2009 Departure Dates
June 18
July 9, 16, 23
August 6, 13, 20
September 10, 17
Day One • Arrive
in Salt Lake City with included transfers to your hotel
• Meet your fellow travelers at 6 p.m. for a dinner hosted by your Tour
Manager
• Enjoy a rehearsal of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (when available)
Day Two
• Salt Lake City touring including Temple Square and Great Salt Lake
• Head to Jackson, Wyoming
• Chuckwagon dinner with entertainment
Day Three
• Breakfast at Teton Steakhouse
• Snake River float trip through Grand Teton National Park
Day Four
• Travel to Yellowstone National Park
• Late afternoon arrival to begin exploring the park
• Dinner
Day Five
• Breakfast at your hotel
• Guided tour of Yellowstone
Day Six
• Breakfast at your hotel
• Buffalo Bill Historical Center
• Dinner
Day Seven
• View the legendary Devils Tower
• Travel to South Dakota
• Tour of Deadwood and Boot Hill
Day Eight
• Breakfast at your hotel
• Tour the Badlands with a local guide and see the Crazy Horse Memorial
• See Mt. Rushmore
• Farewell dinner at K Bar S Lodge
Day Nine
• Breakfast at your hotel
• Transfer to Rapid City Airport for flights home
*****All itineraries are subject to change without notice.
9
Days
• 10 Meals
Looming mountains, natural wonders, and historic mining towns – the
American West offers travel treasures for adventurers of all
kinds!
Westward,
Ho!
Over nine thrilling days, you will experience it all, from
rugged frontier towns of the Old West to spectacular vistas
in some of the country’s most beautiful National Parks.
It’s a unique opportunity to catch a glimpse of the pioneering
spirit that led a nation westward.
Man-made Wonders
From the glory of God’s country to the wonders of modern
engineering, our trip also includes a tour of awe-inspiring,
man-made monuments. In Salt Lake City, we catch a glimpse of
the neo-gothic Salt Lake Temple, the iconic representation
of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. Built between 1853
and 1893, the temple is a stunning example of artistry, and
lends an ethereal tone of serenity to the surrounding Temple
Square.
Cowboys and Gunslingers
Grab your ten-gallon hat and reach for your six-gun, because
we step back in time to experience life on the frontier.
Start with historic Jackson, Wyoming, where you stroll the
wooden plank sidewalks of downtown and catch a glimpse of gunplay
every night in the town square. Cowboy traditions come alive.
While
staying in Jackson, enjoy the “purple mountain majesties” of
the Grand Tetons as we drift along on a scenic float trip
down the beautiful Snake River. We may glimpse wildlife along
the way; our route includes the National Elk Refuge, with
its population of approximately 5,000 wintering elk as well
as the largest bison herd in the National Wildlife Refuge
System.
Wyoming is also home to a legendary figure of the Old West,
Buffalo Bill Cody. From his early days working on the wagon
trains and riding for the Pony Express to his exploits as an
expert tracker, sharpshooter and showman, Cody embodied the
ideal of the American plains. At the Buffalo Bill Historical
Center, you will meet this Western hero, as well as Annie Oakley,
Sitting Bull, and Texas Jack. Immerse yourself in the frontier
life of yesteryear in Deadwood, South Dakota. Designated a
National Historic Landmark in 1967, Deadwood preserves the
history and lore of the rough-and-ready West from the city’s
beginnings as a lawless mining town.
Walk the same streets as Wild Bill Hickok (who met his maker
at the end of a pistol in one of Deadwood’s many saloons)
and Calamity Jane, and see the town’s stately Victorians,
restored gambling palaces, and “old-tyme”
watering holes. Our tour also includes a trip to Boot Hill,
the last resting place of Deadwood’s famous and not-so-famous
denizens.
Breathtaking Natural Beauty
While gold and cattle-ranching lured 19th-century settlers
to the frontier, the area’s natural beauty has kept visitors
returning ever since –
and we have many opportunities to witness these outdoor spectacles.
Our tour includes a two night stay in Yellowstone, the oldest
U.S. national park. The park’s geothermal wonders – including
the world-famous geyser, Old Faithful – offer a dramatic
showcase for Mother Nature at her most powerful. We also take
in the glorious vistas of the park’s Grand Canyon, a
natural structure that took shape more than 10,000 years ago.
We also enjoy seeing the Black Hills of South Dakota, with
its sturdy pines and towering precipices, and the awe-inspiring
heights of Wyoming’s Devils Tower. A looming presence,
this natural monolith inspired countless Indian legends (we’ll
learn more than a few!) and took its place in American film
history in Stephen Spielberg’s classic film, Close Encounters
of the Third Kind.
We close our tour with one of the most inspiring sites in the
American landscape, Mt. Rushmore. The towering visages of Washington,
Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt have provided a stirring memorial
to the country’s greatest leaders since they were completed
in 1941. We also stop at the imposing sculpture of the Crazy
Horse Memorial, a work in progress that serves as tribute to
the Native Americans who originally lived in these beautiful
hills.
