|
 |
Day
1: Arrival
Upon arrival at the Bismarck Municipal Airport passengers will be
transported to our hotel. We'll start things off in the proper
atmosphere with a get-acquainted dinner aboard the Lewis & Clark
paddle-wheeler as it cruises the Missouri River. (D)
Day 2: Fort Abraham Lincoln / Knife River
Indian Villages
Our tour back in time begins this morning at Fort Abraham Lincoln,
George Armstrong Custer's final command post. The Custer home and many
of the post's original buildings have been painstakingly reconstructed
here. We'll tour the grounds and the adjacent Indian Village before
departing for the only park in the National Park System that is set
aside to commemorate the Plains Indian: Knife River Indian Villages
National Historic Site. The outstanding interpretive center and model
earth lodge shed light on the people who continually inhabited this site
for as long as 500-600 years ago to 1845. We'll overnight tonight in
Williston. (L)
Day 3: Fort Union / TR National Park / Medora
Another eventful day begins with a tour of the beautifully restored Fort
Union. Established by John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company, Fort
Union was the most important fur trading post on the Missouri River
between 1822 and 1867. Fur Trapping gave way to cattle ranching later in
the century and our next stop illustrates one man's dream of a cattle
ranching and shipping empire. Named for the Marquis de Mores' wife,
Medora, the town boomed and busted at the end of the century, but not
before Teddy Roosevelt became a resident and formulated many of his
conservation ideas and rugged personal qualities. We'll visit the
national park named for the "bully" president, enjoy a unique pitchfork
fondue and take in a performance of the much-acclaimed Medora Musical
before calling it a day! (D)
Day 4: Medora to the Black Hills
Medora's western hospitality continues this morning with breakfast in
the Chuckwagon Cafe. We'll have ample time to explore the numerous shops
and museums (or take an optional trail ride in the park) before heading
south to more of TR's stomping grounds, the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Our home for the next three nights will be the State Game Lodge, summer
White House to two US Presidents, located in beautiful Custer State
Park. (B)
Day 5: Mount Rushmore / Custer State Park
Today we'll, tour an authentic gold mine and view America's Shrine to
Democracy, Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Also on the agenda is the
still-unfinished Crazy Horse Mountain sculpture. This afternoon's
adventurous jeep tour to see the largest publicly-owned buffalo herd in
America will precede dinner at the Lodge - where we'll dine on buffalo
steak! (D)
Day 6: Badlands National Park
South Dakota's Badlands National Park is our destination today, but
before our sojourn begins we will visit another Journey - the Museum of
that name in the gate city of Rapid City. An impressive collection of
four previous museums, our tour here will give us a useful background on
the area and its previous inhabitants. Described by early explorers as
"hell with the fires burned out", the Badlands offer unique geologic
beauty, Native American heritage and of course, world-famous Wall Drug.
We'll spend the entire day exploring and picture-taking in this
incredible natural area.
Day 7: Fort Robinson / Chimney Rock
Before departing the Black Hills today we'll visit a paleontological dig
where over 100 complete mammoth skeletons have been unearthed in the old
spa town of Hot Springs. The outstanding tour and interpretive exhibits
reveal the area as it was 26,000 years ago. Moving southward we'll visit
the Museum of the Fur Trade and Fort Robinson, a post-Civil War Indian
Agency where Crazy Horse breathed his last. We'll visit the post's
museum and have a guided tour of the historic points of interest.
Tonight's dinner is an authentic Oregon Trail campfire cookout served in
the shadow of one of the trail's most distinguished landmarks, Chimney
Rock. We'll sing songs around the campfire and reflect on the spirit of
the pioneers who passed this way on their westward journey. (D)
Day 8: Fort Laramie / Oregon Trail
The trail leads to Fort Laramie today as we tour the best-known milepost
on the Oregon Trail. wagon wheel ruts are still visible in nearby
Guernsey, mute testimony to the thousands of emigrants who carried their
hopes and ambitions westward over a hundred years ago. The living
history exhibits and interpretive tour of the fort provide a deeper
understanding of both the westward expansion movement and the Native
Americans who staked their lives on preventing it. The end of the trail
is Denver, where we'll wind up our memorable Old West adventure with a
festive farewell dinner. (L, D)
Day 9: Departures
Sadly we bid a fond farewell to our western adventure as we transfer to
the airport for our return flights home. Welcome to the Old West!
Passengers will be met by your motorcoach and professional tour director
at Denver International Airport and transported to our nearby hotel.
We'll enjoy a festive welcome reception this evening and get acquainted
before embarking on our exciting Old West Trail adventure. |
