When Yellowstone became the nation’s first national park in 1872, intrepid travelers visited the west by palatial riverboat and train since this was the most comfortable and luxurious way to travel through the West.

In 2008, it still is and a glorious passage from Idaho to the mouth of the Pacific on the Snake, Columbia and Willamette Rivers, past some of the most stunning scenery in North America is the centerpiece of this elegant and relaxing holiday. With superb hotels, most with two-night stays, a leisurely pace, epic scenery and intelligent planning, there is simply no more enjoyable way to see Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

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• Train travel to Salt Lake City from the West Coast or Midwest aboard the famed California Zephyr, an overnight trip from either direction with spectacular scenery, either the Colorado Rockies or Sierra Nevada Mountains. Guests will less time may utilize our special $199. airfare from over 189 gateway cities.
• Fully hosted from start to finish by professional tour manager that handles all the details.
• Overnight luxury hotel stay in Salt Lake City at the superb Little America Hotel in the heart of downtown with breakfast.
• Two-night stay in Jackson Hole/Grand Teton with raft trip on the Snake River and com-plete touring of Grand Teton National Park.
• Two-night stay in Yellowstone National Park at the historic Lake Yellowstone Hotel along with complete sightseeing including Old Faithful and Lake Yellowstone cruise.
• Complete sightseeing on the entire program with all admission fees included.
• Special Hells Canyon jetboat ride on the Snake River, a stunning journey during our stay in Lewiston, Idaho.
• Four-night riverboat cruise after Yellowstone National Park from Lewiston, Idaho to Portland via the Snake, Columbia and Willamette Rivers aboard the intimate 'Columbia Queen'. Excellent cabins, extraordinary dining and an up-close view of a route pioneered by Lewis & Clark make for a magical end to the tour. Not only are all meals and entertainment included but so are shore excursions in our ports of call which include Mt. St. Helens and Astoria as well as scenic cruising through Bonneville Dam and the Columbia River Gorge!

Day 1 - Chicago or San Francisco to Salt Lake City Utah
Travel from any Midwestern or California point to Salt Lake City aboard the California Zephyr, a fabled and scenic route everyone should experience once. Guests who wish to upgrade from the included coach accommodations may upgrade to bedroom accommodations and pricing varies by date and room type. Like airline tickets, rates are less costly when early reservations are made. The California Zephyr features full dining car and sightseer lounge service regardless of your accommodation onboard.

Day 2 - Salt Lake City - Utah
Guests arrive today in Salt Lake City and check into the Four-Diamond rated Little America Hotel, Centrally located in Salt Lake City's business, historic, cultural and entertainment center, for a one night stay with the balance of the evening at leisure.
From the Midwest: Train is scheduled to arrive Salt Lake City at 11:00pm
From the West: Train is scheduled to arrive Salt Lake City at 4:05am

Day 3 - Jackson Hole - Wyoming
After a welcome breakfast, you depart Salt Lake for Jackson Hole Utah and the Grand Teton National Park. Wonder at this spectacular landscape rich with majestic mountains, pristine lakes and extraordinary wildlife. The abrupt vertical rise of the jagged Teton Range contrasts with the horizontal sage-covered valley and glacial lakes at their base, creating world-renowned scenery that attracts nearly four million visitors per year. Check into the Snow King Resort for a two night stay and tonight is your welcome dinner. (B, D)

Day 4 - Jackson Hole - Wyoming
Today you enjoy a float trip down Snake River with a firsthand view of the some of the most stunning mountain scenery in the country. All afternoon is left free for you to enjoy the park and one of the many on own activities available to you such as fishing, canoeing or horseback riding. (B)

Day 5 - Yellowstone National Park
After breakfast, you drive north past the Tetons, reflected in stunning Jenny Lake to Yellowstone National Park. America's first national park, it is home to a large variety of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk. Preserved within Yellowstone National Park are Old Faithful and a collection of the world's most extraordinary geysers and hot springs, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. This afternoon you check into the Lake Yellowstone hotel before relaxing on the Lake Yellowstone Scenic Cruise. Most tours offer one night outside the park, here you do two, in the park, a nice change. (B, L, R)

Day 6 - Yellowstone National Park
Today you see all of Yellowstone's majesty with Upper & Lower Falls, Hayden Valley, and Old Faithful. Fountain Paint Pot and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. You will want your camera handy since today is a visual feast of unequalled splendor. A final night to enjoy the magical setting of Lake Yellowstone. (B)

Day 7 - Missoula - Wyoming
Another pretty day as you drive to Missoula located in an old, glacial lakebed, which is now cut by Clark Fork River. One of the largest operable Merry go round's in the world is adjacent to your hotel and this is a friendly welcoming western town. Check into the superbly located Holiday Inn Missoula for a one night stay. (B, D)

Day 8 - Lewiston - Idaho
A beautiful day as you drive west, passing Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi, stopping for lunch lakeside. You have an afternoon arrival into Lewiston. Lewis and Clark referred to this area as "paradise," a sentiment echoed by the Nez Perce Indians who resided in the valley when the expedition arrived. Check into the stay Red Lion Hotel for an overnight stay. (B, L)

Day 9 - Columbia Queen
Today before Boarding the Columbia Queen, you have included the Hells Canyon jet boat ride, an exhilarating journey through North America's deepest canyon. Keep your eyes peeled for elk, bighorn sheep and 7,000-year-old Indian petroglyphs. Later today, you board the riverboat for your journey west, a welcome cocktail party and grand dinner. (B, D)

Day 10 - Columbia Queen
Today is spent cruising the river. Enjoy all the amenities the Columbia Queen has to offer or simply relax in a rocking chair, enjoying the scenery as you drift by. Fantastic rock formations and three sets of locks highlight your cruise on the Snake River today. (B,L,D)

Day 11 - Columbia Queen
Your port of call today is Longview, Washington and the Mount St. Helens Monument Center to see the aftermath of the 5.1 magnitude 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens-an explosion that leveled 230 square miles of mature forest and removed 1,300 feet from the top of the mountain. Later today, you cruise stunning Columbia River Gorge National Park with its 4000foot-high cliffs, Multnomah Falls and Bonneville Dam. (B, L, D)

Day 12 - Columbia Queen
This morning you tie up in Astoria, Oregon. In 1811, five years after the departure of Lewis & Clark, financier John Jacob Astor sent delegates of his Pacific Fur Company to the area to establish a trading post. They built Fort Astoria (the site of which is marked by a monument in town today) and a town grew up in the shadow -- the first permanent U.S. settlement on the Pacific Coast. (B, L, D)

Day 13 - Portland - Oregon
On your final morning you arrive in arrive Portland after breakfast. In the golden age of riverboats, its waterfront was thick with sternwheeler traffic and the sounds of steam whistles floated across the water. Today, you'll see barges, freighters and a gleaming cityscape. You disembark here and say farewell to your new friends & travel home with wonderful memories. A transfer to the airport and Union Station is provided or guests may extend their stay. (B)

   

   

   

 2008 Departure Dates:

• June 2 - 14
• August 18 - 30