Western Frontiers End Rapid City

From glitz and glitter to lavish dining, the desert playground of Las Vegas extends a warm welcome. More than a high energy city of tempting nightlife, the soul-stirring surrounding landscapes make up America’s most beloved national parks. Kick off your US National Park tour meeting your Travel Director for a Welcome Reception and then soar 550 feet above the center of the Las Vegas Strip on the High Roller, North America’s tallest observation wheel.

There’s no better place to admire the Southwest’s multi-color landscape than the towering cream, pink and red cliffs of Zion National Park. Drive through the park hugged by red cliffs and stop for lunch at Zion Lodge. Be sure to keep your camera at-the-ready for the enchanting landscapes of Bryce Canyon. Feel dwarfed by the otherworldly rusty red limestone hoodoo spires that rise surreally from the desert floor to Utah’s skies. Join Ebenezer’s Barn & Grill and The Bryce Canyon Wranglers for an unforgettable evening of live country music and a delicious BBQ dinner.

Fortunately for you, you have a second day in Bryce Canyon National Park, where you’ll unlock the park’s iconic hoodoos. Next up in Salt Lake City, discover the local secrets of Utah's capital seeing its Mormon center, Temple Square and discovering the beliefs and history of the Mormon pioneers who settled here. Salt Lake City is a vibrant and progressive city with cafes, boutiques and new restaurants popping up all the time – so you’ll have plenty of choice as you explore the city today. Ask your Travel Director for recommendations of dining options that suit your mood as you explore the city surrounded by picturesque mountains.

Get ready for a change of scenery on your US National Park tour today, taking in views of Powder Mountain and Bear Lake as you head north from Salt Lake City to Jackson. Standing in the shadows of the Teton Range’s icy peaks, this mountain town has an Old West look with a modern twist. Get a feel for the outdoor vibe - home to three ski areas and many rugged trails – on your own. Grab dinner this evening in one of the old-timey saloons and steakhouses destined to fuel your adventures through Western Frontiers.

Grand Teton National Park’s alpine landscapes of eight peaks tower over 12,000 feet above you. Learn how, established in 1929, Grand Teton is home to a 40-mile mountain range straddling Idaho and Wyoming with views of wildlife, glacier-carved lakes and alpine terrain. Inhabited first by Native Americans and later American pioneers, Grand Teton is the perfect place to explore over 200 miles of hiking trails and take in views of the Tetons from the Snake River. Get your bearings choosing to join a gentle Snake River Float Trip in the Park, learning from your guide about the park’s resident wildlife. The promise of Yellowstone’s geothermal wonderland leads to your next destination. Arriving in Yellowstone, stay right in the heart of it all overnighting at one of the lodges in this iconic national park.

See how Yellowstone National Park - one of the world’s oldest national parks with over 500 geysers – is in a league of its own. At the end of your visit, you’ll surely appreciate its vastness, variety of landscapes and terrains, wildlife, vegetation, lakes and geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Alongside your Travel Director, marvel at Old Faithful, the thousand-year-old geyser which has been shooting water into the sky every 90 minutes for centuries. Stop at Lake Yellowstone, containing the largest number of wild cutthroat trout in North America, before viewing Artists Point. Savor a quiet moment at this viewpoint to watch the stunning cascade of the Lower Falls. Finish off an epic day of sightseeing at the impressive Fountain Paint Pot area where bubbling mud pots and geysers invite you to stand back and watch the show.

Welcome to "Buffalo Bill’s" hometown of Cody where the "Spirit of the American West" lives on. Visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West Museum to unlock the town’s history before taking your wild west adventure to the next level in Big Sky Country. At the historic Billings Depot, you're treated to a Western dinner Be My Guest experience. Meet a local historian from the nearby Western Heritage Center who’ll share Billing’s railroad history from how the depot was built in 1903 as a hub for three major railroads. Get your fix of western hospitality and fare enjoying local Chef Jordan Hodson’s three-course menu featuring local produce, a choice of entrees, a seasonal dessert and beer and wine.

Today on your US National Park tour, explore history and living traditions starting with a visit to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, the battlefield where the ill-fated Custer led his men against a battalion of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors now known as Custer’s last stand. From battlefields to the Black Hills, make your way to the base of Crazy Horse Memorial, an iconic monument representing the Oglala Lakota warrior 'Crazy Horse'. Admire the colossal carved face and learn about its origins during a walk-through of The Indian Museum of North America before arriving in Rapid City. Light up your night on an Optional Experience joining Mount Rushmore by Night with a Park Ranger. The sculpture lighting ceremony culminates as the faces of the monument are fully illuminated.

Visit Mount Rushmore to view the faces of former American presidents etched into the granite rock-face, then choose to venture into Badlands National Park. This evening Dive Into Culture with Stephen Yellowhawk who will regale you with stories of his tribe’s history during a festive Farewell dinner.

Our foray through the American Frontier at its end, we say farewell to newfound friends and make your way to the Rapid City Regional Airport to return home.