Great Western Adventure Featuring Yellowstone National Park – the Grand Canyon – Mt. Rushmore – the Dakota Badlands – Canyon Lands of Utah – Painted Desert & More! June 12 – 26, 2022 Some of the most majestic scenery in the world is located in the western United States and that is our destination for this special tour! Over the 15 days of this tour we'll see and visit some of the most beautiful National Parks, sights & attractions in our country. Day One: Today we'll board our luxury motorcoach and head west! Our route will take us through the Great Smoky Mountains by way of Knoxville & Nashville into the “Bluegrass State” of Kentucky to historic Paducah for overnite.
Day Three: We continue west this morning with a stop in Independence for a visit to the Harry S. Truman library & Museum (or home). We'll turn north in Kansas City and travel I-29 north to St. Joseph for a visit to the Patee House and Jesse James home. The Patee house museum contains an enormous collection of western lore from Jesse James, the Pony Express and the history of communication from the telegraph to the telephone.This afternoon we'll continue north via Omaha, Nebraska & Sioux City, Iowa to Sioux Falls, South Dakota for overnite. Day Four: This morning we head due west on I-90 to Mitchell for a stop at the famous Corn Palace. Decorated each year with over 3000 bushels of corn, grains and grasses, it's an amazing site! This afternoon finds us getting deeper into the grasslands of South Dakota. Today we enjoy one of the highlights of our tour as we drive through the awesome Dakota Badlands! We'll make sightseeing and photo stops as we visit this fantastic painted landscape of steep canyons, spires and razor-edged ridges. The badlands were make a national monument by president Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 and became a national park in 1978. Next, we arrive in Wall – one of the most famous towns in the country. Here the Hustead family became rich offering free ice water to weary travelers at the Wall Drug beginning in 1936. We can visit the snack bar, enjoy the free water or just walk along the historic main street area. We'll travel on to Rapid City – our home for the next two nights.
Day Six: Be on the lookout for pronghorn deer, antelope and the prairie dog villages as we depart Rapid City and travel across South Dakota and into the “Cowboy State” of Wyoming. This afternoon we'll cross the Bighorn Mountain range by way of Sheridan & Granite Pass (at an elevation of over 9000 feet) to Cody – our home for tonight. This afternoon we'll enjoy
Day Eight: Today we travel through the Grand Tetons of Montana and Idaho on our way to Salt Lake City, Utah. Founded by the Mormons in 1847 under the leadership of Brigham Young, Salt Lake City features spacious tree lined streets and parks. We'll visit the city center to see the famous Morman Tabernacle and other sites. Late this afternoon we continue south...spending the night in Cedar City, Utah. Day Nine: Mid morning finds us in Bryce Canyon National Park an area that includes some of the earth's most colorful rocks! An Indian translation for the canyon means “red rocks standing like men in a bowl-shaped canyon”. From here we travel to Zion National Park, once a refuge for Mormon pioneers. We'll see desert terrain and large sculpted rock formations along with wild waterfalls and hanging gardens! We travel south later today into Arizona, making a stop at Cameron Trading post – the it's on to Page, Arizona for overnite.
Day Eleven: If you are a western movie fan, you are going to love our first stop this morning...Oak Creek Canyon. This location is the site of many western movies and tv shows. From here we head east on I-40. Two additional highlights today will be the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park. This 93,532 acre park contains the most spectacular display of petrified wood in the world. This colorful area extends 200 miles along the Little Colorado River. We travel on to Albuquerque, New Mexico for a two night stay. Day Twelve: This morning we take a ride on the Sandia Peak Tramway – an aerial tram that lifts passengers to the top of 10,000 foot Sandia Peak! The 2.7 mile ride is the longest clear unsupported span in North America. The view is spectacular!! This afternoon we'll have free time to explore Old Town. Originally founded in 1706, this area centers around the plaza and San Felipe de Meri Church. There is a special charm to the adobe shops and restaurants. Day Thirteen: Today we travel east between the San Miguel and Guadelupe mountain ranges – this is the land of the Pueblo Indians. Have your cameras ready as we pass by the world famous Stanley Marsh's Cadillac Ranch and on to the old cow town of Amarillo, Texas. This was the heart of the open range cattle country of the old west. Late afternoon finds us in Oklahoma City where we'll visit the site of the inspiring tribute to the people that lost their lives in the Murrow Building bombing. Overnite will be in Oklahoma City.
Day Fifteen: Homeward Bound! What places we've been, what sights we've seen and what a great time we've had for the past two weeks! We've made memories, pictures and friendships that will last the rest of our lives....the words to “America the Beautiful” will take on a whole new meaning. We travel east today by way of Nashville and Knoxville – arriving home early this evening. Tour Includes: Transportation by late model luxury motorcoach; Fourteen nights first class hotel accomodations: admission to all listed attractions & sights; Services of a professional tour director throughout the tour and 28 meals Price Per Person:$2589.00 Double | $2529.00 Triple | $2499 Quad | $3339.00 Single Reservations made by March 1st with a $200 per person deposit will receive a $50.00 per person “Early Bird” discount.
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Day Two: Today we travel across western Illinois and cross the Mighty Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri...this is where the western expansion of the United States began. The inspiring Gateway Arch is a symbol of the “Gateway to the West” - We'll take the capsule transporter to the top of the arch for a breathtaking view of St. Louis and the Mississippi river valley, visit the Pioneer Museum, see the downtown historic district and visit Grant Park (home of the Clydesdales). Late this afternoon we'll travel I-70 west to Columbia, Missouri for overnite.
Day Five: It's one of most photographed and inspiring monuments in our country and today we see it in person – Mount Rushmore! Gutzon Borglum began the carvings in 1927 of four of our greatest presidents...Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt on this 6000 foot mountain. We'll also visit the Crazy Horse memorial – a work in progress of the great Indian chief. This evening we'll enjoy a fun filled western show and cookout!
Day Seven: Now...the day we've been waiting for! We travel through the Shoshone National Forest into Yellowstone National Park (America's first national park) for a full day of touring and sightseeing. Highlights include Old Faithful Geyser, Inspiration Point, Artist Point and the Paint Pots. We should see plenty of wild animals today. We'll overnite in Rexburg, Idaho.
Day Ten: Words cannot describe the awesomeness of the Grand Canyon – it must be seen to be believed. The canyon is 277 miles long and at places over 18 miles wide with vertical drops up to 3000 feet! We'll take a guided tour to Hermit's Rest, take the minibus tour of the west rim, enjoy the amazing movie in the visitors center and have plenty of time for photos and sightseeing on our own. Tonight we head down the mountain to Flagstaff for overnite.
Day Fourteen: This morning we'll drive by the capitol so see the working oil well on the ground of the capitol building, then visit the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center – featuring the John Wayne collection of guns, knives and western art.