Trains and Canyons of the West
8 Days · 12 Meals
Travel Type: Air Holiday
Journey to the heart of the American West! Ride the rails and explore the country’s most breathtaking National Parks. Come along on an adventure through the untamed Wild West and the unparalleled majesty of the Rocky Mountains!
Highlights
- 12 Meals (3 dinners, 2 lunches and 7 breakfasts)
- Round trip airport transfers
- Spend 2 nights in Moab, a green, verdant valley at the heart of Utah's canyonlands
- Visit Mesa Verde National Park with its amazing cliff dwellings, home to "the Ancient Ones," the Anasazi Indians
- Ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, voted one of the "Top Ten Most Exciting Train Journeys in the World"
- Learn the history of Santa Fe on a walking tour with a local guide to visit Loretta Chapel and San Miguel Mission
- Visit Dead Horse Point State Park, with its breathtaking panorama of the Canyonlands' sculpted pinnacles and buttes
- Tour Arches National Park with a local guide and embark on a scenic float trip with a picnic lunch along the Colorado River
- Ride the original Rio Grande Line aboard the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, one of America's most spectacular narrow gauge steam trains
- Visit the John Wesley Powell River History Museum
- $40 in Mayflower Money
Itinerary
1
- Arrive in Salt Lake City
Welcome to Salt Lake City, Utah, site of the 2002 Winter Olympics and where big city ambience meets alpine snow resort. Meet your Tour Manager at 6:00 p.m. for dinner with your traveling companions. Dinner
2
- Dead Horse Point State Park and Moab
Departing Salt Lake City we visit the John Wesley Powell River History Museum, a showcase to the work of J.W. Powell, who explored and recorded much of the area. Then, we venture into Dead Horse Point State Park with its amazing views of the Colorado River as it snakes its way through the massive sandstone walls, colorful canyons, mesas and buttes of the area. Here, the Colorado and Green Rivers converge to form a plateau, which offers spectacular views across the park. Later, we continue to Moab, a green, verdant valley in the heart of Utah's canyonlands. Breakfast
3
- Arches National Park and Colorado River Float Trip
Arches National Park contains the largest concentration of stone arches in the world. A local guide shows us the massive sandstone arches and describes the culture of those that have occupied the region. Enjoy lunch before boarding a raft for a float trip on the Colorado River. During the leisurely ride our oarsman will tell tales of the area as we explore river passages with names like Fisher Towers and Professor Valley. Breakfast and lunch
4
- Mesa Verde National Park
Today we explore the amazing Spruce Tree Cliff Dwellings of the Anasazi Indians at Mesa Verde National Park. Learn the history of "the Ancient Ones" and view the famous Cliff Palace, one of the largest of the 700-year-old dwellings. Breakfast and dinner
5
- Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
It's "full steam ahead" as we board the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Voted one of the "Top Ten Most Exciting Train Journeys in the World" by the Society of American Travel Writers, the train winds through the spectacular and breathtaking canyons in the remote wilderness of the two-million-acre San Juan National Forest. The locomotives used today remain entirely coal-fired, steam-operated and are maintained in their original condition. Breakfast
6
- Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
Today we ride the original Rio Grande Line over the Rockies aboard the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. This is America's most spectacular narrow gauge steam railroad and it explores 50 miles of wild and rugged territory between Chama, New Mexico, and Antonito, Colorado. We will travel through Cumbres Pass, the highest point on the railroad and enjoy lunch at Osier. Here you can imagine what the region was like when the gold and silver miners as well as the loggers traveled the same route long ago. Breakfast and lunch
7
- Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico, one of the most attractive and historic towns in the Southwest, is also the oldest state capital. Founded in 1610, the "City of Holy Faith" remains a wealth of Old World charm. We take a walking tour down the Old Santa Fe Trail to see San Miguel Mission, Loretto Chapel and Santa Fe Plaza. The afternoon is free to explore the city on your own. Tonight, join your fellow travelers for dinner hosted by our Tour Manager and a chance to sample some authentic southwestern cuisine. Breakfast and dinner
8
- Albuquerque and Home
Depart for Albuquerque and our group transfer to the Albuquerque airport for flights out after 12:00 p.m. Return home with memories of some of America's most spectacular beauty and historic trains. Breakfast
Accommodations
Day One
Embassy Suites Hotel or Sheraton Hotel, Salt Lake City, Utah
Days Two and Three
Ramada Inn, Moab, Utah
Days Four and Five
Sky Ute Casino Resort, Ignacio, Colorado
Days Six and Seven
Courtyard by Marriott, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Dates & Rates
| 2012 Departure Dates | Per Person Twin | Single Room Add | Triple Room Deduct |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 16 | $1,798 | $679 | $14 |
| September 8 | $1,798 | $679 | $14 |
| September 15 | $1,798 | $679 | $14 |
| September 17 | $1,798 | $679 | $14 |
Destination Map
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