12 days - 11 Nights September 13 - 24, 2024 $2454 pp Double/Triple $3848 pp Single
This Tour Includes:
-
Motorcoach Transportation
- 11 nights lodging including 4 consecutive nights in South Dakota
- 20 Meals: 11 breakfasts and 9 dinners
- Visit to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Tour of Wildlife Loop Road at Custer State Park
- Visit to the amazing Crazy Horse Memorial
- Visit to the Spectacular Badlands National Park
- Guided Tour of Deadwood
- Admission to the Unique Journey Museum
- Admission to Yellowstone National Park with a Guided Tour
This Tour's Itinerary
- Day 1
- Board your spacious, video and restroom equipped Motorcoach and set off for the legendary Black Hills of South Dakota. Tonight, check into an en route hotel for a good night's rest.
- Day 2
- After enjoying a Continental Breakfast, you will depart for the Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters in Omaha, NE. Later in the day, enjoy Dinner and check into your en route hotel.
- Day 3
- Today, after enjoying a Continental Breakfast, you will depart for a visit to the spectacular Badlands National Park. Then, you will go to the amazing Wall Drug Store before having Dinner and checking into your South Dakota area hotel.
- Day 4
- Start the day with a Continental Breakfast before heading to the BORGLUM HISTORICAL CENTER, where you will learn the story of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore. Afterward go to the MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL, America's “Shrine of Democracy” and a symbol of the nation's rich history, rugged determination, and love of freedom. Then enjoy a TOUR OF WILDLIFE LOOP ROAD at CUSTER STATE PARK. The Wildlife Loop Road takes you through rolling prairies and pine covered hills, offering one of the best spots in the region to view native animals in the wild. This evening, enjoy Dinner and entertainment.
- Day 5
- After enjoying Continental Breakfast, you will go to the High Plains Western Heritage Center. Then, you'll head for Deadwood, South Dakota, the former home of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane - now the location of gaming establishments in beautifully restored historic hotels and saloons. Enjoy a GUIDED TOUR OF DEADWOOD and later, sit down to a lovely Dinner.
- Day 6
- Today after Continental Breakfast, your tour takes you to the unique JOURNEY MUSEUM, which tells the complete history of the mystical Black Hills. Then, prepare for an inspirational sight at the magnificent and spectacular CRAZY HORSE MEMORIAL, destined to be the world's largest memorial upon completion. You'll also learn about the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, his vision, and the loving family who continues his life's work. This evening enjoy Dinner and entertainment.
- Day 7
- Enjoy a Continental Breakfast before leaving for a visit to the Devils Tower National Monument. See the national monument and enjoy the visitor center, which contains interpretive exhibits, as well as the Devils Tower Natural History book store and souvenir shop. Later that day, after a relaxing Dinner, you'll check into your en route hotel for a two night stay.
- Day 8
- After Continental Breakfast, you'll depart for a Guided Tour of the Yellowstone National Park. See amazing sights such as the Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful. Later, enjoy Dinner and return to your hotel for a good night's rest.
- Day 9
- After enjoying a Continental Breakfast, you will depart for the Trail End Historic Site in Sheridan, WY. The home tells the amazing story of John Kendrick, one of Wyoming's legendary success stories, who went from being a penniless cowboy to become a United States Senator. Later that day, after a relaxing Dinner, you'll check into your en route hotel.
- Day 10
- Enjoy a Continental Breakfast before leaving for the famous Corn Palace. Later that day, after a relaxing Dinner, you'll check into your en route hotel.
- Day 11
- Today after Continental Breakfast, you will go to the Pony Express National Museum. Tonight, relax in your en route hotel.
- Day 12
- Today, after enjoying a Continental Breakfast, you depart for home... a perfect time to chat with your friends about all the fun things you've done, the great sights you've seen and where your next group trip will take you!
Attractions
Badlands National Park
Explore the mysterious landscape of an ancient inland sea as part of this group bus trip. Sculpted by millions of years of sedimentation and erosion, Badlands National Park is a geological landscape of buttes, spires and rolling grasslands, located on the edge of the country’s Great Plains. Established in 1939, the Badlands National Park encompasses 244,000 acres of Badlands Wilderness and pristine National Wilderness, home to bighorn sheep, coyotes, black-footed ferret, swift fox, bison and mule deer. It is a heritage area with a long ancestry that traces its history from prehistoric hunters and gatherers to today’s tribes of the Great Sioux Nation and later homesteaders, ranchers and farmers. Its rugged beauty and rich history draws visitors from around the world.
