National Parks of the Southwest – Motorcoach
13 Days · 19 Meals
Travel Type: Motorcoach Tour
Featuring Four National Parks
Get ready for the trip of a lifetime and the awesome beauty of America's National Parks! The glories of the great outdoors come to life as you experience 4 of America's National Parks on this 13-day holiday.
Highlights
- Free home or local pickup and return
- 19 Meals (6 dinners, 1 lunch and 12 breakfasts)
- Fort Hays visit with "Buffalo Bill Cody"
- Experience a float trip along the Colorado River
- Moqui Cave Museum
- Enjoy a Dutch oven BBQ dinner
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- Panoramic city tour of Oklahoma City
- Museum of Western Expansion and The Gateway Arch
- $65 in Mayflower Money
Experience 4 of America's National Parks:
- Arches National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Zion National Park
- Grand Canyon’s North Rim
Itinerary
1-2
- Westward Bound
Get ready for the trip of a lifetime and the awesome beauty of America's National Parks. After a welcome dinner in Iowa, we continue to Kansas, the land of the Pony Express. (Dinner and breakfast)
3
- Hays to Denver
Following breakfast, local frontiersman “Buffalo Bill Cody” joins us at Fort Hays to share tales of his life as a buffalo hunter on the plains near Hays City. Later we enter the Rocky Mountain State of Colorado and our home for the evening. (Breakfast and dinner)
4
- Colorado River Float Trip
The Rocky Mountains loom large on the horizon as we depart Denver this morning. We cross the Continental Divide and through some of the most scenic and naturally beautiful country in the U.S. Later, board our rafts for a float trip along the Colorado River. Rich in scenic beauty, the river is set against the backdrop of the sheer cliffs of Colorado National Monument. Continuing on to Moab, Utah, we arrive at our hotel and our home for the next two nights. (Breakfast)
5
- Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park
Arches National Park contains the largest concentration of stone arches in the world. Marvel at the towering monoliths that appear to defy gravity. Later, we enter Canyonlands National Park where the colorful landscape has eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River and its tributaries. (Breakfast and lunch)
6
- Bryce Canyon National Park
We depart Moab this morning and travel south into Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park. The formations within the park, called Hoodoos, are the creation of wind and water erosion over eons of time. The natural orange and red hues that color these formations are the result of iron oxidizing within the rock. Bryce Canyon National Park is truly one of the most spectacular scenic wonders in the world. Step down inside these canyons and you will feel as if you have entered another world. (Breakfast)
7
- Moqui Cave and Zion National Park
Our day begins with a stop at Moqui Cave. Cut into a sheer cliff, this 200-foot sandstone cave depicts the lives and architectural achievements of the ancient Americans of Southern Utah. Traveling south, we visit Zion National Park. The first settlers in the area referred to Zion as “The Heavenly City of God” and you will discover why. Sheer cliffs and painted walls of color close in as we tour the canyon cut by the Virgin River. We will have a guided tour to hidden waterfalls and abundant wildlife. (Breakfast)
8
- Grand Canyon North Rim
Prepare for a truly visual treat today as we travel to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. World-renowned for its remarkable beauty and diverse range of rock layers, the Grand Canyon offers visitors an unmatched display of scenic wonder. Carved by the mighty Colorado River and one million years in the making, the Grand Canyon provides unparalleled views and limitless photo opportunities. Tonight, enjoy dinner and fun at a real chuckwagon cookout, featuring dinner cooked in a traditional Dutch oven. (Breakfast and dinner)
9
- Kanab to Gallup, New Mexico
Our route today takes us through Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument and Vermillion Cliffs National Monument as we make our way into Arizona. Then it's on to New Mexico and our hotel for the night. (Breakfast and dinner)
10
- Amarillo
The most dominating landmark in sight today is Mount Taylor, sacred to the Navajo and the Pueblo Indians of Acoma. They believe that the mountain is fastened to the sky with a great flint knife decorated with turquoise and that it's the home of Turquoise Boy and Yellow Corn Girl. Tonight's dinner is at the Big Texan Steak Ranch, named as one of the top ten steakhouses in Texas. (Breakfast and dinner)
11
- Texas to Oklahoma
Today you will embark on a guided tour of Amarillo featuring the “Grand Canyon of Texas.” Here lies the stunning grandeur of Palo Duro Canyon, a 60-mile-long and 800-foot-deep canyon carved out of the Texas High Plains. Arriving in Oklahoma City enjoy a panoramic tour including the Stockyards, Farmer's Market, Canadian River Project, Bricktown and the downtown area. You will also see its crowning glory, the Capitol. (Breakfast)
12-13
- Homeward Bound
Traveling home we gather in Missouri for our farewell dinner. We visit the Museum of Western Expansion in St. Louis before arriving home with memories of America's National Parks. (2 Breakfasts and dinner)
Accommodations
Day One
La Quinta Inn, Clive, IA
Day Two
Fairfield Inn, Hays, KS
Day Three
Doubletree Southeast, Aurora, CO
Days Four and Five
La Quinta Inn, Moab, UT
Days Six through Eight
Parry Lodge, Kanab, UT
Day Nine
Red Lion Inn, Gallup, NM
Day Ten
Days Inn, Amarillo, TX
Day Eleven
La Quinta Inn, Oklahoma City, OK
Day Twelve
Holiday Inn, Eureka, MO
Dates & Rates
| 2012 Departure Dates | Per Person Twin | Single Room Add | Triple Room Deduct |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 19 | $1,929 | $799 | $24 |
| September 15 | $1,929 | $799 | $24 |
| 2013 Departure Dates | Per Person Twin | Single Room Add | Triple Room Deduct |
| May 18 | $1,998 | $819 | $24 |
Destination Map
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