Itinerary Details
The Classic Lodges & Parks Of The West
Day 1 ARRIVE IN RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA Welcome to Rapid City! At 6pm, meet your traveling companions for a welcome drink. Your Tour Director will prepare you for your upcoming adventure.
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Day 2 RAPID CITY–BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK–CUSTER STATE PARKLegends of the West After breakfast, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Rapid City. Visit Badlands National Park to see some of the most spectacular scenery in the region. Afterward, there’s time to explore Wall Drug, known for its quirky roadside signs. Continue to Custer State Park for a backcountry adventure; a [LF] Buffalo Safari with a local expert and traditional cookout. (B,D)
LOCAL FAVORITE
WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM Awaken your adventurer’s spirit on a Buffalo Safari in Custer State Park. The U.S. national mammal and historic mainstay of indigenous people, the American Bison is a native species of North America, whose numbers were reduced from more than 60 million across the great bison belt grasslands from Alaska to the Atlantic to less than 600 by the late 1880s. Standing 6 feet tall and weighing up to 2,000 pounds, these formidable and majestic mammals have been restored in numbers due to conservation efforts of the 20th century.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION SPOTLIGHT Enjoy an overnight stay at the historic State Game Lodge in Custer State Park. This gracious stone and wood lodge is set in a beautiful mountain valley, surrounded by a ponderosa pine forest. Built in 1920 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the lodge served as the “Summer White House” for President Calvin Coolidge and was visited by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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Day 3 CUSTER STATE PARK. EXCURSION TO HOT SPRINGS & CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL Wild & Wooly Discoveries Travel to Hot Springs to visit the world’s largest [LF] Mammoth Site. Next, Crazy Horse Memorial, built in honor of the fearless Lakota Chief who led the victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn. The remainder of the day is yours to relax in Custer State Park. Perhaps try some fly-fishing, mountain biking, or take a nature walk. (B,D)
LOCAL FAVORITE
HISTORIC SITES Dig deeper into prehistoric South Dakota with a visit to the Mammoth Site and Museum. Tour the world’s largest mammoth research facility and active dig site, where scientists are currently excavating remains of mammoths that were trapped and died in the pond more than 26,000 years ago. After a short tour, you’ll have time to stroll the sidewalks of the dig area and see the paleontology laboratory. Imagine this landscape when the more than 60 Mammoths found to date roamed and ruled in the Pleistocene era in North America.
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Day 4 CUSTER STATE PARK–MOUNT RUSHMORE–DEADWOOD–SPEARFISH CANYON Statesmen, Sheriffs & Sharpshooters Visit one of the world’s largest stone monuments – Mount Rushmore National Memorial – to see the solid granite faces of four legendary American presidents majestically carved more than a thousand feet overhead. Continue to the historic Old West town of Deadwood for a tour with a Local Guide. Then drive the scenic Spearfish Canyon for an overnight at the exclusive Spearfish Canyon Lodge. (B,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDS & LORE The legendary town of Deadwood is home to the ghosts of the Wild West, where bold frontiersmen and optimistic gold miners set down stakes in this untamed mining town. Hear the rip-roaring stories of legends like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Potato Creek Johnny while exploring the streets where shoot-outs and sheriffs ruled the day.
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Day 5 SPEARFISH CANYON–UCROSS RANCH, WYOMING–CODY Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch... Continue across the grassy plains of Wyoming and soak in the expansive blue skies. Enjoy lunch at the historic [LF] Ranch at UCross with free time to enjoy a variety of activities. Next, cross the Bighorn Mountains via Shell Creek Canyon to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West town of Cody, Wyoming. (B,L)
LOCAL FAVORITE
LOCAL TASTES You’re invited to lunch at The Ranch at UCross – smack in the middle of the Wyoming landscape that’s rich in the history of the American West. Explore activities to get in the cowboy spirit where writers, sculptors and artists have drawn inspiration for years. See gentle horses, sweeping scenery, and plenty of trout in the river make this the perfect place to get away from it all.
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Day 6 CODY–YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARKSpend your day your way in Cody. This morning, Explore more of Cody with your choice of included excursions. Depart for Yellowstone National Park, America’s first national park, where wild animals roam freely in vast meadows and forest. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDARY LIVES The mission of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is to connect people to the stories of the American West. Here in the town named for Bill Cody (Buffalo Bill), you’ll find a wealth of historic artifacts, artwork, and amazing insight to the historic American West and Native American culture in this complex founded in 1917 to continue the vision of Col. William F. Cody – named by the NY Times as ‘among the nation’s most remarkable museums.’
TAKE YOUR PICK
Explore your way today with your choice of excursions:
THE NEW FRONTIER Visit the Buffalo Bill Center of The West, a comprehensive museum of historic weapons, cowboy folklore, and Western art and fascinating tribute to frontier America and Native American culture with the vision of Col. William F. Cody – named by the NY Times as ‘among the nation’s most remarkable museums.’
OR:
SHARP SHOOTERS Explore 100 years of Cody history on a live guided trolley tour. An entertaining way to see the highlights of the Old West and hear stories of legendary locals Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley.
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Day 7 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARKAmerica’s First National Park A full day’s adventure in this vast national park! See the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone with its Upper and Lower Falls. Watch for herds of bison in Hayden Valley, and view many of Yellowstone’s geothermal sites, including Old Faithful Geyser. (B,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
NATURAL WONDERS Designated as a national park by law 150 years ago, President Ulysses S. Grant worked to preserve and protect the wild landscapes, native heritage, spectacular wildlife, and extraordinary geologic and ecological phenomena that make this Rocky Mountain paradise a treasure today and for future generations to treasure. From geysers to grizzlies and great bison, no one leaves the park without being forever changed by the natural wonder witnessed in any of its 2.2 million acres of pristine wilderness.
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Day 8 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK–JACKSONGlacial Giants This morning, tour Grand Teton National Park on your way to Jackson for a 2-night stay at the Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
NATURAL WONDERS With its magnificent peaks and glacial landscapes, this Rocky Mountain marvel is the perfect pairing of natural grandeur and frontier spirit of the town of Jackson. Find serenity on the shores of gorgeous glacier-fed Jenny Lake and stroll along the shore before continuing to Jackson. This evening, visit the Antler Arches, enjoy a drink at the iconic Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, or shop for the perfect cowboy hat.
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Day 9 JACKSONPeak Experiences Today is at your leisure to explore on your own, enjoy your resort, or perhaps take an optional float trip down the Snake River. (B)
FREE TIME TIPS
EXPLORE MORE in Jackson with an optional float trip along the Snake River, stroll along the downtown boardwalks to enjoy a drink at one of the local saloons, or explore one of the many galleries that call Jackson home.
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Day 10 JACKSON–SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH This is the Place! Follow the Snake River and lovely Star Valley en route to Utah. Wind along the shores of beautiful Bear Lake before climbing through the Wasatch Mountains and on to the Great Salt Lake Basin and Salt Lake City. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner hosted by your Tour Director. (B,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORIC SPOT The capital city of Utah was first established in 1847 by early pioneer settlers led by Brigham Young, who exclaimed, “This is the right place,” upon seeing its vistas and verdant landscapes. The city hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics and offers a vibrant downtown with a variety of stores, attractions, and restaurants.
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Day 11 SALT LAKE CITY Safe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. Want more time to explore Salt Lake City? Additional nights are available for purchase. (B)
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