Wild West, Cowboys and Buffalos (Denver)

Day 1: Start Your Travels In Salt Lake City

Saddle up for a Wild West family adventure starting with a relaxing afternoon together in Salt Lake City before meeting your travel companions for a rootin’ tootin’ evening Kick-off Party with your Travel Director.

The Little America Hotel

Kickoff Party

Day 2: Idaho Potato Museum and Scavenger Hunt

Put on your cowboy hats, pull up your boots and get ready to make memories that will last a lifetime. Experience the rich history and culture of the world’s most humble vegetable – the potato! Visitors to the Idaho Potato Museum will learn about the many facets of the potato industry from planting and irrigation to harvesting and processing. There’s no place better to showcase potatoes than in “The Potato Capital of the World,” Blackfoot, Idaho! Followed by a potato-themed lunch including potato ice cream! Then its off to to Jackson Hole, walk through the town's famous landmark arch of tangled elk antlers and step back in time as you explore the Town Square with its Western boardwalks, craft boutiques and ice cream shops-all surrounded by the majestic Rockies.

Modern Mountain Motel

Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Visit Grand Teton National Park Stays With Stories

Family fun awaits every day of this trip and today is no exception. If the season is right, today is your chance to get out on the water for some adventures. Rise early to float down the Snake River on an optional, scenic wilderness float trip. It’s the most relaxing way to experience the river as you learn about its history, geology, and wildlife from an expert guide. Later, discover dramatic shimmering peaks of the Teton Range rising above alpine forests and lakes in the iconic Grand Teton National Park. Travel onward to your hotel for the night.

National Park Lodges Yellowstone

Breakfast

Day 4: Yellowstone Sightseeing

Today you’ll enjoy a full day’s exploration of the geothermal wonderland of Yellowstone. You’ll join your Travel Director, marvelling at Old Faithful, the thousand-year old geyser which has been shooting up water every 90 minutes for centuries. We aim to explore as much of the park’s geological wonders, stopping at Lake Yellowstone, which contains the largest number of wild cutthroat trout in North America. see the wonders of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone whose colours and shapes are a sight to behold. We’ll also view Artists Point, a view point from which you watch in awe as water cascades down the Lower Falls. Our last stop on our Yellowstone exploration is the Mud Volcano home to Dragon Mouth's Spring. After a full day of sightseeing, enjoy a three course dinner at your hotel.

National Park Lodges Yellowstone

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5: Immerse Into The Culture Of The Old West

You’ll get a glimpse into “Spirit of the West” at the Buffalo Bill Center for the West museum complex. As you wander through this huge set of exhibits you’ll feel like you’ve been transported back to a time of cowboys and cowgirls, lawmen and brave Native American warriors. The complex includes the Buffalo Bill Museum, Plains Indians Museum, Whitney Western Art Museum, Drapter and Natural History Museum. The museum was founded in 1917 and today holds over 50,000 artifacts. The Museum has been part of the Smithsonian Affiliate Membership Program for the past 15 years.

Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Sheridan

Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Venture Into Rapid City

We continue our discovery of the Wild West heading through the "Energy Capital of the US," Gillette, WY. Then, we travel to South Dakota to spend the afternoon getting familiar with a famed Lakota warrior at Crazy Horse Memorial. You’ll gaze in awe of this colossal carved tribute to Crazy Horse, which you’ll learn is the largest mountain carving in the world.

Hotel Alex Johnson Rapid City

Breakfast

Day 7: Explore Badlands National Park and Oglala Lakota Living History Village Make Travel Matter

Today, participate in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience with a visit to the Oglala Lakota Living History Village, introducing you to the beautiful landscape of the past and present culture, and of indigenous knowledge of Lakota Country on Pine Ridge Reservation. Your visit contributes to the sustainability and resiliency of the Lakota community. Walk with a local guide on the trails through displays of living quarters used through the 19th and 20th centuries. Meet local artists who, through crafts and storytelling, provide insight into their cultures and traditions. Later, visit the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, the perfect place to prepare for your visit of Badlands National Park. Learn about the local earth science, wildlife and history as you explore museum exhibits, visit a working Fossil Preparation Lab or simply stop by the park bookstore.

Hotel Alex Johnson Rapid City

Breakfast

Day 8: Encounter The Traditions Of Black Hills Make Travel Matter

Today, head for the famous Black Hills of South Dakota to view the giant faces of former American presidents etched in the stone cliffs of Mount Rushmore. This evening, join your fellow adventurers at a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience and Farewell Dinner featuring your guide Stephen Yellowhawk (or another tribe member).

Hotel Alex Johnson Rapid City

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9: Depart Denver

Travel to Denver, where you can extend your stay or make your way to Denver International Airport for your flight home, you will arrive at the airport at approximately 4:30pm.

Breakfast