Day 1
Sunday, September 19
Depart early morning and journey thru Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska before stopping for the night in Grand Island, NE at the Holiday Inn. We will be serving a lite breakfast on the bus of rolls, juice and water. B
Day 2
Monday, September 20
Leaving Nebraska and working our way into Wyoming to Casper, WY where we will spend the night at the Hampton Inn. We will stop at Ash Hollow which still shows the wagon train wheel tracks from the early 1800’s as they made their way across Nebraska in search for the promise land. B
Day 3
Tuesday, September 21
The scenery starts taking on a whole new look today as we drive across country from Casper to Cody, WY. Cody, Wyoming, the eastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park, is a small western town with a friendly attitude that is named after the famous “Buffalo Bill Cody”. We will be staying at the Buffalo Bill Village in their cabins. A historic landmark, with 83 individual cabins, the Buffalo Bill Village offers nostalgic exteriors with all the amenities of a hotel. The Village has a historic exterior that has maintained its Cowboy allure with fully modern interiors. This evening we will enjoy a Chuckwagon Dinner and entertainment. BD
Day 4
Wednesday, September 22
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is widely regarded as America's finest Western museum. Featuring five museums and a research library. Founded in 1917 the Buffalo Bill Historical Center consists of: Whitney Gallery of Western Art, Buffalo Bill Museum, Plains Indian Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, Draper Museum of Natural History and the Harold McCracken Research Library. Following lunch at the Museum, we will board the Cody Trolley Tours. Cody Trolley Tours utilizes two live narrators, poster-sized historical photos, pass-around relics and entertaining audio clips, to share the story of world-famous William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody while we spotlight historical sites, scenic vistas, geology, wildlife and old and new west attractions. Their 60-minute, 22-mile tour is a LIVE PERFORMANCE that you enjoy from the cozy oak interior of our festive red & green trolley. This evening we will attend the “gun fight” and a couple hours of browsing the shops and good food. BL
Day 5
Thursday, September 23
Following breakfast this morning, we will depart for Yellowstone National Park!! Our day will be spent driving and stopping at special attractions from the eastern entry of the park to the Old Faithful Lodge. We will be stopping at the Mammoth Hot Springs area for lunch before continuing on to Old Faithful. We will be staying in the Old Faithful Lodge over night and dinner will be served at the lodge. We will be seeing Old Faithful, the Mud Pots and many more of the attractions of Yellowstone National Park. BD
Day 6
Friday, September 24
We will leave Yellowstone this morning and continue our journey to the Grand Teton and Jackson, WY. We will be staying at The Trapper Inn, which is conveniently located in downtown Jackson, WY. It's an easy walk to Jackson's historical town square where you can enjoy fine dining, shopping, local events and night life out your front door. This will be a relaxing afternoon to do what ever you want. B
Day 7
Saturday, September 25
This will be a driving day as we travel from Jackson, WY to Provo, UT. We will be staying in the Hampton Inn of Provo, located near the Town Centre Mall. We will visit the mall for dinner and a chance to walk and stretch for a bit. B
Day 8
Sunday, September 26
Travel south through Utah today and enjoy the wonderful scenery with the mountains on each side of us as we travel in the valley between the two ranges. We will arrive in Springdale, UT in the late afternoon at the Best Western-Zion Park Inn. The views are breath taking!!! Enjoy dinner at Switchback Grille tonight. BD
Day 9
Monday, September 27
This morning’s journey takes us into the spectacular Zion Park, called the West’s Garden of Eden, to see the massive rock formations. Zion boasts some of the highest and most beautiful sandstone cliffs in the world. We will have lunch at the Zion Lodge before heading out on the Park’s Tour Bus for a guided tour of the park. Traveling from Zion to Bryce Canyon today will show the different kinds of rock sculptures and how they were formed. Zion was formed by the Virgin River as it carved its way through the layers of granite, forming valley floors in sharp contrast to the dramatic towering walls above. Bryce Canyon was formed by wind and weather erosion that has created delicate towers and deep ravines in fantastic colors. But to get from one park to the other, we must travel thru a mile long tunnel with our own personal escort. Best Western Ruby’s Inn, at Bryce Canyon, will be our home for the next two nights. BD
Day 10
Tuesday, September 28
Lunch will be at the Bryce Lodge before heading out on the Park’s Tour Bus with our own personal guide. The shuttle bus will pick us up right in front of the lobby. Dinner will be in the Best Western Ruby’s Lodge. The hotel has many shops located close to browse. Good time to kick back and rest a bit this afternoon. BD
Day 11
Wednesday, September 29
A morning of driving thru the Bryce Canyon and the Canyonland National Park will bring us to Moab, UT and the entrance to the Arches National Park. The wind and rain carved over 100 arches in this park. After visiting the Arches Park in the afternoon, we will check in to the Best Western Canyonlands hotel with plenty of restaurants close to the hotel for dinner. B
Day 12
Thursday, September 30
You can sleep in this morning!! You are free to explore the town of Moab until later this afternoon and we are going take a leisurely cruise down the river to visit the Canyonlands by night. The evening begins with a Cowboy Style Dutch Oven Dinner served on the banks of the Colorado River. We will then board the Moab Queen ll and head up river with a guide at the front of the boat pointing out things of interest. Once dark, the evening will light up with 40,000 watts of light illuminating the canyon walls and bringing them to life. The show is choreographed with lights, sounds, music and narration as you drift back to the dock. BD
Day 13
Friday, October 1
We will now travel east to Mancos, CO and the home of Mesa Verde Nation Park. The first word that comes to your mind is “WOW”!! As you enter Mesa Verde National Park. You wind your way up to 8500 feet, stopping to take in the views that span over a hundred miles. This is the nation’s richest archeological preserve, where amazing cliff dwellings and more than 4,000 ancient sites bring you into the heart of the fascinating culture of the Ancestral Puebloan people. A step on guide will join us after lunch to explain their history and take us on a magical tour thru history. That night we will stay right in the park at the “Far View Lodge” where all rooms have a private balcony overlooking the beautiful country side. There are 4 restaurants to choose from for dinner tonight. BL
Day 14
Saturday, October 2
Ok, it’s time to start heading north and we will travel as far as Colorado Springs, CO today. Before we go to our hotel, we are going to visit the “Gardens of the Gods” with a step on guide to explain all the rock formations to us. Our home tonight will be the Hampton Inn of Colorado Springs with several good restaurants next door for dinner. B
Day 15
Sunday, October 3
It’s a travel day!! Traveling through Colorado and Nebraska. We will overnight in Lincoln, NE at the Country Inn and Suites. B
Day 16
Monday, October 4
Our journey has taken us through some of our countries most beautiful creations but now it’s time for us to return to Illinois. But our memories will come alive..everytime we think about our tour to the National Parks!! One last great meal before arriving home at the Iowa Machine Shed for lunch. We will be arriving back into Peru in the early evening. BL |
