August 27–September 4, 2016

From $3,682per person

Saturday, August 27 ..................................................... Idaho Falls, IDThe group arrives in Idaho Falls, Idaho mid-afternoon. After checking into the hotel, there will be an opportunity to meet the guide that will be with the group for the next 8 days. This evening dinner is included.Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn {D}

Sunday, August 28 ............................................................Jackson, WYAfter breakfast, we will head for Jackson, Wyoming but stopping first at Hell’s Half Acre. Hell’s Half Acre is a vast, 2000-year-old lava flow full of gaping cracks and jagged rocks. It is the easternmost large lava field associated with the Snake River Plain, which arcs across the center of the state.

Arrival in Jackson will be in time for lunch. Jackson’s historic town square is the city’s hub of activity with plentiful dining and nightlife options. Visitors enjoy strolling amid a setting of Western architecture with such accents as wooden sidewalks and elk antler arches. After lunch, we will check in to our hotel.Hotel: Virginian Lodge {B}

Monday, August 29 ......................................Grand Teton National ParkAfter breakfast we will have a 30-minute drive north, through the valley of Jackson Hole. As we approach Grand Teton National Park, the first thing we’ll notice are the jagged peaks of Wyoming’s Teton Range as they cut across the sky. Upon entering Grand Teton National Park our first stop will be at the historic Chapel of the Transfiguration — a cabin built in 1925 that originally accommodated guests and staff from the handful of nearby dude ranches. From here we’ll continue to Menor’s Ferry, an historic ferry service across the Snake River that’s run since the late 1800s. It’s here we’ll also see Maud Noble’s Cabin, a homestead where our guide will explain the lives of Wyoming’s early settlers. We will have the opportunity to stroll down the shores of Jenny Lake with its crystal-clear, alpine waters, and hear the stories of pioneering mountain men who crossed and conquered the Tetons. After lunch we will venture out to Jackson Lake to absorb the alpine scenery. While here, our guide will explain how the park has dozens of species of mammals, as well as 300 bird species, and 1,000 species of plants. Before we head to our hotel in West Yellowstone, Montana, we’ll stop at the Colter Bay Visitor Center, and view a vast array of American Indian artifactsHotel: Holiday Inn West Yellowstone {B}

INCLUDES• 8 Nights Hotel

Accommodations

• 7 Breakfasts, 3 Dinners

• Porterage throughout

• Services of a full-time Tour Manager

• Maine Historical Society Host

• Admission to all parks and attractions as noted

FOR RESERVATIONS & INFORMATION CALL AAA TRAVEL: DANA WIDEN @ 207-780-6957 OR ERIC BAXTER @ 207-780-6998

John Moulton Homestead, Grand Teton National Park

Tuesday, August 30 ..................................... Geyser Basin / Old FaithfulGenerally our fi rst major stop will be at Upper Geyser Basin, or the Old Faithful area. The old faithful geyser will erupt every ninety minutes and we will make a point of witnessing the eruption. Given the timing of our arrival we may have time for a short boardwalk stroll to view some of the other thermal features in the basin. In addition to Old Faithful there are numerous other fantastic geysers that will erupt with less certainty and frequency, which we may also have the good fortune to witness, including: Beehive, Castle, The Lion Group, Sawmill, Grand, Daisy, and more. In addition to the numerous thermal features the history buffs will also enjoy a visit to the Old Faithful Inn, arguably one of the most magnifi cent National Park Lodges in existence. During our boardwalk strolls we will stop at both the Midway Geyser Basin, and Fountain Paint pots – both truly fantastic thermal collections unto themselves. The Grand Prismatic Spring, Clepsydra Geyser, Excelsior Geyser crater, and the Fountain Paint Pots are just a few of the features we will visit while walking on the boardwalks. After lunch we will make our way north around the loop with our next real major stop being the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Some points of interest along the way will include: Firehole Canyon drive, Madison River, Gibbon River Falls, Elk Park, Virginia Cascades, etc. We will spend some time at the Canyon Area with the main draw being the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, 109 feet and 308 feet tall, respectively. Heading south from the Canyon Area we will pass through Hayden Valley, Mud Volcano, Yellowstone Lake, and West Thumb. This will complete our lower loop tour and we will head back to our hotel in West Yellowstone.Hotel: Holiday Inn West Yellowstone {B}

