NATIONAL PARKS & CANYON COUNTRY WITH LAS VEGAS EXTEN
Day 1 - DENVER. Enjoy time at leisure to relax or to do some independent exploring. Your Tour Director can answer any questions. Day 2 - DENVER - CHEYENNE - BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA - KEYSTONE. Depart downtown Denver and travel north to Cheyenne. See the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota and continue to Custer. Then, see the CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL, a monument carved out of a mountain that pays respect to the great Native American hero, Chief Crazy Horse. Day 3 - KEYSTONE - MOUNT RUSHMORE - DEADWOOD - LEAD. Deep in the Black Hills, behold the granite faces of MOUNT RUSHMORE, a monument to four American presidents - Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. Afterward, visit TATANKA, "The Story of the Bison," and experience the richness of the Lakota people. On to Deadwood, a lawless frontier town during the 1876 Gold Rush, where Jack McCall murdered Wild Bill Hickok during a poker game. Overnight in the old mining town of Lead. Day 4 - LEAD - CODY. On to Buffalo, where open-range cattle kings made war on sheep ranchers in the 1890s. Drive by Sheridan, site of battles between the U.S. Cavalry and the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Crow Indians. Overnight in Buffalo Bill's frontier town of Cody. Day 5 - CODY - YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. Proceed through Shoshone National Forest to YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. Travel along Grand Loop Road to Artist Point with views of Yellowstone Canyon and the Lower Falls. See the bubbling geyser basins and the consistent "blow" of Old Faithful, Yellowstone's most famous geyser. Overnight in Yellowstone National Park.
Notes:
- Departures April 21-May 11 and Sept. 25-Oct. 06 will stay at the Brandin" Iron Inn in West Yellowstone.
- Routing and areas visited in Yellowstone are subject to favorable weather and/or road conditions. When conditions are unfavorable, routing may be adjusted accordingly.
Day 6 - YELLOWSTONE - GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK - JACKSON. Head south into magnificent GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, one of America's last preserves of wild solitude. Its 13,770-foot-high ridges are crested with snow most of the year. Stroll along the shores of beautiful glacier-fed Jenny Lake before ending the day in all-Western Jackson. This evening, join an optional barbecue cookout and Wild West show. Day 7 - JACKSON. With its wooden sidewalks and swing-door saloons, Jackson is like a film set. Time today for an optional raft trip on the Snake River. Day 8 - JACKSON'SALT LAKE CITY. Today, drive to Salt Lake City for an overnight stay. Set on the edge of Great Salt Lake Desert, this center of the Mormon religion is where Brigham Young declared to his followers, "This is the place." An included sightseeing tour shows you the capital of Utah including Temple Square, the adjacent tabernacle, and the Beehive House. Day 9 - SALT LAKE CITY - BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK. On to BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK with its 20 miles of sandstone cliffs and ever-changing colors. See some of Earth's most brilliant shades of rock, sculpted by nature into pillars called "hoodoos." Day 10 - BRYCE CANYON - ZION NATIONAL PARK - PAGE. Travel to ZION NATIONAL PARK with its landscape carved over millions of years by rushing streams. Steep canyons, stone towers, and verdant vegetation form the scenery of Zion. Head east into Page on the shores of Lake Powell. Day 11 - PAGE - PAINTED DESERT - GRAND CANYON. Enjoy an optional flight over scenic Monument Valley. Then, cross the Painted Desert and through Kaibab National Forest. Arrive for an overnight at the South Rim of GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK with free time to explore. Day 12 - GRAND CANYON - LAS VEGAS. For a once-in-a-lifetime thrill, take an optional flightseeing trip over the Grand Canyon. Next up: the world-class entertainment of Las Vegas. Day 13 - LAS VEGAS Two full days to do as you please. Be sure to check out the enormous casinos along the "Strip" and spend some time relaxing around your hotel pool. Your Local Host will also suggest favorite restaurants and shopping activities. Perhaps join the optional night out to a dazzling cocktail show starring top Vegas entertainers. Day 14 - LAS VEGAS Two full days to do as you please. Be sure to check out the enormous casinos along the "Strip" and spend some time relaxing around your hotel pool. Your Local Host will also suggest favorite restaurants and shopping activities. Perhaps join the optional night out to a dazzling cocktail show starring top Vegas entertainers. Day 15 - LAS VEGAS. The trip ends today with guests departing on individual schedules. Transfers are provided to McCarran
International Airport. |
