# 2 Adults, 2 Children# 1 Large Suitcase,2 Small Suitcases# Air Conditioning# Duel Airbags# Standard for parties of 1 and 2
Enjoy the Splendor of the Rockies
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Arrive at the airport, pick-up your rental car and proceed to your hotel. Denver has the urban charms of an industrious city,combined with all of the mystery and romance of the old West. Located at just over five thousand feetabove sea level, the “Mile High City” was one of the first settlements to not be centrally located to anavigable body of water or a functioning railway. A speck of gold was discovered here and led manyeager fortune seekers to make camp. Although no major gold discovery was ever had, William H.
Larimer arrived in 1859 and laid out a plan for the city. Today, Denver is a thriving center ofcommerce and finance with a lingering twinkle of its rugged beginnings.
Accommodations: (STD) DoubleTree, The Curtis Hotel or similar (1 night)
This morning depart Denver and begin driving toward Rocky Mountain National Park. Here the RockyMountains keep a watchful eye on the dramatic landscape below. There are forests of pine and fir andfields of wildflowers which make for spectacular vistas. Rocky Mountain National Park is uniquebecause of its diverse terrain caused in large part by the extremes of elevation that exist within it. Aprime wildlife?viewing area, the park is home to elk, mule deer, beavers, coyotes, river otters, moose,bighorn sheep, and an abundance of songbirds. Trail Ridge Road, which cuts west through the middleof the park, is rated among the most scenic highways in America. It was designated an All?AmericanRoad in 1996, one of the first six in the nation. Climbing to 12,187 feet near Fall River Pass, Trail Ridge Road is the highestcontinuous paved highway in the United States. Exhibits at the Alpine Visitor Center at Fall River Pass, 11,800 feet above sea level,explain life on the alpine tundra. Continue on to Cheyenne for an overnight stay.
Accommodations: (STD) Holiday Inn Cheyenne or similar (1 night)
Depart Cheyenne this morning and drive toward Hot Springs, South Dakota, famous for its healing warm?water springs. Stroll along the Freedom Trail that runs along the banks of the Fall River where you can walk under the waterfall. Experience the unique shops, galleries, coffee houses, book stores and restaurants that occupy the century-old sandstone buildings that dot the landscape along the streets. Explore the 1890 railroad depot that now serves as the Visitor Information Center. Start at the world famous Mammoth Site where you can see history being uncovered right before your eyes. It is the only display of mammoth fossils in the US. In 1974, building of a housing project came to an abrupt halt when a tractor driver unearthed a seven-foot tusk. Paleontologists soon declared that the workers had discovered the 26,000-year-old grave of Columbian and Woolly mammoths, 52 have been found to date. Inside the dome, fascinating toursexplain how these 10?ton mammoths, along with camels, bears and rodents, were trapped in a steep-sided sinkhole and were gradually covered by sediment. At the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, you can see wild mustangs in their natural habitat with their heads held proudly high and hear their pounding hoof beats as they freely gallop over the open range.
Accommodations:
Best Western Sundowner Inn or similar (1 night)
Today, drive toward Rapid City. On your way, you may choose to pass by Custer State Park, the secondlargest State Park in America and home to a variety of wildlife and magnificent scenery. Continuetoward the four figures carved in stone at Mount Rushmore. They represent the first 150 years ofAmerican History. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Rooseveltare captured in stone as the visionaries who individually contributed to the foundation of the UnitedStates. In addition to the carved granite faces, here you will find an amphitheater, museum/theatercomplex, Visitor Orientation Center, Presidential Trail, gift shop, bookstore, and dining facilities. Tocomplete your Rushmore experience, view the evening lighting ceremony. You might also consider a visit to the Crazy HorseMemorial, home of the world’s largest mountain sculpture in progress. It tells the story in granite of the great and patriotic NativeAmerican hero, Crazy Horse, who died in 1877. The Memorial’s visitor complex includes the 40,000 square foot Welcome Centerand theaters, the Indian Museum of North America, the Native American Educational & Cultural Center, the sculptor’s log homestudio and workshop, indoor and outdoor galleries, museum gift shop, restaurant and snack bar areas and expansive viewingveranda. Enjoy an overnight stay in Rapid City.
