The Travel Committee is thrilled
to offer these travel opportunities for OLLI members to explore.
If you have travel related questions,
please see Heidi Wright in the OLLI office.
Beautiful Drives: Exploring Oconee County
February 23, 2024
Let’s take a drive west along South Carolina’s Cherokee Foothills Parkway to Walhalla S.C. and nearby Stumphouse Tunnel. Our trip will reveal some of S.C.’s most unique places and stories: from Walhalla (home to beautiful St. john’s Lutheran Church), founded by German immigrants in the late 1840’s to Stumphouse Tunnel, which surreally combines the stories of railroad building and cheesemaking, and finally the Museum of the Cherokee in South Carolina. We will enjoy conversation along the way, a meet-up with a local expert-historian (and descendent of original German settlers), good local food, and small group fun.
The cost of the trip is $90/price includes all activities, lunch and van transportation.
Registration is open.
Limit: 9
Join OLLI@Furman and Explore Up Close on our “next adventure” in exploring the stories and places that are uniquely South Carolina.
Exploring South Carolina: Georgetown
March 12 – 14, 2024
Let’s explore South Carolina! We’ll travel by comfortable coach from Furman to the S.C. Low Country. We’ll spend two nights in the best location in Georgetown:t he brand new George Hotel, positioned between fun and quaint Front Street, and the Harborwalk, bordering the scenic Sampit River. It’s a great place for casual (or serious) walking/ exploration of lovely Spaish-moss-draped residential neighborhoods, theboutiques that line Front Street, or the lovely river scene.
Our Day 1 descent to the Low Country will feature a stop for lunch in the interesting town of Kingstree, South Carolina and local stories. We’ll hug the beautiful Black River on our approach to Georgetown.
Georgetown-colonial South Carolina’s third oldest enclave; named for King George II of England – is at the confluence of five rivers.. sort of. (we’ll do our counting on location!) That abundance of fresh water created the perfect conditions for the development of plantation-scale rice production, which continued until the Civil War. We’ll trace the legacy of the lost world of the enslaved and the “big house”families. And we’ll see its “progression” into a post-Civil War system of freed communities and the “new landlords” (early 20th century); and into a remarkable, livable, sun- and water-splashed version of today’s South Carolina.
Pricing information: $898 / person (double occupancy; single
supplement, $195). Price includes comfortable chartered bus
transportation (and bus driver tip); two nights’ accommodation
at the George Hotel ; all group touring, activities, and admissions; three lunches and two dinners; concierge and guide services throughout the trip. Alcohol is not included in the trip price: trip insurance (not included) is recommended.
Registration will open on Tuesday, December 5 at 9 a.m. with payment made by check, cash, or credit card. Sign up in the OLLI Office (first come, first served.) You may also call 864.294.2998 to reserve your spot with your credit card.
A remittance of $400 is required to register.
Limit: 16
Exploring the Nation’s Capital – OLLI @Furman Goes to Washington
April 29 – May 3, 2024
Pack your walking shoes, your journal, and some of that good ole’ southern hospitality- we’re going to Washington D.C.! Join a smallish group of OLLI members to explore sites and stories spilling from Capitol Hill and the National Mall, down the broad Potomac. We’ll spend four nights in a comfortable uptown hotel – not far from the White House-equipped with curiosity and a metro pass. We will explore D.C.’s classical architecture, learn about its origins and evolution, and pursue nationally important stories – often folded into the city’s monuments and memorials and national museums.
This will be a lovely adventure into Washington’s cosmopolitanism, identify, and functionality (…sure, laugh if you want.) Free time to explore on your own will abound. We’ll strive for the perfect blend of group activities (timed group visits to the White House, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, for example) and individual choice (like which mall sites you want to visit during a free afternoon.)
Trip highlights will include:
- Monuments and memorials on the National Mall
- White House Visit
- Capitol Building Tour
- Union Station’s architecture and function
- George Washington’s Mount Vernon
- A Potomac River Cruise
- Gadsby’s Tavern in Old Town Alexandria (VA)
- Group entry to the National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Smithsonian Museums on the National Mall
- The National Portrait Gallery
- The Old Post Office Tower (view of the city)
Trip Price:$2485/person; single supplement, $600. The price includes 4 nights lodging and breakfast at the 4 star, centrally-located Hamilton Hotel; ground transportation (i.e. bus) from the airport (DCA) to the hotel, metro pass, two group meals; all touring/visits/entrances/and activities. Price does not include alcohol, transportation (airfare) to & from Washington D.C., other meals, other free time activities, optional theatre show, or trip insurance.
Registration for Exploring Our Nation’s Capitol is open in the OLLI Office. A deposit of $500 is due upon registration. Please stop by or call 864.294.2997 to register. Contact Heidi Wright at heidi.wright@furman.edu for more information.