Wild West, Cowboys and Buffalos (Summer 2011)

Highlights

• Jackson
,
• Grand Teton National Park
,
• Yellowstone National Park
,
• Cody
,
• The Ranch at Ucross
,
• Black Hills
,
• Crazy Horse
,
• Mount Rushmore
,
• Bear Country USA
,
• Hill City
,
• Keystone

 

 

Tour Ittenary 

Day 1

ARRIVE SALT LAKE CITY

Welcome to Salt Lake City! After landing at the airport, you’ll be whisked away to your hotel. Meet your Tour Director this afternoon. This evening join us at 6 p.m. for a Kick off Gathering at the hotel.

Hotel: Hilton Salt Lake City Center (SF)

 

Day 2

SALT LAKE CITY – JACKSON

Put on your cowboy hats, pull up your boots and get ready to create memories that will last a lifetime. Heading north, skirt the Great Salt Lake and enter Wyoming for your first encounter with the mighty Rocky Mountains. Follow trails blazed by rugged mountain men centuries ago, cross the famous Oregon Trail and follow the historic Snake River to the authentic Old West town of Jackson. Passing through the town’s famous landmark arch of tangled elk antlers, walk back into history as you explore the Town Square with its western boardwalks, craft boutiques and ice cream shops – all surrounded by the majestic Rockies. Come nightfall enjoy a western-style Chuckwagon Highlight Dinner and Show.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Highlight Dinner)
Hotel: Antler Inn (MF)

 

Day 3

JACKSON – GRAND TETON & YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARKS (2 nights)

This morning, as an option, perhaps rollick down the Snake River on a fun and educational wilderness float trip. Later, discover the dramatic Grand Teton National Park and beautiful Jenny Lake, and journey on into the world’s first national park, spectacular Yellowstone. This is truly a wonderland of over 10,000 geysers, fumaroles, hot springs, mud pots and steam vents, highlighted with a visit to Old Faithful, which has been spouting steam water every hour for thousands of years. At the Visitor Center, learn amazing facts about Yellowstone and kids have fun earning their Junior Ranger Badge. This evening, join your interpretive guide for an other-worldly stroll around the boardwalks of the West Thumb Geyser Basin visiting such colorful spots as Abyss Pool, Thumb Paint Pots and the storied Fishing Cone.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Dinner)
Hotel: National Park Lodges (NP)

 

Day 4

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK SIGHTSEEING

Discover Yellowstone’s most amazing natural wonders, including the thundering Yellowstone Falls, a multitude of hot gushing geysers, as well as a multitude of brilliantly colored simmering thermal springs, bubbling mud pools and hissing steam vents. Your senses will be assaulted by the roar of steam, the thunder of a waterfall, the bellowing of bison, the smell of sulfur pools and awe-inspiring views at every turn - sights and sounds that make for an experience you’ll be talking about for years.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)

 

Day 5

YELLOWSTONE – CODY – THE RANCH AT UCROSS

Travel down, down, down into the Shoshone Canyon and the rugged Absaroka Mountains until you reach the rustic Wild West town of Cody, named after Buffalo Bill Cody. Explore the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and the world’s largest collection of western artifacts. This afternoon, enjoy stunning scenery as you cross the Big Horn Mountains and Bighorn National Forest. Then get ready for a taste of the true Wild West and cowboy lifestyle as you arrive at the Ranch at Ucross in Clearmont, an old-west working dude ranch located in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. Your time on the ranch is sure to be one of the highlights of your Wild West adventure! This evening, when the dinner bell calls all hands to chow, put on your finest cowboy duds and kick up your heels at a typical Ranch-style Highlight Dinner. End the evening under the stars 'round a roaring fire with gooey s'mores and entertaining campfire stories.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Highlight Dinner)
Hotel: The Ranch at Ucross (F)

 

Day 6

THE RANCH AT UCROSS – CRAZY HORSE - KEYSTONE (2 Nights)

After a hearty breakfast, enjoy activities galore on the ranch – all included! Learn about life on a working ranch as you rub elbows with true wranglers. Saddle up for a horseback ride around the ranch lands. See how far you can cast that fishing line to catch Brown or Rainbow Trout in Piney Creek. Challenge your traveling mates to a game of tennis or horseshoes… with bragging rights for the rest of the trip at stake! Or simply relax poolside and take in the serenity of this wonderful resort. Early afternoon, re-board the motorcoach and head east through the national grassland to the famous Black Hills of South Dakota. At Thunderhead Mountain, gaze in awe at the Crazy Horse Memorial, the world’s largest sculpture. A work in progress as artisans carve the figure of the famous Lakota warrior out of an entire mountain, it will measure 563 feet high and 641 feet wide when completed! Reach the quaint “City of Gold” Keystone, once a gold mining boomtown. This evening watch the moving ceremonial lighting at Mount Rushmore before retiring to your hotel.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)
Hotel: White House Resort (MF)

 

