National Parks

Journey through six of America’s most incredible national parks. Arrive today in Arizona where you will enjoy a stay in the world-famous resort town of Scottsdale. This evening, join your fellow travelers at a welcome dinner.
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Courtyard by Marriott

Begin the day with a visit to the artists' colony of Sedona and see the amazing rock formations that change hue with each turn in the road. Afterward, travel through the beautiful scenery before arriving at one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – the spectacular Grand Canyon. Upon arrival, relax at one of the many public seating areas overlooking the immense and colorful canyon. Take a moment to reflect as you stand in awe of this iconic natural treasure. Before dinner you may wish to take a short hike to explore the area.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Yavapai East at South Rim

Visit Area: Scottsdale
Nicknamed "The West's most Western Town," Scottsdale, Arizona, is a bustling city of just over 220,000 people. Bordering the city of Phoenix, Scottsdale is known for its golfing and spa resorts and its beautiful desert landscape. Besides the world-class resorts, downtown Scottsdale has numerous buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of its Old Town where the Old West meets the New West.

Today, head to the Carl Hayden Visitors Center and look out over Glen Canyon Dam to see the end of Lake Powell. Later, arrive at Lake Powell for dinner and sunset views of the lake.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Lake Powell Resort

Visit Area: Grand Canyon
Discover one of the world's natural wonders, the iconic Grand Canyon. Behold its amazing, colorful and ever-changing views. The canyon’s towering cliffs plunge an average of 5,249 feet to the turbulent Colorado River below. The beautiful layers of colorful rock reveal the earth’s history spanning a stunning 1.75 billion years. Scientists studied the canyon’s layers, along with fossils and sediment, to map the world’s evolution. The U.S. government began to explore and chart the area in the early 1800s and it was officially named a national park in 1919.

On the way to Utah, take in the views across Marble Canyon from historic Navajo Bridge, 467 feet above the Colorado River. Later, stop in Kanab, which locals refer to as “Little Hollywood” due to its history as a filming location for many western movies and TV series such as Stagecoach, the Lone Ranger and Gunsmoke. Arrive in Springdale, gateway to Zion National Park and your home for two nights.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Holiday Inn Express

Visit Area: Lake Powell
Created in 1963 when the Glen Canyon Dam was built on the Canyon River, sits the second-largest man-made lake in America: Lake Powell. With depths of 3700', it is a playground for house-boating activities and water sports. Set against a backdrop of red rocks, Lake Powell offers landmarks such as Rainbow Bridge, Cathedral Canyon and Hole in the Rock.

Today’s destination is Zion National Park, very likely one of the most awe-inspiring national parks in the world, just in sheer magnitude and color. Climb aboard Zion’s open-air tram and wind your way alongside the Virgin River and through the 2,400-foot deep, half-mile wide Zion Canyon. This afternoon, it’s your choice! Visit the Zion Human History Museum to learn more about the park -OR- continue to enjoy time in the great outdoors exploring the park independently.

Breakfast Included

Visit Area: Zion
Zion is a National Park located in the southwestern U.S. near Springdale, Utah. The park was established on November 19th, 1919. A main feature of the 229 square mile park is Zion Canyon which is 15 miles long and half a mile deep. Hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding and nature walks are all popular activities in the park.

Today's journey takes you to Bryce Canyon National Park, truly one of the most spectacular scenic wonders of the world. The formations within the park, called Hoodoos, are the creation of wind and water erosion over eons of time. Iron oxidizing within the rock causes the natural orange and red hues that color these formations. Enjoy a hike along the Rim Trail looking into the expansive Bryce Amphitheater, from overlooks at Sunrise and Sunset Points. A drive north takes you to Salt Lake City, the “City of the Saints,” for a 1-night stay.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Radisson Hotel Salt Lake Downtown

Visit Area: Bryce Canyon
A small national park in southwestern Utah, Bryce Canyon is named after the Mormon Pioneer Ebenezer Bryce, and became a national park in 1928. Known for its unique geology, consisting of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters, slot canyons, windows, fins, and spires called "hoodoos", Bryce is a virtual stone forest tinted with colors too numerous and subtle to name.

En route to Wyoming, see the majestic Bear Lake Summit. Later, arrive in the cowboy town of Jackson and experience a fun-filled evening of cowboy entertainment and a traditional chuck wagon* dinner.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Snow King Resort

Visit Area: Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is the capital and most populous city in the state of Utah. Salt Lake was settled in 1847 by Brigham Young and his followers of the Mormon Church. The city is known as the center for the LDS or Mormon Church. The city has a strong outdoor recreation tourist industry, mostly focused on skiing, and was the host of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

The day is yours to enjoy Jackson Hole. From hiking and river-rafting to shopping and sampling the local cuisine, there are endless activities to make the most of your day.