Badlands National Park provides endless opportunities for discovery and exploration. During your time in the Park, visit the Ben Reifel Visitor Center to orient yourself with the Badlands National Park. Outdoors, the Badlands’ sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires surrounded by mixed-grass prairies and teeming with wildlife offer unique encounters with nature.
- The Ben Reifel Visitor Center is ADA Compliant
- Ranger Programs such as talks and activities are offered during the summer season. Visit the official Badlands National Park (U.S. Park Service) website to find out about ranger programs and other special events taking place during your visit.
Wall Drug, Wall, S.D.
Visit America’s favorite roadside attraction, Wall Drug as part of this group motorcoach vacation package. Located in Wall, South Dakota, just eight miles from the Badlands, 55 miles from Rapid City and the Black Hills and 70 miles from Mount Rushmore, Wall Drug’s beginnings date back to the Great Depression in the 1930s when it got its start by offering free ice water to thirsty travelers passing through. Today Wall Drug still offers free ice water, but having evolved into one of South Dakota’s top tourist attractions, the family-owned and operated business is now a 76,000-sqaure-foot shopping, dining and entertainment destination that sees as many as 20,000 visitors on a hot summer day.
During your visit to Wall Drug Store, enjoy shopping in Wall Drug’s shopping emporium of 26 stores. Additional shopping opportunities are available at Wall Drug Store’s Western Mall. Backyard includes a quirky collection of picture-taking props from the miniature Mount Rushmore to the famous Wall Drug dinosaur. In the Western Art Gallery Café you will find the largest privately owned western and illustration art collection in the country.
- Located behind the main building in Wall Drug's Backyard you will find ice water wells where you can get free ice water
- Pick up brochures from Wall Drug's main building to learn more about Wall Drug History and the surrounding area
Borglum Historical Center
Visit the Borglum Historical Center on our Mount Rushmore motorcoach trip. Learn about the sculptor behind Mount Rushmore National Memorial and how Gutzon Borglum carved and created this national treasure.
Explore Gutzon Borglum’s world at the Borglum Historical Center. From meeting the people who influenced the sculptor most to examining replicas of some of his greatest works, uncover what drove and inspired a man to do things that most men half his age were incapable of.
Gutzon Borglum along with help and support from his son Lincoln Borglum and 400 workers started sculpting the faces of four American presidents into the granite face of Mount Rushmore in 1927. The faces of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt were sculpted into the granite to celebrate 150 years of American history. Borglum completed monument after 14 years of hard work.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial Overview
Discover the history and culture of one of America’s national treasures as you embark on a Mount Rushmore National Memorial excursion. From the breathtaking Rushmore Memorial itself to the green forests and pristine streams that surround the area, a visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial is an experience you’ll hold dear to your heart for years to come.
Look out for the infamous eyes of the four presidents. Borglum designed the president’s eyes to have a realistic look. Not only do the president’s eyes seem as though they are starring straight at you, but they were also made with 20-inch shafts of granite. When the sun shines on the flat end of the shaft, it appears as though the eyes of the presidents are twinkling.
Wildlife Loop Road, Custer State Park
Delight the open ranges and ponderosa pine forests studded with a variety of wildlife as you make your way through Custer State Park’s Wildlife Loop in the Black Hill’s of South Dakota during a Mount Rushmore bus trip. Originally established as a Game Preserve in 1913, Cluster State Park’s Wildlife Loop Road is an 18-mile semi-circle route from the State Game Lodge to the Blue Bell Lodge.
Take a leisurely drive around the Custer Wildlife Loop, there will be endless opportunities to see wildlife in its natural setting. Whether you see a prairie dog peeping out of its hole, or a buffalo alongside of the road, different opportunities to see wildlife will present themselves at different times of the day and during different weather conditions .
Wildlife Loop Road offers a wide variety of experiences. Not only will you see an abundance of wildlife, but the varied landscapes offer spectacular views of the higher portions of the Black Hills, badlands, endless sky, and lush streambeds .
