Day 1:

Today we travel to Sevierville, TN., where we will overnight at the Clarion Inn. Dinner is included at Applewood Farmhouse. (D)

Day 2:

This afternoon, we arrive in Charleston, South Carolina. Upon arrival, we will check into our accommodations for the next two nights, The Meeting Street Inn, located in the heart of Charleston's historic district, opposite the bustling City Market. The Inn is surrounded by Charleston's finest restaurants, boutiques and antiques shops. Everything that is unique to the "Holy City" is no more than a pleasant stroll from your front door! In the style of Charleston, the Inn's fifty-six guest rooms open to sunny piazzas overlooking a garden courtyard. Each room features antique reproduction furnishings and four poster "rice" beds. Each afternoon the hotel offers complimentary seasonal refreshments, or you may unwind with your favorite libation from the lobby bar.

This evening, join the group as we take a Charleston Culinary Walking Tour that will immerse you in the history and culture of the Low country. Learn what makes Lowcountry cuisine the cornerstone of our coastal South Carolina heritage at Taste of the Lowcountry! This fun demonstration cooking class is a great way to learn more about Lowcountry cuisine from a state of the arts demonstration kitchen, while enjoying generous tastings of regionally based recipes and sipping a glass of wine. Come enjoy the tastes, the history and the entertainment. (CB, D)

Day 3:

This morning, we will visit Magnolia Plantation, the oldest public tourist site in the Lowcountry, and the oldest public gardens in America, opening its doors to visitors in 1870 to view the thousands of beautiful flowers and plants in its famous gardens. You will experience the beauty of its gardens and its rich history during our visit, including a tour of the Plantation House, the Nature Tram, the Gardens and Grounds and Gift Shop. We’ll then return to Charleston with time for lunch and browsing the City Market, before boarding Old South Carriage Company horse-drawn carriages for a tour of Charleston, notably the most historic city in America, with many areas and attractions which are best visited by carriage. We will then return to the Inn with free time until we walk the short distance to dinner tonight at Hymans, a Charleston Landmark. (B, D)

Day 4:

This morning, we depart for Savannah, Georgia’s First City. The city’s design was centered around squares where people could enjoy a park-like setting to stroll and relax. Graced by huge live oaks and covered with Spanish Moss, the squares are unique centerpieces surrounded by stately old homes, eclectic shops and galleries. You will find nearly 300 years of history packed into a 2.2 square mile radius, hence Savannah boasts the largest landmark historic district in the United States. Upon arrival, we will board an Old Savannah Tours trolley for a tour of Savannah. At your leisure, you may get off and on the trolley, stopping at River Street for lunch, perhaps at one of the historic mansions or to browse the many shops during the day. Mid-afternoon, we will check into our hotel, conveniently located in the historic district of Savannah, the Hampton Inn Historic District.

Tonight, what better way to get an overview of the Savannah harbor and port than to enjoy an evening dinner cruise with the River Street Riverboat Company. After dinner, snap your fingers, tap your feet or get up and dance to the tunes from the 50’s through today preformed by one of the riverboat entertainers. (CB, D)

Day 5:

Your morning is free to enjoy Savannah before lunch at Paula Deen’s The Lady & Sons. Following lunch, we will depart for St. Simon’s Island, GA. Our accommodations for the next three nights will be The King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort, Georgia’s beloved ocean resort. The King and Prince commands a landmark location at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean on St. Simons�"one of the serene barrier islands that make up Georgia’s fabled Golden Isles. The evening is free for you to enjoy the resort and beach. Dinner is included at our hotel. (CB, L, D)

Day 6:

One need but to witness the promise of a sunrise over the ocean or bask in the beauty of the sun setting westward beyond the mainland to know the namesake of this stretch of Georgia’s coast. Kim Cross, a travel writer for Southern Living Magazine, may have said it best when she wrote, ―I wondered why they called these the Golden Isles. Was it the color of the sand, the later-afternoon sun, or the shade of the marsh grass in autumn? Now I know �" it’s the way you feel when you’re there.‖ This morning, we’ll board the St. Simons Trolley for a tour of this beautiful island. We’ll have shopping time and lunch on your own at The Pier today before departing for the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island. The Center opened in June, 2007, and provides state-of-the-art emergency care to sick and injured sea turtles, with opportunities for scientific research and long-term treatment. Jekyll is unique among Georgia’s developed islands for its significant annual turtle nesting. Visitors to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center will explore exhibits on sea turtle conservation, rehabilitation, and their amazing journey from egg to adulthood. We’ll then visit Jekyll Island National Historic Landmark District, once prized for its splendid isolation by such families as the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. Jekyll Island Club was considered the richest, most exclusive and most inaccessible club in the world. We’ll take a narrated tram tour of Jekyll Island’s 240-acres historic district, including 33 original buildings. Much of the Vanderbilt society world has been preserved and faithfully restored. We will enjoy a delicious dinner this evening at the Courtyard at Crane Cottage before returning to the resort for the evening. (CB, D)

Day 7:

This morning, we depart for the ―”Lady Janne” for a 90-minute shrimping/dolphin cruise, where you’ll see how shrimping has been conducted for generations. As we cruise along the waterways banked by the Marshes of Glynn with egrets, pelicans, seagulls and dolphin where we enter St. Simon Sound, Captain Larry will order the crew to drop the shrimp net over the stern of the ―”Lady Jane”. You’ll learn about the history of shrimping, while the crew tells you about the types of shrimp we catch and lots of sea stories. While dragging the bottom for shrimp, dolphin like to follow the net and pickup an easy meal. Lunch is on your own at the pier before we return to the hotel with the afternoon free to enjoy the beautiful beach and hotel. Dinner is included at the hotel this evening. (B, D)

Day 8:

This morning, we sadly must leave behind our beautiful surroundings and depart. We will stop in Atlanta today for a Inside CNN Studio Tour. Journey into the heart of CNN Worldwide and get an uplose look at global news in the making! We’ll take a 55minute guided walking tour with exclusive, behind-the-scenes views of Atlanta’s CNN studios and an exciting glimpse of news and broadcasting in action from the world headquarters of CNN, The Worldwide Leader in News. Dinner is included tonight before we checkinto our hotel, the Drury Inn, Marietta. (B, D)

Day 9:

We return home today, with wonderful memories of Springtime in Savannah, Charleston and the Golden Isles of Georgia. (CB)