Compare The Islands of Virginia's Eastern Shore: Chincoteague Assateague and Wallops by Road Scholar vs Country Roads of the Deep South 2022 Small Group by Insight Vacations

Day 1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Wallops Island D Chincoteague Bay Field Station
Activity note: Please keep in mind that the workshop schedule is tentative and subject to change due to weather, access, seasons, and other factors. When you arrive you will receive an updated schedule specially tailored for that particular week.

Afternoon: Check in with your leader at the CBFS Education Center from 3:00-5:00 PM. Welcome to the program, group introductions and orientation.

Dinner: Get ready for a seafood feast! Sample local crabs and shrimp or, if you choose, grilled chicken or roasted vegetables.

Evening: Learn about the week ahead and meet the other program participants.

Day 2
Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge, Wild Ponies, Regional History
Wallops Island B,L,D Chincoteague Bay Field Station
Activity note: Please keep in mind that the workshop schedule is tentative and subject to change due to weather, access, seasons, and other factors. When you arrive you will receive an updated schedule specially tailored for that particular week.

Breakfast: Breakfast will be in the Chincoteague Bay Field Station Dining Hall from 7:30-8:30 AM. Each day our cafeteria staff will present an array of fruits, hot and cold cereals, meats, breads/biscuits, eggs or pancakes for your choosing.

Morning: Hear a member of the Refuge's education system talk about the unique features of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

Lunch: The Eastern Shore is home to some outstanding American fare and seafood restaurants. Your meal will not disappoint at one of these fine eateries.

Afternoon: We will take a tour of one of the little seen, restricted access areas of the Refuge. Here we will see Wild Ponies, Birds and Amazing Wildlife.

Dinner: Dinner will be served in the CBFS cafeteria. Our dining staff will prepare and serve your meal cafeteria style, with options ranging from a hot meal to a diverse salad bar.

Evening: Chincoteague Island and the Eastern Shore have a fascinating and unique history. Learn all about it from a local historian whose family has lived in the area for generations. OR Rocks are hard to find here. So how did Native Americans make their tools? Learn this and much more as an expert in Eastern Shore artifacts shares his impressive breadth of knowledge and expansive collection of artifacts with us.

Day 3
Art Class, Wallops Island, Artifacts of the Eastern Shore
Wallops Island B,L,D Chincoteague Bay Field Station
Activity note: Please keep in mind that the workshop schedule is tentative and subject to change due to weather, access, seasons, and other factors. When you arrive you will receive an updated schedule specially tailored for that particular week.

Breakfast: Breakfast will be in the CBFS cafeteria.

Morning: Watch a painting come to life as a local, professional artist talks about and demonstrates the techniques used to render our natural world on canvas.

Lunch: Lunch will be in the CBFS cafeteria.

Afternoon: The restricted access on the NASA Wallops Island base left an environment that is great for education as well as shelling. A field-based lecture will leave you with an in-depth understanding of beach dynamics, morphology and shell identification!

Dinner: The Eastern Shore is home to some outstanding American fare and seafood restaurants. Your meal will not disappoint at one of these fine eateries.

Evening: An accomplished carver will demonstrate their skill in creating a decoy. As they carve, learn this art's fascinating history that includes hunting, 1920's fashion and worldwide competitions.

Day 4
Research Cruise, Free Afternoon, Life of a Waterman
Wallops Island B,L,D Chincoteague Bay Field Station
Activity note: Please keep in mind that the workshop schedule is tentative and subject to change due to weather, access, seasons, and other factors. When you arrive you will receive an updated schedule specially tailored for that particular week.

Breakfast: Breakfast will be in the CBFS cafeteria.

Morning: Take a research cruise through one of the most productive ecosystems on earth! We will employ oceanographic research methods to measure our physical and chemical environment; then we will otter trawl to sample the myriad organisms found in our estuary.

Lunch: Lunch will be in the CBFS cafeteria.

Afternoon: This is a free afternoon to visit some of the local sites, explore the town of Chincoteague, walk the trails of the Wildlife Refuge, fish, shop, or just relax on our pristine beach

Dinner: Dinner will be in the CBFS cafeteria.

Evening: Discuss the local fisheries and life on the water with a local waterman!

Day 5
Expert Lecture, NASA Visitor Center, Musician
Wallops Island B,L,D Chincoteague Bay Field Station
Activity note: Please keep in mind that the workshop schedule is tentative and subject to change due to weather, access, seasons, and other factors. When you arrive you will receive an updated schedule specially tailored for that particular week.

Breakfast: Breakfast will be in the CBFS cafeteria.

Morning: An accomplished carver will demonstrate their skill in creating a decoy. As they carve, learn this art's fascinating history that includes hunting, 1920's fashion and worldwide competitions OR learn even more about the wild Chincoteague ponies in a fascinating lecture from a local of the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Lunch: Eat in as we screen the 1961 film 'Misty' that helped to put Chincoteague on the map as a tourist destination and further solidify the wild ponies into the history and lore of this area.

Afternoon: We will have an exciting afternoon lecture about the history of Wallops Islands Space Flight Center! We will then take a field trip to the NASA visitor center.

Dinner: The Eastern Shore is home to some outstanding American fare and seafood restaurants. Your meal will not disappoint at one of these fine eateries.

Evening: Enjoy evening entertainment by very talented local musicians and storytellers.

Day 6
Program Concludes
Wallops Island B
Activity note: Please keep in mind that the workshop schedule is tentative and subject to change due to weather, access, seasons, and other factors. When you arrive you will receive an updated schedule specially tailored for that particular week.