Wednesday, August 31 ....................Cody, WY / Big Horn National ForestAfter breakfast our tour takes us to Cody Wyoming. Along the way we will travel along the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway, known as the most scenic 52-mile stretch of road in America. Incorporated in 1901, Cody was founded by Colonel William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, who passed through the region in the 1870s. He was so impressed by the development possibilities of irrigation, rich soil, grand scenery, hunting, and proximity to Yellowstone National Park that he returned in the mid-1890s to start a town. We’ll have time to explore the charming town, have lunch and visit the Buffalo Bill Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Positioning the story of Cody’s life within the context of the history and myth of the American West, the Buffalo Bill Museum documents how, in an age without television or motion pictures, and under the persona of “Buffalo Bill,” Cody became the world’s foremost communicator about the history, promise, and enduring spirit of the American West.In addition to documenting the life and interests of William F. Cody, and the history and operations of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, the museum’s collection interprets the history of the American cowboy, dude ranching, western conservation, frontier entrepreneurship, and the source of our concepts about the West.

This afternoon we will travel through the magnifi cent Big Horn National Forest. Located in north-central Wyoming, the Big Horn Mountains are a sister range of the Rocky Mountains. Conveniently located half-way between Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park, no region in Wyoming is provided with a more diverse landscape – from lush grasslands to alpine meadows, from crystal-clear lakes to glacial carved valleys, from rolling hills to sheer mountain walls.Hotel: Best Western Sheridan {B, D}

Thursday, September 1 .......................Devils Tower National MonumentAfter breakfast we will head for Devils Tower National Monument. This unique and striking geologic wonder steeped in Indian legend, is a modern day national park and climbers’ challenge. Devils Tower sits across the state line in northeast Wyoming. The Tower is a solitary, stump-shaped granite formation that looms 1,267 feet above the tree-lined Belle Fourche River Valley, like a skyscraper in the country. Once hidden below the earth’s surface, erosion has stripped away the softer rock layers revealing the Tower.

The two-square-mile park surrounding the tower was proclaimed the nation’s fi rst national monument by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. The park is covered with pine forests, woodlands and grasslands. While visiting the park you are bound to see the large prairie dog population! The stone pillar is about 1,000 feet in diameter at the bottom and 275 feet at the top and that makes it the premier rock climbing challenge in the Black Hills. Those up for some exercise can join in as we walk the 1.25-mile Tower Trail which encircles the base. This hike offers close-up views of the forest and wildlife, not to mention spectacular views of the Tower itself.

The Episcopal Chapel of the Transfi gurationGrand Teton National Park

The Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park

Ghost Town, Cody, Wyoming

Devils Tower National Monument

Next we’ll head for Hulett, Wyoming for a lunch stop before we continue on to Spearfish, South Dakota, and drive the Spearfish Canyon Scenic Highway. The Canyon’s thousand-foot-high limestone palisades, richly and uniquely landscaped by all manner of woodlands fauna and flora, line the highway as it twists through the 19-mile gorge between the towns of Spearfish and Lead. Three waterfalls only add to the wonder of Spearfish Canyon.Hotel: Holiday Inn Spearfish {B}

Friday, September 2 ..................................Deadwood, SDAfter breakfast we will head to Deadwood So. Dakota for a tour of this historic town. As we travel down Deadwood’s cobblestone streets, you will hear about an era gone by starting with the Ft. Laramie Treaty of 1868. We’ll hear about Custer’s Expedition to the Black Hills, that actually started the Gold Rush of 1874. We will see historical landmarks, points of interest, and the Chinese and Badland sections of town. On the way to the Cemetery, we’ll learn about the legendary lives of Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and Potato Creek Johnny. While in the cemetery we’ll also learn about other characters who contributed to Deadwood’s history: Preacher Smith and Madam Dora DuFran are just two. We will also visit Mt. Moriah lookout, a 300-foot cliff, where spectacular views down Deadwood Gulch. On the way back we’ll learn about Homestake Gold Mine.

