Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Depart Chicago
All Yellowstone / Black Hills / Mt. Rushmore tour members will meet the Tour Director in Chicago’s Union Station at 12:30 p.m. At 1:15 they’ll prepare to board the famous California Zephyr. Departure is at 2:00.
The train is made up of Superliner equipment. Relax in your reclining coach seat with leg rest. Amtrak Roomettes and Bedrooms are available for an additional charge. After settling in, you may want to go the glass-walled Sightseer Lounge car with its comfortable seating. It’s a great place to enjoy the passing scenery. All meals on the trains are included. Enjoy a full-course dinner in the diner tonight.
Meal(s): D
Day 2: En Route
When you awaken this morning you may look out your window toward the West and thrill to the sight of the towering, majestic Colorado Rockies in the distance. Plan to get up early, have a piping hot breakfast in the dining car and find a seat in the glass walled lounge car for the spectacular scenery that will unfold before you.
The Zephyr will pull out of Denver at 8:05 a.m. and begin its climb over the Front Range toward the Continental Divide.
About an hour later we’ll encounter the famous five-mile long Moffat Tunnel and go under the Continental Divide. The train will wind around sharp mountain curves and through numerous tunnels. You’ll look down at roaring streams winding through valleys far below.
Our arrival into Glenwood Springs is scheduled for 1:53 p.m. We’ll board our deluxe motorcoach and travel north to Craig, Colorado, where we’ll spend the night at the Hampton Inn.
Meal(s): B & L
Day 3: En Route / Jackson Hole
This morning we’ll enjoy a hot Continental breakfast (included) before setting off for Wyoming.
By mid-afternoon we’ll arrive in the ranching and resort center of Jackson, Wyoming. Our comfortable lodging is at the Best Western Lodge at Jackson Hole. We will enjoy an included dinner this evening.
Meal(s): CB & D
Day 4: Grand Teton Range
Enjoy a full breakfast in your hotel this morning. No mountain skyline is more impressive than that of the Grand Teton Range. Peaks rise abruptly with no foothills. We’ll visit the Chapel of Transfiguration, a rustic log church with fantastic views of the Tetons. Lunch is included at the Jackson Lake Lodge.
At the Colter Bay Visitor Center we view Plains Indian art and exhibits and learn more about Grand Teton National Park. Later, we continue into Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was established in 1872 as America’s first national park. This is the world’s most extensive region of geothermal activity. Thousands of hot springs dot the thermal basins. Old Faithful is the most famous geyser in the world. We will spend two nights at the Best Western Desert Inn, West Yellowstone. There are a variety of evening activities available including the Playbill Theatre (Broadway-style musicals and dramas), an IMAX Theater featuring a 45-minute presentation about the Yellowstone Park area and the Yellowstone Historic Center.
Meal(s): B & L
Day 5: Yellowstone
A Continental breakfast is included each morning in our hotel. Today we begin to explore Yellowstone National Park, a two-million acre national jewel. We’ll journey through Madison Junction, Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Junction and Tower Falls. Following an “on-your-own” lunch, we’ll continue on to Artist Point, Inspiration Point and the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. We’ll return to our hotel by late afternoon.
Meal(s): CB
Day 6: Yellowstone / Cody, WY
We’ll begin our second day of awesome Yellowstone National Park experiences. A scenic drive takes us through the Hayden Valley, a region of lush forest meadows. Look for bison and other wildlife! Have a camera ready to capture awesome views. Old Faithful Geyser and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone are highlights of the day. We’ll also view the paint-pots and bubbling hot springs mixed with clay. Our travelers will continue east to Cody, where we’ll spend the night at the Holiday Inn at Buffalo Bill Village. We’ll stop for an included dinner at the Yellowstone Valley Inn.
Meal(s): CB & D
Day 7: Buffalo Bill Historic Center to Rapid City
We will spend the morning at the Buffalo Bill Historic Center, which has five museums in one easy-to-navigate location. Museums at the site include the Buffalo Bill Museum, exploring the famous life of “Buffalo Bill” Cody, the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, the Cody Firearms Museum, and the Draper Museum of Natural History. The Plains Indian Museum features art and artifacts of the Plains Indians, including the Arapaho, Crow, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche, Blackfeet, Sioux, Gros Ventre, Shoshone, and Pawnee. At noon we will depart via deluxe motorcoach on an extensive trip to Rapid City, South Dakota. We will make a stop for an included dinner in Gillette, Wyoming, at the Chop House Restaurant, and continue on to spend the next two nights at the Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City.
Meal(s): D
Day 8: The Black Hills
This morning we will enjoy a guided sightseeing tour including a visit to the Stav Kirke Norwegian Chapel in the Hills. We will travel scenic Skyline Drive and Dinosaur Hill and a enjoy a guided tour of the Black Hills Gold factory.
After an “on-your-own” lunch in Hill City, we’ll the visit Crazy Horse Memorial, an in-progress monument to the famous Chief, and enjoy a ride to the base of Crazy Horse Mountain.
We will continue to Custer State Park where we will tour the Park on the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road. Located in the Black Hills, Custer State Park is populated with over 1,500 hundred bison, pronghorn sheep, elk, and numerous other animals. Keep your camera ready for incredible photo opportunities!
There are a variety of dinner options nearby.
Day 9: Deadwood and Custer State Park
This morning we’ll travel to Hill City where we’ll ride the Black Hills Central Railroad. This 1880 train takes you past some of the Black Hills most amazing scenery. The narrated tour is about an hour and travels near Crazy Horse and Mt. Rushmore. The train ride terminates in Keystone where we will go to the Gutzen Borglum Museum and Mt. Rushmore. Here you will learn about the man who made one of the country’s most famous monuments, the incredible Mount Rushmore.
We will have time for an “on-your-own” lunch. This afternoon we will travel to Deadwood where we will visit the legendary Wild West. You will see Main Street, a historic restored street, and the Black Hills Mining Museum.
Dinner is included this evening at the Silverado Grand Buffet.
We’ll transfer to our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express, in Sturgis, South Dakota.
Day 10: Minot, ND
Today we will travel from Sturgis to Minot. An “on-our-own” lunch stop will be made.
Dinner is included before boarding our train. We will board the Empire Builder at 9:42 p.m.
Meal(s): CB & D
Day 11: En Route To Chicago
Last night, we passed through North Dakota and Minnesota. Enjoy an included piping-hot breakfast and lunch in the dining car as we pass through the dairy lands of Wisconsin and into Illinois. We will arrive at Chicago’s Union Station this afternoon.
Some tour members will change to trains bound for Midwest, Eastern, and Southern home cities.
Others will spend the night in Chicago and fly home tomorrow.
Meal(s): B & L