Exploring the Low Country: Cumberland Island to Charleston

Arrive in Jacksonville and transfer to Fernandina Beach, where we embark National Geographic Sea Lion. Meet the crew and our team of naturalists, and set sail toward St. Mary’s River. (D)

This morning, we cruise north into Georgia, following the Intracoastal Waterway to Cumberland Island, a designated National Seashore of wild beaches, vast marshes, and intriguing history. Inhabited over the centuries by Native Americans, enslaved people, missionaries, and the famous Carnegie family, the island offers insight into life and culture of the southeastern seaboard over the centuries. Visit the haunting ruins of the Carnegie Dungeness estate, abandoned after a fire in 1959. Then set off on foot to discover feral horses and other fascinating flora and fauna amid pine forests and dunes. (B,L,D)

Sail into the Golden Isles region of the Georgian coast this morning. On Jekyll Island, pay a visit to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to meet researchers who rehabilitate injured sea turtles, study sea turtle behavior, and raise awareness about the conservation challenges they face. This afternoon, stroll the historic center of Brunswick, visiting the ornate 19th-century Old City Hall and Victorian-era Oak Grove Cemetery. Or take in the view of the surrounding wetlands from Marshes of Glynn Overlook Park and see the “Lover’s Oak,” a magnificent tree that is said to date back more than 900 years. (B,L,D)

Georgia’s fourth largest barrier island, Sapelo Island protects the fragile habitat of the Altamaha River Estuary and harbors rich wildlife. With its 28 transitional habitat areas, the island is an important piece of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. While now largely undisturbed and returned to nature, the island has been inhabited for some 4,500 years, from prehistoric indigenous people to Spanish missionaries, through the dark years of slavery and on to the freedmen and women who established the community of Hog Hammock still in existence today. This is one of the isolated barrier islands where the Gullah-Geechee culture emerged, drawing on West African languages and traditions. After lunch on the ship, sail to Ossabaw Island, where, if conditions permit, we will launch kayaks and Zodiacs to explore its backwaters, which teem with wildlife. (B,L,D)

Arrive in stately Savannah, Georgia’s oldest city. We’ll explore the city on foot, starting off with a stroll among the Spanish moss-draped trees of Forsyth Park, where we may see northern parula warblers amid the hanging moss. Stop by First African Baptist Church, the oldest African-American congregation in the country, founded in 1773. Savannah’s 22 historic squares each have their own character and interesting story. We’ll visit several of them, including Greene Square, named for Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, where the Emancipation Proclamation was read and soon-to-be freed enslaved people were promised “40 acres and a mule.” (B,L,D)

Go ashore at Daufuskie Island, a hub of Gullah culture and language. Some residents continue to speak Gullah to this day. Get immersed in the mystique of the island, soaking up the local culture and learning about the rich spiritual traditions of its residents, who paint their trim “heaven blue” to ward off evil spirits. After lunch, continue to nearby Turtle Island. Comprised of coastal dunes, salt marsh, and upland southern pine habitat, the island has been designated as an Important Bird Area. The wide variety of species that pass through here include the endangered least tern, Wilson’s and piping plovers and black skimmers. (B,L,D)

Founded in 1670, Charleston is steeped in history and charm, from its cobblestoned, lantern-lit streets to its romantic mansions. On our way into the city, we’ll cruise past Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. Set out on a walking tour of this picturesque city, strolling through Rainbow Row, where historic Georgian homes are painted in bright, lavish colors. Continue to lovely White Point Garden at the southern tip of the peninsula on which Charleston sits. Here, meander past cannons and other relics of the Civil War and enjoy expansive views of Fort Sumter and the Charleston Harbor. (B,L,D)

After breakfast this morning, disembark and transfer to the Charleston airport for your flight home. (B)

Arrive in Charleston and head to the harbor, where the National Geographic Sea Lion awaits. Meet the crew and our team of naturalists at a welcome briefing and dinner this evening. (D)

Founded in 1670, Charleston is steeped in history and charm, from its cobblestoned, lantern-lit streets to its romantic mansions. Civil War forts surround the city, including Fort Sumter, where the first shots of were fired. Set out on a walking tour, strolling through Rainbow Row, where historic Georgian homes are painted in bright, lavish colors. Continue to lovely White Point Garden at the southern tip of the peninsula on which Charleston sits. Here, meander past cannons and other relics of the Civil War and enjoy expansive views of Fort Sumter and the Charleston Harbor. (B,L,D)

Go ashore at Daufuskie Island, a hub of Gullah culture and language. Some residents continue to speak Gullah to this day. Get immersed in the mystique of the island, soaking up the local culture and learning about the rich spiritual traditions of its residents, who paint their trim “heaven blue” to ward off evil spirits. After lunch, continue to nearby Turtle Island. Comprised of coastal dunes, salt marsh, and upland southern pine habitat, the island has been designated as an Important Bird Area. The wide variety of species that pass through here include the endangered least tern, Wilson’s and piping plovers and black skimmers. (B,L,D)

Our first stop in Georgia is stately Savannah, the state’s oldest city. We’ll explore the city on foot, starting off with a stroll among the Spanish moss-draped trees of Forsyth Park, where we may see northern parula warblers amid the hanging moss. Stop by First African Baptist Church, the oldest African-American congregation in the country, founded in 1773. Savannah’s 22 historic squares each have their own character and interesting story. We’ll visit several of them, including Greene Square, named for Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, where the Emancipation Proclamation was read and soon-to-be freed enslaved people were promised “40 acres and a mule.” (B,L,D)

Spend the morning on Ossabaw Island, where, if conditions permit, we will launch kayaks and Zodiacs to explore the backwaters, watching for the island’s abundant wildlife. Then sail to Georgia’s fourth largest barrier island, Sapelo Island, which protects the fragile habitat of the Altamaha River Estuary and harbors rich wildlife. With its 28 transitional habitat areas, the island is an important piece of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. While now largely undisturbed and returned to nature, the island has been inhabited for some 4,500 years, from prehistoric indigenous people to Spanish missionaries, through the dark years of slavery and on to the freedmen and women who established the community of Hog Hammock still in existence today. This is one of the isolated barrier islands where the Gullah-Geechee culture emerged, drawing on West African languages and traditions. (B,L,D)

Sail into the Golden Isles region of the Georgian coast this morning. Stroll the historic center of Brunswick, visiting the ornate 19th-century Old City Hall and Victorian-era Oak Grove Cemetery. Or take in the view of the surrounding wetlands from Marshes of Glynn Overlook Park and see the “Lover’s Oak,” a magnificent tree that is said to date back more than 900 years. On Jekyll Island, pay a visit to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to meet researchers who rehabilitate injured sea turtles, study sea turtle behavior, and raise awareness about the conservation challenges they face. (B,L,D)

Today, we’ll explore Cumberland Island, a designated National Seashore of wild beaches, vast marshes, and intriguing history. Inhabited over the centuries by Native Americans, enslaved people, missionaries, and the famous Carnegie family, the island offers insight into life and culture of the southeastern seaboard over the centuries. Visit the haunting ruins of the Carnegie Dungeness estate, abandoned after a fire in 1959. Then set off on foot to discover feral horses and other fascinating flora and fauna amid pine forests and dunes. (B,L,D)

After breakfast this morning, disembark in Fernandina Beach and transfer to the airport in Jacksonville for your flight home. (B)