This great new rail and motorcoach tour take you to the beautiful National Parks of Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota, the true Wild West! Ride Amtrak’s luxurious Superliner-equipped Empire Builder over the legendary Great Northern Railway route from Seattle, traveling east along the shores of Puget Sound, over the Cascade Mountains and then across the Montana Rockies to Glacier Park Station. Other train rides include the new Copper King Express from Butte to Anaconda in the canyons of western Montana and two steam railways: the Alder Gulch Short Line at Virginia City, Montana and the Black Hills Central from Hill City to Keystone in the heart of South Dakota’s Black Hills.

Sightseeing spotlights two National Parks: Glacier and Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. In Glacier cross the Continental Divide riding the famous Red Buses on the legendary Going-to-the-Sun Road and cruise the emerald waters of St. Mary Lake. Your exploration of Yellowstone includes the geysers of Old Faithful and the thundering waterfalls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. You also visit Lake Yellowstone and less-familiar sights such as the former Union Pacific RR depot in West Yellowstone, which now houses the exceptional Museum of the Yellowstone. In the Black Hills you will marvel at the Crazy Horse Memorial and Mount Rushmore by day and illuminated by night!

Unique sightseeing experiences include a cruise on the Missouri River through the awesome canyon at the Gates of the Mountains, a tour of the restored Nevada and Virginia City ghost towns, a visit to the incomparable Buffalo Bill Historical Center (one of the world’s greatest museums of the old west, with wonderful galleries of western and Indian art) and a visit to the great volcanic monolith of Devils Tower National Monument. Wildlife is a tour focus. Watch for bear, buffalo, elk and moose in Yellowstone National Park. At West Yellowstone tour the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, and in Custer State Park, South Dakota, have a jeep safari into the buffalo herds that still freely range that area of the Black Hills.

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• Amtrak’s Empire Builder
• Glacier National Park
• Scenic St. Mary Lake Cruise
• Missouri River Cruise
• Ride the Copper King Express
• Alder Gulch Shortline Railway
• Yellowstone National Park
• Old Faithful
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
• Devils Tower National Monument
• Crazy Horse Memorial
• Mount Rushmore National Memorial
• Black Hills Central Steam Railway
• Wildlife Jeep Safari Custer State Park

• 10 Nights Hotel Accommodations
• All Rail Travel
• All Boat Fares
• All Motorcoach Travel
• All Sightseeing as included below
• 12/14 Meals as noted below
• Luggage Handling
• Professional Tour Manager

Day One, Tuesday, July 14 (D for sleeper passengers)
Amtrak’s Empire Builder through the Columbia River Gorge.
Board Amtrak’s famous Empire Builder Superliner this afternoon at Portland Oregon’s magnificent Union Station and roll east. You overnight in comfortable leg-rest reclining coach seats or, at the modest additional costs noted below, in Pullman sleepers. The dome-lounge car is open to all passengers and has a nice menu of cocktails, salads, pizza, sandwiches and non-alcoholic beverages. Sleeper passengers enjoy an included light dinner this evening and a full choice-of-the-menu dining car breakfast tomorrow morning. Coach passengers can purchase a light dinner in the dome-lounge car and a full breakfast in the diner tomorrow.

The route takes you east through the magnificent Columbia River Gorge. You will see Bonneville Dam, Mount Hood and the towering waterfalls that descend from the heights of the Cascade Mountains, some falling over 500 feet into the river. This remarkable canyon literally bisects the Cascades!

Day Two, Wednesday, July 15 (B for sleeper passengers, L for all passengers)
Glacier National Park.
Dawn finds the train deep in the mountains. Overnight a dome-lounge car was added, which you can enjoy this morning as you climb the rugged grades in the Rockies. Departing Whitefish, you begin the legendary assault over the Continental Divide at Marias Pass on the supremely scenic former mainline of the Great Northern Ry, now operated by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. In mid-morning we detrain at Glacier Park Station and begin our exploration of Glacier National Park. You drive north to the shores of St. Mary’s Lake, where you board historic and unique coaches.

In restored 1930s “Red Buses” (White Motor Company open-topped touring cars) you re-cross the Continental Divide on the soaring loops of the Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass. The views at the summit of the eternally snow-capped peaks of the Rockies are unforgettable. You enjoy a wonderful Welcome Dinner this evening at the Great Northern’s Lake MacDonald Lodge with an after-dinner sunset cruise on Lake MacDonald. You overnight this evening at the Red Lion Hotel in Kalispell, Montana.

