Group Tours & Travel 1710 E. Lancaster Ave. #319 Paoli, PA 19301 Dream. Wander. Discover. 973-513-9001 grouptoursandtravel.com

An Excellent Experience Fakahatchee Preserve ~ ~ Seafood Festival Six Day Tour ~ February 10-15, 2022

Highlights: Nonstop, Roundtrip Airfare Newark to Fort Myers • Five Nights’ Accommodations Bayfront Inn 5th Ave, Naples • Everglades National Park • Ten Thousand Islands Boat Tour • Smallwood Store • Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park • Janes Memorial Scenic Drive Tram Tour • Big Cypress Boardwalk • Everglades City Seafood Festival • Mangrove Airboat Ride • Tram Tour • Catamaran Cruise to Keewaydin Island • World’s Smallest Post Office • Downtown Naples • Sangria Night at Divine Naples • All Breakfasts: Special Breakfast on the Last Day • Three Lunches • One Dinner Credit at The Bayfront Inn • Fully Escorted

Escape to the Everglades this winter for an excellent adventure! Instead of dreary gray, cold, wintry weather we will enjoy temperatures in the mid to high 70s, see spectacular nature like nowhere else on Earth and eat seafood fresh from the Gulf & Atlantic! As we explore the Everglades National Park and surrounding area, we will step into a mangrove sanctuary, immerse ourselves in our unique surroundings amongst the wildlife and relax into the slow pace of nature. So kick off those snow boots, grab your flip flops, and hop on our flight to !

Day 1. We will make our way from Fort Myers Airport to the stylish and sophisticated beach town of Naples. While we’ll be surrounded by high end shopping and world class culture, we will be relaxed and comfortable at the Bayfront Inn 5th Ave, a Caribbean Chic boutique hotel located in the heart of paradise. These accommodations will provide a more intimate setting for our excursions into nature, far from the hustle and bustle of crowded resorts but still within walking distance to nearby restaurants and shops. Included is a $50 credit for dinner in our hotel for a night of your choosing. After check in, you will have the remainder of the evening to spend wandering the lovely streets of Naples and find a wonderful restaurant to have dinner on your own or at our bayside hotel.

Day 2. Today we will visit the Ten Thousand Islands as we delve into the diverse ecosystems and tropical habitats on our first exploration of the Everglades National Park. Our cruise will take us out into the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Chokoloskee Bay and Indian Key Pass to this unique chain of islands and mangrove islets. Our naturalist guide will teach us the rich history of the area as we keep a lookout for the variety of wildlife awaiting us such as sea turtles, ospreys, manatees, and playful dolphins. There will be spectacular views of several Keys and Marco Island. As we arrive back on land, we will make our way to Ted Smallwood’s Store est 1906. This historic store which served as a trading post that bought furs, hides, and farm produce in exchange for providing goods for survival, will teach us the history of the pioneers who first tamed this vast wilderness. Now onto an, included lunch at the chill, tropical Havana Café in the heart of picturesque Chokoloskee Island. On our way back home towards Naples, we’ll take a stroll on the Big Cypress Boardwalk located within the vast Fakahatchee Strand Preserve. As you wander under the tropical canopy, take in the serenity of this untamed landscape while keeping an eye out for varieties of native birds, strangler figs and those camouflaged gators! Once back at our hotel, the rest of the night will be yours to enjoy in downtown Naples.

Day 3. This morning we experience the Everglade’s mangrove swamp in an entirely different way. An airboat will whisk us through the winding tunnels allowing us to view this spectacular sight from inside the mangrove canopy. Hang onto your hat, we’ll be moving fast!

