Calgary Stampede, Banff & America’s Majestic National Parks

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Day 1 – Home to Medora

This morning we begin our journey west. As we depart Minnesota we will be preparing for adventure, lots of fun, and awesome scenery. Today we travel to Medora, ND and enjoy their famous Pitchfork Fondue and evening performance of “The Medora Musical.”

Included Meals: Dinner 

Hotel: Roughrider Hotel 

Day 2 – Medora to Havre, MT

The morning air greets us as we make our way to a hearty breakfast before we depart Medora. We’ll travel out of North Dakota and into Montana today, where wheat fields will surround us on our journey. With stops for lunch and coffee, we arrive in Havre, Montana late this afternoon to spend the evening. Enjoy dinner tonight at a local restaurant and relax after a great days drive.

Included Meals: Breakfast 

Hotel: Best Western Havre Inn and Suites 

Day 3 – Havre to Calgary, Alberta

We cross the border into Canada this morning and continue our journey toward Calgary. We’ll arrive in Calgary, where you will have the late afternoon to enjoy all the excitement with your paid admission to “Stampede Park.” There will be lots of entertainment for you to choose from and plenty of food for purchase before the main event, the evening “Chuckwagon Races and Stage Show.” The thunder of hooves pulling their wagons around the race course will make for an exciting evening, but then the pageantry of the stage show and beauty of the fireworks will truly make this a spectacular evening. We’ll get into our hotel late tonight but the long day will have been well worth it. Enjoy a good nights sleep as lofty heights await you tomorrow!

Included Meals: Breakfast 

Hotel: Holiday Inn Express 

Day 4 – Calgary to Banff

Our travels this morning take us to Banff where we will board the Banff Gondola for a breathtaking ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain. Once at the top, we’ll take in the majestic views of the Canadian Rockies. We will also enjoy dinner in the dining room with views that are spectacular. After we decend back to the city of Banff, we will experience some of the local sights as well as browse the shops of Banff. We’ll check into our hotel and then you are free to dine at a local restaurant this evening.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Hotel: Rundlestone Lodge

Day 5 – Banff to Whitefish, MT

This morning we will visit the Lake Louise area. Our first stop is at Moraine Lake, located at 6,100 feet in the Valley of “Ten Peaks.” The views of this glacial fed lake and the surrounding mountains are awesome. Take some pictures, but don’t forget to just enjoy the view! Not far away is Lake Louise and we’ll stop for another picture opportunity of this iconic lake in the Canadian Rockies, surrounded by mountains and at the bottom of the lake we’ll enjoy a look at the Chateau Lake Louise. Our drive then takes us through mountain passes as we travel through Kootenay National Park on our way to Radium Hot Springs for a late lunch at a local Bavarian Restaurant. This afternoon our travels take us south back into the United States and a late arrival in Whitefish, MT for the night.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Hotel: The Pine Lodge 

Day 6 – Whitefish to Great Falls, MT

A short drive this morning takes us into Glacier National Park. We will travel along Lake McDonald to the Lake McDonald Lodge where we will board a Vintage 1930 Red Bus for our journey across the “Going to the Sun” road. The road spans 50 miles and crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass. Along the way, we will see glaciers, beautiful valleys, cascading waterfalls, majestic mountains, and colorful wildflowers. A special treat will be the sighting of some wildlife (but not guaranteed). Once we arrive in St. Mary, we will enjoy a late lunch together before we depart for Great Falls.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Hotel: Hampton Inn 

Day 7 – Great Falls to West Yellowstone

We head south out of Great Falls this morning and enjoy the scenery as we travel the highways towards Yellowstone National Park. We’ll enjoy the scenic views of the Rocky Mountains along the way. Tonight we’ll check into our hotel for a two night stay before we enjoy dinner together!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Kelly Inn (2 Nights)