Day Three, Thursday, July 16 (L)
Scenic Swan Lake Valley; cruise the Missouri at Gates of the Mountains.
You drive south this morning in the shadow of the towering peaks of the Continental Divide, passing lovely Swan Lake enroute to a lunch stop in remote Lincoln. This afternoon you follow the route of Lewis and Clark as you cruise the Missouri River through its deep canyon at the Gates of the Mountains. You overnight in Montana’s capital city, Helena, at the new Great Northern Hotel, which is decorated to commemorate the heritage of the Great Northern Ry.

Day Four, Friday, July 17 (CB, L)
Tour Helena; ride the Copper King Express.
This morning you visit the superb museum of the Montana Historical Society, then tour Helena on the Last Chance Tour Train. Lunch is included at the Mountain City Grill and Saloon before driving south to the copper mining center of Butte. Here you board the new Copper Canyon Express train, which follows Rarus Ry’s former Butte, Anaconda and Pacific RR line to Anaconda. Regular passenger service ended on this rugged mountain and canyon route over 50 years ago. Today’s trip has been chartered exclusively by Rail Travel Center. You overnight at the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, a legendary spa where you can “take the cure” by relaxing in their warm water pools.

Day Five, Saturday, July 18 (L)
Nevada City; Bovey Restorations; Virginia City; steam Alder Gulch Shortline.
You follow the route of the pioneers to the restored mining camps of Nevada City and Virginia City. First you explore the Bovey Restorations at Alder Gulch, a collection of original historic buildings brought in from all over Montana. This interesting “town” has been used in several movies. You then ride to Virginia City on the steam-powered narrow gauge Alder Gulch Shortline Ry. After an included lunch at Virginia City’s Star Bakery, there is free time to explore the restored silver-rush camp before driving to West Yellowstone, where our hotel for two nights is the Stagecoach Inn.

Day Six, Sunday, July 19
Museum of the Yellowstone; Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center; Yellowstone National Park and Old Faithful.
Begin with a visit to the Museum of the Yellowstone, housed in the beautifully restored terminal of the former Union Pacific Railroad Yellowstone Branch. The railways opened up Yellowstone National Park, and the U.P. built a beautiful combined station and restaurant here to serve its summer park tours. The center contains wonderful exhibits about the early days in the park during the era of railway touring. U.P. passenger service directly to West Yellowstone ended in the early 1960s.

Next you visit the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, which not only tells the life-story of the great bears, but also serves as an animal rehabilitation center for grizzly bears and other native animals such as wolves. This is a most unique wildlife park!

After a short drive into Yellowstone National Park, there is time to purchase lunch at Old Faithful (there are several restaurants adjacent to the geysers) and enjoy several hours viewing the active geysers. An Old Faithful eruption is certain, but there also is time to take the easy boardwalk paths to view other geothermal wonders, including hot springs, thermal pools and less-well-known geysers. On the return to West Yellowstone, you follow the Madison River and stop at additional geothermal sites for photography of the hot spring wonders.

Day Seven, Monday, July 20 (L,D)
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone; Lake Yellowstone; Buffalo Bill Historical Center.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone - Lake Yellowstone - Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Take a different route through Yellowstone for most of the day today. Your first stop is the awesome gorge at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Here you will marvel at the spectacle of the yellow and gray walls of the canyon and the thundering Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone. As you motor south to the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, pass through one of the best areas in the park to see bear, elk and especially buffalo. Lunch is included at the restored Lake Yellowstone Hotel, overlooking the vast blue waters of Yellowstone Lake, the highest large natural lake in the Rockies.

You leave the park through the East Gate and descend a deep canyon to the “wild west” town of Cody, Wyoming. This was home to the legendary scout and showman Buffalo Bill Cody. His collections became the nucleus of one of the world’s great museums of the west, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, which you tour this afternoon. The collections here include one of the most comprehensive collections of western firearms, Cody’s personal “kit”, American Indian artifacts, and an incomparable collection of paintings and sculptures. Treasures include Bierstadt landscapes, Remington paintings and sculptures, saddles, Native American art, blankets and much more. Enjoy dinner this evening at what was once Buffalo Bill’s own hotel, the Irma. Overnight at the Holiday Inn at Buffalo Bill Village Resort.

