1st Day: Today we will be traveling through beautiful mountain country on our way to Louisville, KY. Tonight, we’ll enjoy dinner at the Huber’s Family Restaurant in Starlite, Indiana. In 1967, Joe and Bonnie Huber started a 2-acre U-Pick farm that has blossomed into a 300-acre operation. Fresh produce from the farm is used to cook the delicious meals. (D)
2nd Day: Have breakfast before our ride to Davenport, Iowa. We will be passing through Indianapolis and Peoria. Davenport is located beside the Mighty Mississippi River. (CB)
3rd Day: After breakfast we depart for Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We will be passing through Des Moines, heading north along the Missouri River to Sioux City, and then enter South Dakota. (CB)
4th Day: Today is going to be a most interesting one with such highlights as the Corn Palace in Mitchell, the South Dakota Badlands with the colorful hills and canyons, plus the world famous Wall Drug, in Wall, South Dakota. Then on to the town of Deadwood, South Dakota for our next two nights stay. Evening is free. You can rest and relax at the hotel, enjoy the casino, or venture out into Deadwood. (CB)
5th Day: Have your camera ready this morning because we are headed for Crazy Horse Memorial and Mt. Rushmore, to see two of the greatest marvels of all time. The Crazy Horse Memorial is the world’s largest mountain carving now in progress. Awesome in scale, this mountain-sized sculpture of Sioux leader Crazy Horse astride his warhorse is a tribute to the American Indian. After our visit, we will travel to the Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, known all over the world for its dedication to the hopes, dreams, will, and determination of a nation. Carved from a mountainside of solid granite, the gigantic busts of four great American presidents - Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln, stand above the land they loved. We will also visit Bear Country, U.S.A. where you can see the many animals as we ride through on our motorcoach. After this, we will return to Deadwood and you will have an opportunity to visit Saloon #10 where Wild Bill Hickok was killed, or go up to Mount Moriah where Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are buried. There is a lot to see and do in Deadwood.
6th Day: Today, we’re on our way to Cody, Wyoming, passing through some of the most beautiful country you will ever see. On our way we will travel through Sheridan, Wyoming, and then head into the Bighorn Mountains, passing over Granite Pass (8,950 ft.), then down through Shell Canyon (a photographer’s paradise). In Cody, we will visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. The center celebrates the spirit of the American West with art, history, culture, and the nature of Yellowstone and firearms. This evening, at 8:00 PM, there will be a Rodeo (optional).
7th Day: Have breakfast and depart for YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. We will pass through Shoshone National Forest and Sylvan Pass (8,350 ft). We will enter Yellowstone at the East Gate and proceed to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. You’ll see the lower and upper Falls. The colors are magnificent. Our home for the next two nights will be just outside the West Entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
8th Day: Our second day at Yellowstone will be a day of discovery. We will get to see the Old Faithful, Gibbon Falls, and the Mammoth Hot Springs. The wild animals are in abundance and hopefully we will see our share of bison, elk, and birds. After our all day tour of this famous park, we will return to our hotel in West Yellowstone.
9th Day: This morning we will depart Yellowstone, going through the South Gate, and head to Jackson Hole. The Grand Teton Mountains will come into view, north of Jackson, and we will ride beside them for over 40 miles. Jackson Hole is a quaint little western town. We will have plenty of time in Jackson to shop and look around for the remainder of the day. The town square is very unique with an archway at each corner made of antlers. Dinner is on your own in the area tonight.
10th Day: Depart the hotel en route to Cheyenne, Wyoming. We will be passing through the Rocky and Medicine Bow Mountain Ranges. Beautiful drive today to the capital of Wyoming.
11th Day: This morning we head to Lincoln, Nebraska. We will be following the Platte River today as we head east to Kearney, where we will stop at an exciting attraction - The Platte River Road Archway Monument where we will enjoy a delicious BBQ Dinner. The Great Platte River Road, along Interstate 80, is the primary route between the East and West Coasts. It is the busiest transcontinental superhighway across the heart of America. Driving down the interstate, it is difficult to imagine that not so long ago the route was only a faint moccasin path into a vast wilderness frontier. It was this path that ultimately linked America together as one nation. The eight-story high Archway Monument dramatizes this linkage in a sweeping arc across I-80. The structure houses two levels of fascinating interactive exhibitory that traces the history of the Great Platte River from the Oregon Trail days to the fiberoptic futureworld of tomorrow. After visiting the Archway Monument, we continue east, at which time we will cross over the Platte River and head into Lincoln, the capital of Nebraska. (CB, D)
12th Day: Depart the hotel en route to St. Louis, Missouri. Upon arrival, we will be touring the Arch, “Gateway to the West”. The 630 foot Gateway Arch is the nation’s tallest and most elegant memorial. After touring the Arch we will check into our home for the night. (CB)
13th Day: Upon arrival in Nashville, TN we will check into our hotel. This evening, we will go to The Nashville Nightlife Theater to attend “The Best of Country” Music Show, voted Nashville’s #1 Dinner & Show. Experience a celebration of Country Music from both past and present. Hear songs from many of the great artists in country music history and today’s hottest superstars. Enjoy the music of everyone from Hank Williams Sr. and Patsy Cline, to the superstars of today like Sara Evans and Toby Keith! Be sure to stick around after the show for an exclusive autograph and photo session. (CB, D)
14th Day: After breakfast we will start our return trip to North Carolina. We head east through the Smokies and Blue Ridge Mountains on our way home. This is a sad day as we say “Good-bye” to all our friends until we travel together again with Holiday Tours. Arriving home approximately 8:00 PM.
Special Notice: $100.00 deposit is required to reserve your space. Balance due 30 days prior to departure. Cancellation within 30 days prior to departure will result in payment forfeiture. Trip Cancellation Insurance is advised.