Legends of the American West

8 night tour - Starting in Rapid City, South Dakota - ending in Jackson, Wyoming.

A Tauck World Discovery Tour.

Celebrating 90 years in the travel touring business, Tauck offer the ultimate in luxury touring. Throughout the years, ingenuity and innovation, plus a focus on customer servce and authentic experiences, have grown Tauck into one of the world's leading travel touring companies. On your tour you can expect an itinerary carefully designed to create an unforgetable experience, ensuring the finest hotels, luxury motorcoaches and highly experienced tour directors.

The West is larger than life, vast in its myths, its landscapes, historical figures, and monuments... and this Wyoming trip takes you to the heart and soul of it. Small groups, averaging 24 Tauck guests, travel from the grand designs (and personalities) of Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial, to the imaginative masterpiece of nature known as Grand Teton National Park, and the wonders deep inside Yellowstone National Park (“America’s best idea”)… Visit a working cattle ranch, where you’ll experience life as a Wyoming cowboy… go in search of Buffalo Bill and the West of the imagination in Cody, touch the ancient spirit of native peoples in the beauty of unspoiled open spaces. Stay inside-the-park at sought-after lodges... and spend two nights in the heart of Grand Teton National Park at Jackson Lake Lodge.

 
2016 departure dates:
May 28th
June 11th
July 9th, 23rd & 30th
August 20th
September 3rd & 24th
View Itinerary Details

Day 1: Welcome to Rapid City

Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Creekside Lodge. Your South Dakota and Wyoming trip begins in South Dakota. A transfer is included from Rapid City Airport to Creekside Lodge in Custer State Park, named for Lt. Col. George A. Custer, in the Black Hills. This is where the antelope roam… along with bighorn sheep, elk, mountain lions, feral burros, and one of the last great herds of bison. In fact, be prepared for a reception by a troupe of local burros who are not shy about visitors. Join us this evening for a welcome reception and dinner.

Lodging: Creekside Lodge - Custer Resorts

Dinner

Day 2: Two of America's grandest icons – Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial

Majestic landscapes await you on the scenic drive to Mount Rushmore. En route, rock formations in the hills feature granite spires called “needles” that cut a jagged skyline. In the 1920s a state official got the idea to draw tourism to the area by carving images of famous Dakotans on them. He approached sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who at once dismissed the idea for a far grander project: national figures on the face of Mount Rushmore. Borglum’s masterpiece (known as The Shrine of Democracy) greets you on arrival at the mountain, and no matter how often you’ve seen it in photographs, the towering relief of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln on the white rockface above you is breathtaking in person. In fact, the faces of the four US presidents were carved (without permission) on a mountain known to the Lakota Sioux as The Six Grandfathers… which inspired an artistic response 17 miles away in Crazy Horse, your next stop. In 1948, an Oglala Lakota elder commissioned sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to carve a memorial to the warrior Crazy Horse on the face of Thunderhead Mountain, to show “that we have heroes too.” The gigantic memorial (expected to dwarf Mount Rushmore) is still a work in progress, but you’ll see the sculptor’s dramatic model of Crazy Horse astride his war pony, and visit the onsite museum and cultural center, dedicated to Native American heritage, art and traditions. Enjoy a buffalo safari in vintage touring vehicles, and return to your lodge at Custer State Park for dinner at leisure.

Lodging: Creekside Lodge - Custer Resorts

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: How to be a cowboy... a day at a ranch

Depart this morning for a journey to the T-A Ranch in Buffalo, Wyoming. A cookhouse lunch greets you on arrival. The T-A is a working cattle ranch steeped in cowboy history and lore, the site of a pitched battle in the famous Johnson County War of 1892, which pit rival ranchers and their hired hands against each other for control of the range… a dispute that eventually required the intervention of the US Cavalry. Get an authentic taste of cowboy life as you saddle up for a guided horseback trail ride*, explore historic sites, take a wagon ride*, or try your hand at pitching horseshoes. You’ll also meet a horse-whisperer, watch a roping demonstration, and gain insights into the rugged spirit of the open plains. Continue on to Sheridan, the next stop on your Wyoming trip, for an overnight stay.

Lodging: Holiday Inn® Sheridan

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Shell Falls in Bighorn National Forest, Buffalo Bill Historical Center and a western evening

Head out for Cody this morning, stopping for a look at an amazing sight – Shell Falls, cascading 120 feet down a granite gorge in Bighorn National Forest. You'll see other waterfalls on this journey, but you'll remember the drama of these falls in a landscape ever-changing, of alpine meadows, glacier-carved valleys and mountain ranges. Continue on to Cody (a high point of your Wyoming trip), named for the larger-than-life western showman, William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill): buffalo hunter, army scout, Wild West Show entrepreneur, and tireless inventor of tall tales. Explore his legend at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a complex of five museums that will immerse you in American Western culture and mythology: galleries of art and artifacts (including works by famous artists like Remington and Wyeth), ephemera and historic objects, a firearms museum, and a center dedicated to the traditions, values, and histories of Northern Plains tribes, including the Lakota, Cheyenne, Pawnee and Arapaho. Carry the spirit of the West with you to your overnight stay in town, where after-dinner entertainment tonight is a choice of Dan Miller’s Cowboy Music Revue, an evening of authentic western music, poetry and comedy, or a visit to the world-famous Cody rodeo (seasonal, June through August).

