and family friendly tunes. We will have some bounce houses for both littles and teens to burn off some of that energy we are jealous of! While us parents are enjoying a beautiful sunset on the Gulf of Mexico. Some other fun things will be a photo booth to document some of our fun, making tie dye t-shirts, and enjoying some downtime around a bonfire while eating smores!
In addition, we will have our first visit with some of the local zoology that call the Keys home. The Marathon Wild Bird Center is a hospital for injured pelicans, cormorants, egrets and other Keys birds. We really wanted to start here so we could support their mission!
Day 2 - Core Trip Morning
Date : October 16, 2023
Coral Reef Glass Bottom Boat
We will board a 75 foot luxury (coast guard certified) glass bottom yacht to view the exciting and beautiful underwater world of the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park was the first undersea park in the United States. It encompasses 70 nautical square miles.
From the sun deck, you will have a panoramic offshore view of the Florida Keys and can view the ever-changing colors of the Atlantic Ocean.
It is a 45-minute ride out to the reef, once we reach it, you will be able to observe the reef through the large viewing windows, large enough for everyone to see the reef at the same time.
Day 2 - Core Trip Afternoon
Date : October 16, 2023
Kayak / Paddleboard
John Pennekamp Visitor Center has a 30,000 gallon saltwater aquarium! So be sure to stop there while in the park. You will be able to kayak through the mangrove channels, the hardwood hammocks, or out into the sound. Ashley will be leading snorkeling near the beach.
Day 3 Core Trip Sea Lions and Sea Turtles!
Date : October 17, 2023
Frolic with a Sea Lion! No, I'm not kidding!
We will learn all about dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles and other marine animals. But who wants to frolic with an adorable sea lion? Me!!! Each person will get a meet and greet with a friendly sea lion and we will have an opportunity to learn more about the species from an up close and personal encounter!
Day 4
Date : October 18, 2023
Study Sea Turtles in Rehab
The Turtle Hospital in Marathon is the largest turtle hospital in the United States. We will have an opportunity to learn about how they rescue and rehabilitate injured turtles and maybe even meet a few!
Day 4
Date : October 18, 2023
Swim with Dolphins!
The Dolphin Research Center is a dolphinarium on Grassy Key, Florida. This is where Flipper was filmed in the 60's. There are 90,000-square-feet of saltwater lagoons that is home to 27 dolphins and California sea lions. We will get in the water and meet these beautiful intellegent animals up close and learn all about them and will get the Ultimate Vacation Thrill!
We will swim with the dolphins and get an exciting dorsal pull!
Day 5 - Core Trip Coral Reef Restoration
Date : October 19, 2023
MOTE - International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration
MOTE's mission is to save the world. Well... at least the coral reef. Mote Marine Laboratory has been a leader in marine research since it was founded in 1955. Today, they incorporate public outreach as a key part of their mission. Mote is an independent nonprofit organization and has seven centers for marine research, the public Mote Aquarium and an Education Division specializing in public programs for all ages. We are excited to see how they are restoring and regrowing the coral reefs!
Includes:
Breakfast at the hotel each day.
Lunch 3 days
Dinner 4 days
Excludes:
Transportation to the Florida Keys.
Transportation to each event in the Keys.
Trip Insurance. I highly recommend you purchase it though!!
No, the registration fees are non-refundable and does not count as a deposit toward the trip total.
No, but I will provide you a contact where you can purchase it. I highly recommend trip insurance for all of the trips.
No, but you may have to bring your own life jackets and snorkels for your younger children.
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