Day Eight, Tuesday, July 21 (L)
Drive the Big Horn Range; Sheridan; Bradford Brinton Memorial and Museum.
Drive the Big Horn Range - Sheridan - Bradford Brinton Memorial and Museum. The Indians called the Big Horn Range rising to the east of Cody the “Great Shining Mountains”. These peaks were sacred to the Sioux and still are a place of great natural beauty. Drive across these glorious yet little-known ridges this morning to Sheridan, Wyoming. Lunch is included here before touring a restored cattle-barons’ ranch, the Bradford Brinton Memorial and Museum. Later you have a unique stop to ride the restored carousel at Buffalo! Overnight in the “black gold” coal mining town of Gillette, Wyoming at the Holiday Inn Express.

Day Nine, Wednesday, July 22 (CB,L)
Devils Tower National Monument; High Plains Western Heritage Center; Deadwood.
This morning you stop to visit the remarkable mass of columnar volcanic rock that forms Devils Tower National Monument. Drive into South Dakota, stopping for an included lunch in Spearfish. After lunch you tour the High Plains Western Heritage Center. Live buffalo and long-horn cattle graze here at a unique museum devoted to pioneer days. Treasures in the collection include an original Spearfish-Deadwood stagecoach and 17,000 square feet of exhibits from pioneer ranches, farms and Native American settlements. Continue to the gold-rush town of Deadwood in the rugged Black Hills and see Boot Hill, the ghost mines, and historic sites related to the lives of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Overnight for two nights at the railway-themed Best Western Golden Spike Inn in Hill City.

Day Ten, Thursday, July 23
Crazy Horse Memorial; Mount Rushmore National Memorial; Black Hills Central steam railway.
Monumental sculpture is a theme today. This morning you visit “the Shrine of Democracy”, Mount Rushmore National Park. You see the awesome carvings of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and (Teddy) Roosevelt in the ideal morning light that is best for photography.

Later you board the "1880s Train" of the steam-powered Black Hills Central RR for a round-trip from Hill City to Keystone and return. This line was built as a three-foot narrow gauge line; then was rebuilt by the Burlington RR as standard gauge track in the early 20th century. The trip features extremely rugged grades and offers sweeping vistas of the peaks enroute. The train frequently has been featured in Hollywood movies and TV shows.

In late afternoon you visit the interesting Crazy Horse Memorial, which still is being carved from the entire peak of a rugged mountain. When finished, this will be the largest single carving in the world. It depicts the great Sioux Warrior Crazy Horse on his horse, pointing across the Black Hills range held sacred by the Sioux. Already much of the face is visible, and there is a Native American museum and cultural center to explore. A special treat is the illumination and laser show on the mountain. A light dinner can be purchased here.

Day Eleven, Friday, July 24 (L,D)
Wildlife jeep safari in Custer State Park.
You have a wonderful final tour event this morning, a jeep wildlife photo safari through the open range country of Custer State Park. Here in the heart of the Black Hills is one of the largest free-ranging buffalo herds. Your jeep driver-guides provide commentary as you seek out these great animals for photos. You also enjoy an included lunch at the historic State Game Lodge.

After lunch drive to Rapid City, where you enjoy a final night at the landmark Alex Johnson Hotel. The “City View Trolley” serves the hotel every hour and offers an optional informal city tour. Your Farewell Dinner is this evening at the hotel.

Day Twelve, Saturday, July 25 - Tour ends.
The tour ends with independent departures today. The Alex Johnson offers a shuttle bus to the airport for $10 per person. Reservations can be made at the front desk. Taxis also are available. Plan to leave for the airport at least two hours prior to your flight departure time.

   

   

   

 Departure Date:

• July 14 to 25, 2009

 Per Person Rates:

• $2,899 per person (double occupancy)
• $3,549 per person (single occupancy)

 Optional Pullman sleeper Roomette upgrade on Amtrak on Day One:
 This price includes a light dinner on Day One, a full dining car breakfast on Day Two, and your Pullman sleeper room on the night of Day One. All other nights are in hotels. Roomettes (formerly called Economy Bedrooms) have an upper and lower berth and share several public toilets and a private shower room. All hotel rooms have private bath all other nights.

• Add $126.75 per person, double occupancy, in an Economy Bedroom (Roomette)
• Add $253.50 per person, single occupancy, in an Economy Bedroom (Roomette)