Lodging: BEST WESTERN PREMIER Ivy Inn & Suites

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Yellowstone National Park and Lake Yellowstone Hotel

Tauck's Wyoming trip spends two nights in two different parts of Yellowstone National Park to immerse you fully in America's first national park – “America’s best idea” as described by filmmakers Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan. You'll view special film vignettes by the filmmakers throughout this trip, providing you with behind-the-scenes insights into the visionaries and explorers who shaped the West. Settle in at Lake Yellowstone Hotel late afternoon; built in 1891, the elegant, colonial-style hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places – its sun room and dining room offer absolutely enchanting views of Yellowstone Lake. Enjoy dinner à la carte and time at leisure this evening.

Lodging: Lake Yellowstone Hotel

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Geysers, geothermal marvels and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

This morning, take a guided tour of some of Yellowstone’s 10,000 geothermal wonders including hot springs, waterfalls, fumaroles and mudpots. Wind along Grand Loop Road, through three of the largest geyser basins, and the Fountain Paint Pots (bubbling pools of paintlike, multicolored silica). Stand in awe at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, carved by the Yellowstone River, plunging over a thousand feet with miles of breathtaking gorges and torrential waterfalls. You’ll also visit Hayden Valley, once a lake-bed, now a vast plain that attracts herds of roaming bison. Arrive at the Old Faithful Inn for lunch and an overnight stay; a national landmark built in 1904, the log and wood-shingle inn is a rustic work of art, featuring a towering lobby and a massive stone fireplace. This afternoon, it's all about exploring the Upper Geyser Basin – one of the largest concentrations of geysers in the world – and Old Faithful, only steps from your door. Seeing Old Faithful Geyser, the famous clockwork geyser that launches a steaming jet of water 145 feet skyward every 90 minutes, in person is... awesome.

Lodging: Old Faithful Inn

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: On to the Grand Tetons and Jackson

Your Wyoming trip takes you to Jackson this morning, driving through awe-inspiring scenes of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, stopping at Jenny Lake, the tranquil center of a landscape of jagged peaks and alpine forest, frequented by moose, deer and grizzly bears. The town of Jackson, once a magnet for fur trappers, is now a trendy attraction in a vista of natural beauty with the ever-present Tetons for a backdrop. Explore the town on your own (there are some great places for lunch), then settle in at the Jackson Lake Lodge for two nights. Historic in so many contexts, one of the most amazing features is the lobby where windows 60 feet high provide stunning panoramic views the breathtaking Teton Range. "Breathtaking" is definitely the right description as first views usually elicit a gasp; they are among the most picturesque, photographed mountains in the world.

Lodging: Jackson Lake Lodge

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8: A day exploring the Grand Tetons, including a float trip on the Snake River

Immerse yourself in the valleys of the Tetons on a guided float trip* down the Snake River, through miles of stunning river landscapes that lie in the shadow of the mountains – always in the furtive company of deer, elk, moose and bald eagles ashore. Spend the rest of the day at the lodge, enjoying the many amenities and activities (including some at additional cost, such as horseback riding*)… or join us on a volunteer project with local experts, giving back to the park (and feeling part of it), by helping to preserve it for future generations. This evening, your Wyoming trip marks the last roundup with a farewell reception and dinner at the lodge.

Lodging: Jackson Lake Lodge

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9: Journey home or extend your stay

Tour ends: Jackson. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from the Jackson Lake Lodge to Jackson Hole Airport (about 35-45 min.) You should allow at least two hours for check-in.

Breakfast

Your Tauck Tour Highlights

Insider stories about the national parks during filmed narratives by Ken Burns & Dayton Duncan
Small groups averaging 24 Tauck guests 
Float trip along the Snake River, surrounded by the spectacular scenery of the Tetons
Visits to the Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Wild West rodeo or a performance of the Dan Miller Cowboy Music Revue in historic Cody
A firsthand look at life as a cowboy at the historic TA Ranch in Wyoming
Airport transfers upon arrival and departure as noted
21 meals, service charges, gratuities to local guides, admission fees, taxes and porterage

Your Hotels....

