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Day 1: Scottsdale, Arizona - Tour Begins
Join us on a tour through five of America’s most splendid national parks. Your tour begins in Arizona, where you will enjoy a stay in the world-famous resort town of Scottsdale. Today dinner will be included.
Day 2: Scottsdale - Sedona - Lake Powell
Begin the day with a visit to the artists' colony of Sedona where you will see the amazing rock formations change hue with each turn in the road. Later today, you arrive at Lake Powell. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Day 3: Lake Powell - Grand Canyon
This morning you embark on a delightful breakfast cruise* on scenic Lake Powell. Then travel to Carl Hayden Visitors Center and look out over Glen Canyon Dam and see to the end of Lake Powell. Afterwards, travel to Marble Canyon before arriving at the spectacular Grand Canyon, staying at the only in-park hotel. The original Grand Canyon Lodge was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1937 by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood. Its rustic construction of limestone walls and timbered ceilings complements the North Rim's lush beauty. The Lodge offers peace and comfort to the North Rim visitor and is a National Historic Landmark. «Dinner this evening takes place in the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, offering fine dining in a casual atmosphere, with magnificent views overlooking the rim of the Canyon.« Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Day 4: Grand Canyon - Bryce Canyon, Utah - Zion National Park
Today you travel to Bryce Canyon National Park, truly one of the most spectacular scenic wonders of the world. The formations within Bryce Canyon National 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. «Your final destination for the day is the red and white sandstone cliffs of Zion National Park. In sheer magnitude and color, Zion is very likely one of the most awe-inspiring national parks in the world.« Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Day 5: Zion National Park - Salt Lake City
A drive north takes you to Salt Lake City, the “City of the Saints,” where you will enjoy a two-night stay. Perhaps you will want to explore Temple Square. This beautifully landscaped 10-acre plot of ground in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City is one of Utah's most visited attractions. The centerpiece of the square is the 6-spired granite Salt Lake Temple, and adjacent to this imposing edifice is the domed Tabernacle**, home of the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir** and the great Tabernacle organ. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Day 6: Salt Lake City
Enjoy a tour of Salt Lake City, featuring the Great Salt Lake, the state capitol and the residential district. The remainder of the day is at leisure. Today breakfast will be included.
Day 7: Salt Lake City - Jackson Hole, Wyoming
En route to Wyoming you will see the majestic Bear Lake Summit. Later you will arrive in the cowboy town of Jackson Hole. Today breakfast will be included.
Day 8: Jackson Hole
The day is yours to explore Jackson Hole. Some optional activities include shopping, canoeing, hiking and river rafting trips. Tonight, a fun-filled evening of cowboy entertainment and dinner is in store at the Bar J Chuckwagon***. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Day 9: Jackson Hole - Grand Tetons - Yellowstone
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 where you will enjoy an overnight stay at your lodge nestled in the heart of this wonderful park. One of the many highlights is the world-famous Old Faithful Geyser, a fountain of steam that rises more than 60 feet in the air.«
Today breakfast will be included.
Day 10: Yellowstone - Cody - Sheridan
A delightful day of sightseeing begins with a trip along Lake Yellowstone and over Sylvan Pass. From the mountains to the prairies, the scenery is simply amazing. As you pass through Cody, a stop will be made at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, a tribute to one of the most colorful figures of the old west, Buffalo Bill Cody. Before turning in for the night in Sheridan, you drive through the incredible Bighorn Mountains and journey through the territory of the Great Sioux Nation. Today breakfast will be included.
Day 11: Sheridan - Custer State Park, South Dakota
See one of the country’s most famous landmarks, Mount Rushmore, before visiting the Crazy Horse Monument, a memorial dedicated to the Native Americans of our great land. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit the Native American Cultural Center to learn about their culture and customs. Here, Native Americans discuss the movements of their dances and the significance of wearing different feathers and clothes. Later, you will arrive at Custer State Park, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Join your fellow travelers at a farewell dinner and share your experience at our nation’s wonderful parks. Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Day 12: Custer State Park - Tour Ends
Your tour ends, leaving you with many wonderful memories.
Experience It! ______________________ See History Cast in Stone
In 1925, Gutzon Borglum set out to create a gigantic work of art. Armed with 400 men and $1 million dollars, he began carving a 5,725-foot mountain into a national masterpiece. The mountain's name is Mount Rushmore, and the men whose images are carved into its façade symbolize the first 150 years of United States history. Immortalized in stone are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
Creating the memorial was a difficult task. The rock on Mount Rushmore was so strong, dynamite was the most practical way to mold the monument. Once the stone was blasted to within inches of Borglum's measurements, the faces were fine-tuned with hammers and chisels. Fourteen years after construction began, Borglum died, leaving the final phases of construction to his son, Lincoln.
All work on Mount Rushmore concluded for good in October of 1941, on the eve of World War II. Interestingly enough, what you see immortalized in the Black Hills of South Dakota is actually an unfinished masterpiece. Borglum's original plans called for the four men to be carved all the way down to their waists.
For more information contact
Carl Wade ● Ozark Country Vacations ● (800) 463 4254
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