Day 8 – Yellowstone National Park

Today we will experience a day of touring the northern loop of Yellowstone National Park. Fill your water bottle, bring your binoculars, and have your camera ready for a great day! We’ll travel into the park through the west entrance and make our way across the park towards the Hayden Valley and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We’ll hopefully see some wildlife as we drive to Artist Point to view the spectacular Yellowstone Falls. Into Canyon Village for an included lunch before we continue our trek up and over Dunraven Pass at 8800’! We’ll continue on towards Mammoth Hot Springs area and enjoy the views of these geothermal wonders. The sights continue through the afternoon as we make our way back to West Yellowstone, where you can enjoy the evening browsing the gift shops or just relaxing for another great day tomorrow!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Day 9 – W. Yellowstone to Jackson Lake Lodge

This morning back into Yellowstone National Park as we travel towards Old Faithful. We’ll pass many geothermal sites, and if permitted, make some stops along the way. We’ll arrive at “Old Faithful” and spend some time strolling along the board walk, a view of Old Faithful Inn, and some time in the display areas as we wait for “Old Faithful” to shoot up into the sky giving all who watch one of those “wow” experiences. There will be time for lunch here before we continue our travels through the southern part of the park, along the river gorge, and through some new growth forests that have grown since the 1988 fires. We’ll travel out of the park and into Grand Teton National Park just to the south. The majestic Teton Mountain Range will rise up in front of us as we travel to Jackson Lake Lodge where we’ll check into our rustic cabins for another two night stay. Tonight we’ll have dinner in the renowned Mural dining room, providing spectacular views of the Teton Mountain range out its windows.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Jackson Lake Lodge (2 Nights) 

Day 10 – Grand Teton National Park

This morning after breakfast we’ll board our shuttles to travel to the Snake River where we will experience a soft water float ride down the river. Along the river, we’ll enjoy views of wildlife and spectacular views of the Teton Mountain Range in the distance. Enjoy this special adventure! At the end of our float trip, we’re treated to a picnic lunch right on the shore of the river. After returning to the lodge we’ll board our R&J motorcoach for a special time of touring in the park. We’ll travel along the mountain range, providing photo opportunities, and then a stop at the visitor center to learn more information about the park. We’ll arrive back at the lodge in time for you to enjoy dinner on your own and hopefully some wildlife viewing from the terrace viewing area. A restful night will end a great day!

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Day 11 – Jackson Lake Lodge to Casper, WY

Have a leisurely breakfast this morning and take a walk out on the terrace, enjoying the views of the Teton Mountain range in the distance and maybe some wildlife up close. We’ll depart today and travel over Togwatee Pass at 9,544’. Beautiful mountain vistas are the scenery this morning. We’ll eat lunch along the way and arrive in Casper for our stay tonight.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

Hotel: Best Western Plus 

Day 12 – Casper to Rapid City, SD

Off we go today, traveling across some beautiful countryside as we make our way towards Custer, SD and our first stop at the Crazy Horse Memorial. Here you will have an opportunity to view the memorial carving in progress as well as visit The Indian Museum of North America, the Mountain Carving Room, The Sculptors Studio and more. It’s a colossal work in progress that we will enjoy! Just down the road a bit we make our next stop at Mount Rushmore National Monument. Here we marvel at the majestic beauty of this special symbol of America and learn about its history and construction. Tonight we’ll check into a hotel near Rapid City.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Comfort Inn & Suites 

Day 13 – Rapid City to Chamberlain

Our day begins with a stop at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum near Ellsworth Air Force Base. The museum is filled with aerospace exhibits that showcase engineering, innovation, science, and history. We’ll learn about military history, celebrate innovation of aviation, and become inspired for the future of aviation. Then just down the road we will stop in Wall, South Dakota at the famous Wall Drug Store. Here you’ll have time to enjoy lunch and spend some time checking out the gift shops. We’ll continue on to the Badlands for a driving tour of this unique National Park before we check into our hotel along the banks of the Missouri River. Enjoy a wonderful farewell dinner this evening with your fellow travelers.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center 

Day 14 – Chamberlain to Home

We’ll cross the Missouri River this morning as we travel towards home today. We will take some time to remember our journey together and celebrate the new friendships we’ve made along the way.

Included Meals: Breakfast