Note: Tours of May 30, June 13, July 25 & September 19 will stay at the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park on nights 1 & 2; tour of June 20 will stay at Adoba Hotel in Rapid City on nights 1 & 2.

Nights 1 - 2 : Creekside Lodge - Custer Resorts - Custer State Park, South Dakota

Set beside the banks of Grace Coolidge Creek on the grounds of the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park, the 30-room Creekside Lodge impresses immediately with its two-story lobby and cozy fireside seating area. If you’re looking out the window at the right moment, spacious guest rooms offer some of the best views in the area of the buffalo, elk and mountain goats that call Custer State Park home, as well as mission-style furniture and pillow-top beds.

Night 3 : Holiday Inn® Sheridan - Sheridan, Wyoming

Tauck Guests enjoy complimentary Internet access in guest rooms!

Enjoy outstanding western hospitality in Sheridan, a classic old west town, at the award-winning Holiday Inn® Sheridan. Welcoming Western hospitality begins with an attentive staff; updated rooms featuring comfortable bedding, flat screen cable television and a decor with cool tones; and outstanding amenities that include two restaurants, an indoor pool, whirlpool, spa services and a putting green.

Night 4 : BEST WESTERN PREMIER Ivy Inn & Suites - Cody, Wyoming

Tauck Guests enjoy complimentary Internet access in guest rooms!

Highly rated by guests for decor, comfort and friendly service, Ivy Inn & Suites is a delight in the old western town of Cody. Guests enjoy modern, comfortable rooms equipped with cable television with HBO®, microwave, refrigerator, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, and coffee / tea maker. Additional hotel amenities include an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, Lifestrong Fitness center. Dining is a pleasure in the upscale 8th Street at the Ivy, where fine dining features unique American cuisine including fresh local and organic ingredients, local meats and the piéce de resistance, homemade desserts.

Night 5 : Lake Yellowstone Hotel - Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Originally built in 1891, the stately Lake Yellowstone Hotel is the oldest historic hotel in remote Yellowstone National Park. The hotel, which is situated on the shores of lovely Lake Yellowstone, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its graceful, refined ambiance recalls the 1920s. The views from the hotel dining room out over the lake are magnificent, as are the vistas from the tranquil Sunroom.

Night 6 : Old Faithful Inn - Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

In 1987 the Old Faithful Inn was designated a National Historic Landmark because it was "the first building in a National Park constructed in an architectural style harmonious with the grandeur of the surrounding landscape". Its seven-story-high log lobby is unique in American architecture. Created with gnarled logs and rough-sawn wood from the Northern Pacific Railroad, it has a sense of place as identifiable as the park itself. But that's not the only thing special about this 100+-year-old hotel. It is also steps from the world-famous Old Faithful Geyser, where you can count on the clockwork timing of its plume of steam that soars skyward every hour. When you are not outside marveling at this natural wonder, you can enjoy the Inn's immense lobby and huge stone fireplace, comfortable rooms and a great restaurant.

Nights 7 - 8 : Jackson Lake Lodge - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

It's hard to sit still here. Everywhere you look, wilderness beckons. See the spectacular Tetons rising out of the sky above the Snake River from the huge picture windows 60 feet tall in the main lodge. Gaze across the shimmering lake and spy glimpses of wildlife ambling near the shore as you sit down to eat in the Mural Room. Or peer through your handy binoculars – a must for "up-close" viewing of mountain slopes dotted with wildflowers – while you are enjoying the only swimming pool in Grand Teton National Park. Set in the heart of the park, the Lodge offers all kinds of outdoor activities, including horseback riding, float trips and boat excursions. So when you're not off exploring postcard-perfect sights near the Lodge like Jenny Lake and the wildlife-rich Snake River with Tauck, you're free to enjoy your stay as you like.

Tour Only Cost: All prices quoted below are per adult person, per tour in British Pounds (GBP)

Departure Dates

 Single Twin/Double Triple Quad
2016: All departures in 2016 £3470 £2700 £2496 Please call us

 

Not included in your tour cost:
Flights – we can package your tour with flights at very competitive airfares using our airline partners. Please call us to discuss the best airline for your itinerary.
Pre or post accommodation - If you want to extend your stay at the start or the end of your escorted tour or add another destination to your booking please call us and we will be happy to provide a quote.
Meals, other than those listed in the itinerary.
The customary gratuities for the Tour Director and local drivers are not included.
 
FAQs:
There are many questions and considerations you might have when planning an escorted tour with Tauck. For more information please click here.
 
To book your travel arrangements:
Please call us on Freephone 0800 0336 335, We are open 7 days a week.
We will be happy to check the availability of your tour, offer a quote for flights and any pre or post nights you would like to add.
When you are ready to go ahead with the booking, we would require a non-refundable deposit of 20% or the full balance if you are due to travel within 8 weeks.

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