Breakfast: Breakfast will be in the CBFS cafeteria.

Morning: Check out with your leader and say farewell to your new friends. We'll see you next time!

Day 1: Arrive in Nashville

Welcome to Nashville, the capital of Tennessee and the USA’s glittering centre stage. From the Everly Brothers' “Bye Bye Love," to Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman," the streets are paved with talent. Your airport transfer will whisk you to your hotel.Relax and unwind before meeting your Travel Director and mingling with guests at 18:00 followed by a Welcome Dinner with wine.

Day 2: Take centre stage in Nashville

Start your day with an orientation tour of music city. You'll visit the picturesque Riverfront Park, Tennessee State Capitol and the 132 acre Centennial State Park, where you'll encounter an exact replica of the Parthenon. Pass by the city's lively honky-tonks and street performers on Broadway, as you make your way to the Ryman Auditorium, former home of the Grand Ole Opry. Built in 1885 as a building for religious gatherings, it held its first concert in 1892, before opening its doors to Hollywood greats. It is here where Johnny Cash first met June Carter, where bluegrass was born and where country music found an audience. Tonight, head to the famous Grand Ole Opry, the world-renowned country music stage and longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history.

Day 3: A day of legends

Go behind the scenes of a Nashville recording studio. This intimate experience introduces you to a performing artist, musicians and the techniques behind a song’s development. Make a stop at Nashville’s Farmers' Market and Market House to explore its artisanal crafts and produce.Explore Nashville with Insight Choice. Choose to visit Nelson’s Green Brier, a local Tennessee distillery and home of the Original Tennessee Whiskey. Alternatively, visit the National Museum of African American Music, which shares the story of the American soundtrack through history and interactive technology.Tonight's dinner at Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant will introduce you to the colourful flavours of Nashville. Perhaps try the crabmeat cheesecake.

Day 4: Heading back home to Memphis

This morning you'll head to Memphis. Whether it’s your first or hundredth time visiting this vibrant city, you’ll be drawn in by the lively melodies coming from Beale Street.Spend the morning on a sightseeing tour of the city, followed by a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the National Civil Rights Museum. While there, you’ll be guided through five centuries of The Civil Rights Movement history and its impact on our culture today.End your day by joining a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with a private evening at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The museum is part of The Soulsville Foundation, which aims to prepare young adults for life success and inspire future artists.

Day 5: A day dedicated to the King

Begin you day with a visit to Sun Studio, the “birthplace of rock and roll”, where music legends, including B.B. King, Johnny Cash and Elvis recorded.Make your way to the magnificent Graceland, the former home of the "King of Rock and Roll," Elvis Presley.Dinner this evening will be served at The Beauty Shop, a former parlour turned whimsical New American eatery where Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla, was said to get her hair done.

Day 6: Memphis to Greenwood

Travel through the Mississippi Delta down the Mississippi Blues Trail, a route that tells the stories of bluesmen and women. Explore the Delta town of Greenwood at your own pace, before heading to the Viking Cooking School for a hot tamales cooking demonstration - a regional specialty.Later, dine on a mouthwatering dinner at a James Beard Award finalist restaurant that features southern inspired dishes that include produce local to the area.

Day 7: Moving on to Natchez

Learn more about Southern history and hospitality as you head to Natchez. Tour the historic antebellum mansions, and discover the preservation efforts of later generations to tell the story of African-Americans through the decades, understanding that slavery and cotton allowed plantation owners to build these mansions. Test your mixologist skills as you concoct a traditional Southern cocktail, the Mint Julep. Minty, cooling and with a touch of sweetness, you're sure to learn a few party tricks to bring back home with you. Enjoy an evening to yourself. Ask your Travel Director for restaurant suggestions and discover one of the wonderful options in town.

Day 8: Natchez to Lafayette

Move on to Lafayette for a taste of the Cajun and Creole culture. Get to know more about Cajun culture and how it is defined by its roots.Head to the Acadian Cultural Center followed by a unique Cajun music experience.A genre rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians, it is both eclectic and joyous. Learn more about this fast tempo music and its history from a local accordion maker and musician.In the evening, indulge in a delicious dinner with your fellow travellers.

Day 9: Lafayette for foodies

Start the day with a crawfish farm tour just outside the city. You will be joined by a Local Expert who will help you catch your lunch the old-fashioned way, using hand nets. You’ll be taught how to prepare a traditional boil, before sitting down to the meal. If crawfish are out of season, you'll take part in a boil experience with seasonal seafood. Later, enjoy time at leisure or head out on an optional swamp tour.

Day 10: Welcome to the Big Easy

New Orleans is a lively and dynamic city, known for its vibrant culture and electric jazz festivals. On the way down south, stop at the Tabasco® Factory for a self-guided tour and discover how the world-famous red hot pepper sauce is made. This afternoon, head to the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, where you’ll learn more about the city’s diverse cuisine with a guided tour and included lunch.

Day 11: Festivities in New Orleans Relaxed Start

Get to know the city with a Local Expert as you discover each neighborhood's unique architecture and explore the vibrant art scene. See how the community comes together through celebration.In the afternoon, take your pick of optional activities, perhaps getting to know the local culture through a jazz music experience or by meeting a voodoo specialist.End your day by joining your fellow travellers at a Celebration Dinner at the Palace Cafe - a contemporary and upbeat Creole restaurant at the foot of the French Quarter.

Day 12: Depart New Orleans

It’s time to say goodbye to your fellow travellers as your adventure comes to an end with a departure to the airport.