Everglades Cypress Keeywadin Island The 52nd Annual Everglades City Seafood Festival will be our next stop. We will spend a few hours hanging with the locals, indulging in delicious, fresh, local seafood, listening to live music and browsing the dozens of craft booths and vendors. Onto our next adventure, the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, the largest state park in Florida and home to a variety of plant and animal species not foundanywhere else in the continental . We won’t have to get our feet wet as we’ll take a guided Ghost Rider tram along the Janes Memorial Scenic drive. On our ride, we may come face to face with alligators, turtles, native birds and butterflies hiding amongst the lushness in the park. We will travel past a wet prairie, learning its ecology and stop at a slough where we can take a short, guided walk on an old logging path lined with air plants, ferns, and orchids. Our scenic drive will take us back to Naples where we can spend a leisurely evening on our own as we wish.

Day 4. Our morning exploration will take us to southern end of the Everglades in Shark Valley. This area is home to a diverse number of plants and wildlife which changes throughout the year with the seasons and water levels giving each journey a different experience. Here, we will take a relaxed, informative tram ride through this fascinating ecosystem in search of all the wildlife that roams freely amongst its vastness. At the halfway point, we can enjoy panoramic views at the top of the 45-foot-high observation deck, which has a gradual ramp for easy access. This will surely be a spectacular sight not to be missed! After our tram ride, there will be time to explore the visitors center offering two short walking trails, educational displays, a park video and gift shop. Now we’re off to an authentic Everglades experience, lunch at Joanie’s Blue Crab Café, housed in the oldest standing building in the Everglades. We’ll sit back and relax in this old-fashioned Everglades joint where the air conditioning is the breeze blowing through the open windows and the friendliest waitress in the world greets you and calls you honey. The food is delicious too! After our lunch, we pass by the World’s Smallest Post Office in Ochopee for a quick photo, then make our way back to our comfortable hotel to have dinner on our own in downtown Naples.

Day 5. Our beach island shelling cruise awaits us today! A 53-foot Gold Coast Yacht sailing catamaran will take us to a slice of paradise, Keewaydin Island, a barrier island with nearly eight miles of untouched white sand beach. We’ll relax on our leisurely sail in the fresh sea air, see various marine wildlife, then spend time on Keewaydin searching for treasures from the sea or just relaxing in the sand and water. (*make sure to bring along sandals or shoes that are easy to take off and put on, as the ladder from the boat will go directly into the water, so your feet will get wet). Once back on land, we’ll enjoy a taste of Europe at our included lunch at Divine Naples. The rest of the afternoon and evening are yours to spend as you wish among this luxurious town to shop, sightsee, walk along the beach, wander and relax. Join us for an optional Sangria Happy Hour before dinner tonight at Divine Naples! We’ll toast in the good times and sip the most authentic, European sangria in Florida.

Day 6. We’ll have an optional special European breakfast this morning at Divine Naples to celebrate our joyous last few days here in Florida. You will then have time to run down dip your toes in the water one more before making our way home to New Jersey filled with fantastic Everglades memories.  2021 Group Tours & Travel

Air transportation is provided by United Airlines. A surcharge will apply if United Airlines increases the price of its airfare. One piece of luggage per person (baggage fee by United is not included) and one small carry-on are permitted. A valid, government-issued picture ID is required to board the plane. bbbbbbkkkkkkkkkbbbbbbnnnnnnnnnnnggggggg Thursday, February 10: Flight # departs Newark at 7:40 AM and arrives in Fort Myers at 10:52 PM Tuesday, February 15: Flight # departs Fort Myers at 11:43 PM and arrives in Newark at 2:31 PM

Price per person is approximately $2,340 Twin & $2,950 Single. No reservations accepted without a deposit of $350 per person. Make checks payable to "Group Tours & Travel", and mail to our address above. Final payment is due November 5, 2021. There are no refunds if cancellation occurs after November 5, 2021. Group Tours is not responsible for any delays, cancellations, injuries or circumstances beyond its control and reserves the right to change the itinerary. All trip components are subject to change in accordance with Government, State and Local guidelines and/or mandates. Travel protection/cancellation coverage is available and highly recommended, but not included. This tour will run rain or shine. Visit grouptoursandtravel.com for more tours and fun photos.

------An Excellent Everglades Experience ~ February 10-15, 2022

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