Day 7

KEYSTONE & BLACK HILLS EXCURSION

The first stop this morning is Bear Country USA, a wildlife park featuring the world’s largest private collection of American Black Bear. Enjoy a leisurely drive through this spectacular and unique wildlife park and then walk through the Wildlife Center, where young and smaller animals frolic in their outdoor exhibits. Next, visit Mount Rushmore National Park. You may have seen pictures of Mount Rushmore, but they pale in comparison to seeing this majestic site in person. It took 400 artisans 14 years to carve the 60-foot sculptures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt out of the mountain. Then it’s… All Aboard! Ride onboard the 1880 Train, an authentic steam engine train, from Hill City back to Keystone. Hear the bellow of the engine and the whine of the whistle as you wind your way through some of the most beautiful scenery in the Black Hills. At the Holy Terror Mini Golf, sign up for a miniature golf tournament! Named after the last active gold mine in Keystone, the course will have you screaming “mulligan” as you putt around gold-flecked boulders, up steep hills, down through the mine slew and around the water wheel and bubbling stream. Later, there is time to relax or take a plunge in the hotel swimming pool. This evening, join your fellow adventurers at a Farewell Dinner. Toast to your Wild West adventures of the past week and share delightful memories that you’ll cherish for a lifetime.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast / Farewell Dinner)

 

Day 8

KEYSTONE – FORT LARAMIE – DEPART DENVER

Follow the trail to old Fort Laramie, the best-known milepost on the Oregon Trail, where you can still see 150-year-old wagon wheel ruts cut deep into the soil by thousands of pioneers heading West. At the fort’s living history exhibits, gain a deeper understanding of the harsh world of the pioneer family as they fought distance, unforgiving terrain and weather to reach Oregon… and the native tribes who gave their lives trying to prevent it. Your Wild West adventure comes to an end at the Mile High city of Denver where stops are made at Denver International Airport or, if you’re extending your stay, at the tour hotel in downtown Denver. Please do not schedule any flights before 8pm.

Meal(s): (Full Breakfast)

 

What's Included

Sightseeing Highlights

• Jackson View the famous landmark of tangled elk antlers; enjoy an evening of western entertainment.
• Grand Teton National Park Journey through dramatic scenery and stop at beautiful Jenny Lake.
• Yellowstone National Park Join an interpretive guide and stroll around the boardwalks to view the geysers, mud pots and bubbling pools in America's first national park.
• Cody Visit the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and learn about the Wild West.
• The Ranch at Ucross Stay on a real working dude ranch; meet real cowboys and experience life on a ranch; enjoy an evening campfire with s'mores; choose from a range of included activities.
• Black Hills Spend two nights in the gold rush boomtown of Keystone; explore the area and feel the spirit of the Wild West.
• Crazy Horse Behold the spectacle of this giant Native American memorial.
• Mount Rushmore View this great American icon by day and by night.
• Bear Country USA Enjoy a leisurely drive through this unique wildlife park and see young bears up close.
• Hill City Ride through the scenic Black Hills aboard the historic steam engine1880 Train.
• Keystone Join in a fun golf tournament at the gold mine themed Holy Terror Mini Golf.

Dining Highlights

• Kick-off Gathering with your Tour Director in Salt Lake City.
• 7 full breakfasts.
• 1 three-course dinner.
• Chuckwagon Highlight Dinner and Show in Jackson.
• Ranch-style Highlight Dinner at the Ranch at Ucross.
• Farewell Dinner with drinks in Keystone.

First Class Travel Highlights

• First Class hotel accommodation includes two-bedded rooms with private facilities, all hotel service charges and tips, baggage handling fees and local taxes.
• Touring by luxury air-conditioned motorcoach with reclining seats and a restroom onboard.
• The services of one of Trafalgar’s top professional Tour Directors.
• A stylish wallet, tour documents and Welcome on Tour book with map.
• Just for Kids Surprise Pack.
• Complimentary airport transfers are provided on Day 1 and Day 8. 

 Tour optional :

IN JACKSON

SNAKE RIVER FLOAT TRIP THROUGH GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK

This gentle 10-mile float trip runs entirely within Grand Teton National Park, and covers the most scenic stretch of the Snake River in the Jackson Hole Valley. The Snake River is a lifeline to the park’s bison, elk, moose, beaver, pronghorn, deer, bear and 300 different species of birds, including osprey and eagles. Your experienced guide offers in-depth information on the geology of the Grand Tetons and the habitats of the animals you may see. Although we can’t guarantee multiple animal sightings, your chances of spotting wildlife on the Snake River -- with its lush willows to feed on and deep-water pools for animals to swim in -- are greater here than anywhere else in the park. Operates late May – mid Sep, subject to weather conditions. Tour length: 4 hours. (Minimum: 12 passengers)

Code: JAC-1

Adult Price: 68 US$

Child Price: 68 US$

Child Prices: a 25% discount will apply to children under the age of 16 at time of travel. (Optionals for American tours are already discounted.)

 

Disclaimer
- These prices are correct at the time of the website going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking.
- All tour information is correct at time of tours going live, however is subject to change, please confirm all details at time of booking.
- For full terms and conditions, please refer to our Conditions page.
- Hotel Class Key: D: Deluxe  SF: Superior First Class  F: First Class

 

Tour Style
Family Experiences

Brochure Type
USA and Canada 2011, Family Experiences 2011