Accommodations: Best Western Ramkota Hotel or similar (2 nights)
Depart Rapid City this morning for a round trip that will take you through the Badlands National Park and the neighboring city of Wall for a visit to the Wounded Knee Museum. Millions of years of wind, water and erosion have created the chiseled spires, deep canyons and jagged buttes of Badlands National Park. Covering 244,000 acres, Badlands National Park is one of the largest protected mixed grass prairies in the United States. The park is home to many species of wildlife including bighorn sheep, bison, the swift fox and the endangered black footed ferret. Antelope and deer are commonly seen roaming near roadways and picnic areas. Take the first hour to watch the Park’s informational video and tour the exhibit at the Visitor Center; then, drive the 240 Loop Road (approximately 60min.) making stops as needed for picture taking. Depart the Badlands via I-90 to the historic town of Wall for a visit to the Wounded Knee Museum. Have lunchat Wollies, a local favorite on the way in. At the Wounded Knee Museum exhibits and photographs provide a vivid picture of what really happened at the famous battle of Wounded Knee. This narrative museum offers an authentic recount of the story behind the legendary massacre. Allow at least 2 hours to enjoy this experience before returning to Rapid City.
Leave Rapid City behind this morning and set out to historic Deadwood in the Black Hills. This oldmining town is still as wild at heart as it was in the 1800s when the outlaws, gamblers and gunslingersruled the streets. Today, the entire town is a National Historic Landmark and an ideal place to releaseyour inner outlaw. Visit a couple of Deadwood’s 80 historic gaming halls. Continue on to Devil’s TowerNational Monument; the nearly vertical monolith known as Devils Tower rises 1,267 feet above theBelle Fourche River. Known by several northern plains tribes as Bears Lodge, it is a sacred site ofworship for many American Indians. Continue on to Sheridan for an overnight stay.
Accommodations: (STD) Holiday Inn Sheridan or similar (1 night)
Today, depart Sheridan for a visit to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument on your way toBillings. The National Monument Visitor Center and Museum features exhibits relating to the Battle ofLittle Bighorn in which 210 members of the United States Cavalry under Colonel George A. Custerperished. Continue to Billings for an overnight stay. Billings is home to an appealing variety of historicbuildings, museums, and interesting sightseeing opportunities. Stroll through Billings’s sights on yourown, or take a more organized approach to your Billings sightseeing by checking on local tours.
Accommodations: (STD) Best Western Clock Tower Inn or similar (1 night)
Drive west to Helena today for a real western city experience. Helena’s 19th century architecturedazzles and its gold rush history compels. Born during the Gold Rush of 1864, this is a rare town that’smanaged to become a modern city while retaining the character of its early years: a perfect place torelive the Old West. The many museums and historic attractions will take you back to learn and, insome cases, even relive some wild and exciting times. You’ll find plenty of fascinating ways toexperience the past from the Corps of Discovery to the rough?and?tumble days of the cowboys whowon the West.
Accommodations: (STD) Shilo Inn Helena or similar (1 night)
Drive northwest today to Kalispell. Established in the early 1890s as a result of railway expansion,Kalispell enjoyed moderate growth throughout the 1900s, serving as the commercial center for muchof the county. Since 2000 however, the city has more than doubled in size and now benefits from aflourishing art community with more than two dozen art galleries and studios spread throughout thecity. Antique stores and gift shops offer additional opportunity for shopping. The city features twomuseums: the Hockaday Museum of Art, featuring exhibits, lectures, classes and events year?round andthe 1894 Central School Museum, Kalispell’s first school, which now serves as an historical museum.
Accommodations: (STD) Outlaw Inn or similar (2 nights)
Visit Glacier National Park today. Situated in northwestern Montana and bordering the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia to the North and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to the east, Glacier International Park contains 2,000 square miles of some of the most beautiful and dramatic natural scenery on the continent. Glacier National Park contains two mountain ranges which are sometimes referred to as the southern extension of the Canadian Rockies. Comprised of multihued summits and peaks carved out by ancient glaciers, the mountains of Glacier National Park rise abruptly from gently rolling plains. Some 762 lakes, dozens of glaciers, and innumerable waterfalls glisten in forested valleys. A scenic highway crosses the park, making the surrounding beauty accessible to the casual traveler.