Breakfast Included

Visit Area: Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole, originally called Jackson’s Hole, is a valley located in Wyoming. The word “Hole” derives from language used by early trappers or mountain men who primarily entered the valley from the north and east and had to descend along relatively steep slopes, giving the sensation of entering a hole. These low-lying valleys are surrounded by mountains and contain rivers and streams which were good habitat for beaver and other fur-bearing animals.

From Jackson Hole, pass through Grand Teton National Park. Towering more than a mile above the valley of Jackson Hole, the Grand Teton rises to 13,770 feet. Twelve Teton peaks reach above 12,000 feet and support a dozen mountain glaciers. The Teton Range is the youngest range in the Rockies and displays some of North America's oldest rocks. Later, arrive at the amazing Yellowstone National Park** and explore the park’s incredible sights. Experience the world-famous Old Faithful Geyser, a fountain of steam that rises more than 130 feet in the air.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Yellowstone Lodges**

Visit Area: Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks
Grand Teton National Park is a U.S. national park in the Rocky Mountains in northwestern Wyoming. Grand Teton was established on February 26th, 1919. The park is approximately 310,000 acres in size. The park is named for Grand Teton, the tallest mountain in the Teton Range at 13,775 feet high. Primarily located in the state of Wyoming, the park also extends into Montana and Idaho. Yellowstone is said to be the first national park in the world. The park is famous for its wildlife and geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, which is one of the most popular features of the park. Yellowstone comprises an area of 3,468.4 square miles featuring lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges.

A delightful day of sightseeing begins with a trip along Yellowstone Lake and over Sylvan Pass. As you pass through Cody, stop at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a tribute to one of the most well-known figures of the Old West. Before turning in for the night in Sheridan, drive through the incredible Bighorn Mountains and journey through the territory of the Great Sioux Nation.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Best Western Sheridan Center

Visit Area: Old Faithful
Old Faithful is a geyser located in Yellowstone National Park in the state of Wyoming. It is one of the most predicable geographical features on Earth, erupting almost every 63 minutes. When the geyser erupts it can shoot anywhere from 3,700 to 8,400 gallons of boiling water to a height of 106 to 185 feet lasting from 1.5 to 5 minutes.

Visit Crazy Horse Memorial, a monument dedicated to Native Americans. Visit the Native American Cultural Center to learn more about local customs, when Native Americans discuss the movements of their dances and the significance of different clothes. Later, see one of the country’s most famous landmarks, Mount Rushmore, whose four figures carved in stone represent the first 150 years of American history. At tonight’s dinner you will meet a local Lakota Native American and learn all about their fascinating way of life, past and present.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Courtyard by Marriott

Visit Area: Sheridan
Sheridan is a city in Sheridan County, Wyoming. Sheridan is a boom or bust town, having been supported by the oil, gas and coal exploration of the surrounding area. Sheridan now markets itself as a tourist destination where people can come to experience the ‘old’ West and the ‘new’ West. The town is a popular destination for people visiting the Black Hills or Yellowstone National Park.

Today's adventure takes you south into Wyoming and through Cheyenne, the state capital. Later, arrive in Denver, Colorado — the “Mile High City.” Relax and make yourself at home for the next two nights.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel

Drive By: Bighorn Mountains
The Bighorn Mountains are a mountain range in northern Wyoming and southern Montana. They form a northwest trending spur stretching from the Rocky Mountains extending approximately 200 miles northward on the Great Plains. The highest peaks within the Bighorns are located in Wyoming in Bighorn National Forest. The two tallest peaks in the forest, Cloud Peak and Black Tooth Mountain, rise over 13,000 feet in height.

Set out for spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park. Here, the beauty of the West is preserved and the term “sweeping vistas” takes on a whole new meaning. Return to Denver and enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a farewell dinner.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Visit Area: Crazy Horse Memorial
Crazy Horse Memorial, the world’s largest mountain sculpture now in progress, is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The nine-story-high face of Crazy Horse, a visionary leader committed to preserving the traditions and values of the Lakota way of life, was completed in 1998 when work shifted to the 22-story-high massive horse’s head. The work was begun in 1948 by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski at the request of Native Americans. Korczak determined that the memorial would be more than just a sculpture…it would be a humanitarian project telling present and future generations the story of Native American peoples by collecting and preserving outstanding examples of Indian culture and heritage. Visitors to the memorial can view the progress of the sculpture as well as tour an Indian museum, cultural center, the sculptor’s studio and orientation center. Although Korczak died in 1982, his wife, Ruth, and their family continue the project working with the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation.

Your tour comes to a close today.

Breakfast Included

Visit Area: Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota. Mt. Rushmore features 60-foot sculptures of the heads of four U.S. Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The faces were sculpted between 1934 and 1939. Mt. Rushmore attracts more than 2 million people annually.