After a lunch stop in Custer, we’ll head to Custer State Park. We will enter the park via the Needles Highway. The Needles Highway is a spectacular drive through pine and spruce forests, meadows surrounded by birch and aspen and rugged granite mountains. The road’s name comes from the needle-like granite formations which seem to pierce the horizon along the highway. The roadway was carefully planned by former South Dakota Governor Peter Norbeck, who marked the entire course on foot and by horseback. Construction was completed in 1922. Visitors traveling the highway pass Sylvan Lake and a unique rock formation called the Needle’s Eye, so named for the opening created by wind, rain, freezing and thawing. From here we will explore the Wildlife Loop Road which twists and turns its way through the prairie and ponderosa pine-studded hills that harbor many of the park’s wildlife species. On most days guests will come face to face with the number one inhabitant of the park, our 1,300 free roaming buffalo. White-tailed and Mule deer are often seen early in the morning and late in the afternoon, and if you’re lucky, you may see elk, big horn sheep, or even a mountain lion. Two of the most colorful characters along the way are the prairie dogs and a band of the parks free-loading burros.Hotel: Best Western Buffalo Ridge Inn {B}

Saturday, September 3 ............... Mount Rushmore / CusterAfter breakfast we will make our way to Mount Rushmore via the Iron Mountain Road. This road is a work of art in itself connecting Custer State with Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The highway passes through some of the most beautiful scenery in the Black Hills and including three tunnels that frame Mount Rushmore in the distance. The road is famous for the “Pigtail Bridges” that allows travelers to drop or gain altitude quickly. The highway was constructed in the 1930s under the direction of Governor Peter Norbeck, who is also known as the “Father of Custer State Park.” Norbeck said of the Iron Mountain Road, “this is not meant to be a super highway, to do the scenery justice you should drive no more than 20 mph and to do it full justice you should simply get out and walk.” Experience the road that engineers once said couldn’t be built; you’ll be happy you did.

Once at Mt. Rushmore we will visit the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center to view exhibits and a 14-minute film describing the reasons for and methods used in carving Mount Rushmore. We will have the opportunity to walk the Presidential Trail (0.6 miles long, 422 stairs, weather permitting) to get up close and personal with the mountain sculpture and perhaps glimpse some of the area wildlife. Lastly we will visit the Sculptor’s Studio, where Gutzon Borglum spent much of his time refining his scale model of Mount Rushmore.

From Mount Rushmore we head to the Crazy Horse Memorial where we’ll have time to break for lunch. This giant mountain sculpture was begun at the request of the Lakota chiefs and represents Native Americans of all tribes. Upon completion, the in-the-round figure of Crazy Horse astride his horse will be 563 feet wide and 641 feet high making it the largest statue in the world. The nine story high face of Crazy Horse is now complete. In addition we will visit the Indian Museum of North America, home to a large collection of art and artefacts reflecting the diverse histories and cultures of the American Indian people. Lastly we will visit the sculptor’s home and studio.

Mid afternoon we will head back to our hotel in Custer before heading to Custer State Park Start for a guided off-road buffalo safari jeep tour through the park in search of pronghorns, elk, and the noble buffalo. Along the way, our guides will share historical and educational facts about the park and wildlife—and help us spot the animals. Following that we will meet up with the Chuck Wagon Cookout in a mountain canyon for a chuck wagon feast and live entertainment with some Western flair. We’ll also get our own souvenir cowboy hat and bandanna to play the part.Hotel: Best Western Buffalo Ridge Inn {B, D}

Sunday, September 4 .......Rapid City, SD airport departure

Sylvan Lake, Custer State Park