This morning, head south on Highway 93 for a stunningly beautiful drive along the shores of Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. Stop by the city of Missoula for a visit to the Hellgate Trading Post, which was initially established in 1860 to trade with Indians, miners traveling through the area, ranchers, and farmers settled in adjoining valleys. Continue via the Pintler Scenic Byway for a brief stop in the small town of Philipsburg where you can mine for saphires before continuing to Butte. As a small city nestled in the Rocky Mountains along the Continental Divide, Butte serves as a springboard to almost 4 million acres of state and federal public land. Butte has great restaurants, spirited night spots, unique places to visit and a countryside that all of Montana envies; because of its setting, it provides a wealth of outdoor opportunities.
Accommodations:
(STD) Best Western Plus Butte Plaza Inn or similar (1 night)
After a good night’s rest, continue the journey to West Yellowstone where you will spend two nights.
Yellowstone was the first national park in the world, the example on which parks everywhere aremodeled. One of the most famous park features is Old Faithful. This famous geyser got its namebecause of its punctuality and predictability. Eruptions at Old Faithful last anywhere from 1 to 5minutes, and spray water and steam up to 184 feet vertically. Yellowstone also has freely roamingherds of buffalo. It also includes the nation’s largest wildlife preserve, an enormous lake, theContinental Divide, some 10,000 hydrothermal features, and over 1,000 miles of trails.
Accommodations: (STD) Old Faithful Snow Lodge or similar (2 Nights)
Continue exploring this marvel of nature for the entire day. This park’s diversity of attractions is amatch for any location on the planet. Explore the interesting park locations and the hydrothermalfeatures by strolling the boardwalks built over top them. Yellowstone’s wildlife is as spectacular as thehydrothermal features. Because of the park’s remote location, and because of its large size, animalsroam freely and are able to live in a natural way much as their kind has lived for centuries. Moose, elkand buffalo are among the most populous of inhabitants.
Drive away from Yellowstone and pass the Grand Teton Mountains on the way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Teton Range is forty miles long and experiences and average snowfall of 191 inches.
Grand Teton, at 13,770 feet (4,197m) is the tallest peak in this range. The views of the often snowcappedmountains will be spectacular. Stop at one of the many vistas or lakes for an excellentphotograph. Continue on to Jackson Hole. Cowboys come to life in this town that was once a furtrading post. Saloons dot the corners and authentic artwork of the west can be found in the manygalleries. Visit a local ranch for a delicious cookout and Wild West Show. Guided tours of the area areavailable by horseback or even hot air balloon!
Accommodations: Painted Buffalo Inn or similar (1 night)
Enjoy Jackson Hole’s attractions for most of the day before continuing to Rock Springs. Jackson has developed a large shopping and eating district, located around the town square. Within this district, all types of goods can be found with businesses embracing the strong western tradition of the region. Continue on your journey by driving through beautiful Bridger Teton National Forest as you make your way to Rock Springs for the night.
Accommodations:
(STD) Quality Inn Rock Springs or similar (1 night)
Drive toward Fort Collins, Colorado this morning. Nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains, FortCollins offers exciting recreational opportunities, unique cultural offerings, and is a regional center forshopping. Throughout the year, live music and entertainment, as well as great local dining, can befound throughout the historic downtown area. Fort Collins offers the convenience of a small town withall the amenities of a larger city.
Accommodations: (STD) Best Western University Inn or similar (1 night)
Depart at leisure to Denver International Airport. Drop-off rental car
Surround yourself by natural beauty in this journey through the American Rockies. Enjoy the scenic byways and routes that wind through magnificent landscapes and panoramas in Wyoming and
Montana. See history preserved at Crazy Horse Memorial, Mount Rushmore, and Wounded Knee Museum, and experience the “Old West” in the towns of Deadwood, Helena, and Jackson Hole.
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R.F. UK –
We’re back home now after another tremendous trip to North America. As ever, all the arrangements were perfect and all the hotels were excellent and in great locations. Thanks very much.