High Plains Western Heritage Center, Spearfish, SD
Discover the heritage of the Great Western Plains as you travel back in time aboard one of our High Plains Western Heritage Center excursions. The nonprofit organization was built in remembrance of the old west pioneers and American Indians across South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana. It is home to the five-State Regional Museum, western artifacts, western art, live animals and family history displays. Enjoy 20,000 square feet of exhibits, attractions and history in the scenic plains of the West.
Delve into cultural presentations that honor pioneering, cattle and sheep ranching, rodeo, transportation, American Indians and mining and uncover authentic, western art, artifacts and Native American exhibits that tell the stories of the five states.
The Journey Museum
Delve into the rich history, western culture and mysteries that lay behind the great Black Hills at the Journey Museum during a Mount Rushmore bus trip. Explore the ancient upheavals that lead to the formation of the mysterious Black Hills billions of years ago, listen to tales of the Lakota Indians, see where dinosaur remains have been discovered deep beneath the prairie soil and much more. Journey Museum combines its unique prehistoric and historic collections to share the complete story of the incredible Western Great Plains .
Journey Museum is made up of five fascinating institutions. Each educates its visitors to appreciate the importance of the past and the impact it has on the present and future. From the perspectives of the very individuals who shaped the past of the Western Great Plains to scientists views today, explore the many artifacts found through archaeological methods, see incredible remains discovered by palaeontologists and learn fascinating information about the earth as you navigate through the Journey Museum .
Crazy Horse Memorial
Discover the history and culture behind one of America’s national treasures at Crazy Horse Memorial, part of our Mount Rushmore bus trip. From the world’s largest mountain carving to the surrounding green forests and pristine streams, a visit to Crazy Horse Memorial is an experience you’ll hold dear to your heart for years to come. After many years of studying art and sculpting, Korczak Zilkowski was chosen to sculpt Crazy Horse, the Oglala Lakota Native American Warrior in 1948 and worked on the project until his death in 1982. Today Crazy Horse Memorial is a work in progress, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the leading tourist attractions of the Black Hills. See the carving and uncover the rich culture and history found in the Crazy Horse visitor complex during your time at Crazy Horse Memorial.
Don’t forget your camera! From the carving itself to the surrounding green forests and pristine rivers, there will be moments you want to capture during your time at Crazy Horse Memorial.
Trail End State Historic Site, Sheridan, WY
Visit Trail End State Historic Site, former home to American politician John B. Kendrick, as part of this group motorcoach vacation package. Located in the residential neighborhood known as Nielsen Heights in Sheridan, Wyoming, Trail End State Historic Site was built in the Flemish Revival style for the Kendrick family during the early 20th century and presented to the State of Wyoming by the Sheridan County Historical Society in the summer of 1982. Today Trail End State Historic Site is by far the largest and most authentically furnished historic house museum in Wyoming. It provides an intriguing glimpse into life between 1913 and 1933 primarily as seen through the eyes of the John B. Kendrick family. The site has been featured on A&E’s America’s Castles and HGTV’s Christmas Castles as well as in a variety of magazines, newspapers and books .
During your visit to Trail End State Historic Site, enjoy a self-guided tour of Kendrick Mansion with permanent exhibits featuring original furnishings throughout that demonstrate what the people who lived and worked at the site may have been like. Trail End’s 3.8 acres of grounds also offer much to explore .
- In addition to the permanent exhibits of original furnishings throughout the main house, Trail End State Historic Site features a series of temporary whole-house exhibits, which by focusing on the local community, take global events and show how they impacted the everyday lives of small town Americans .
Corn Palace, Mitchell, SD
Visit the world’s only Corn Palace as part of this group motorcoach vacation package. Located in Mitchell, South Dakota, the Corn Palace stands as a tribute to the agricultural heritage of South Dakota. The original Corn Palace, called “The Corn Belt Exposition,” was established in 1892 and used by early settlers who displayed the fruits of their harvest on the building exterior to demonstrate the fertility of South Dakota soil. Today’s Corn Palace, recognized as a folk-art wonder on the prairie of South Dakota, is a practical structure adaptable to many purposes including industrial exhibits, dance, stage shows, meetings, banquets and basketball games. It is Mitchell’s premier tourist attraction seeing some 500,000 tourists from around the world each year who come to witness the uniquely designed Corn Palace murals .
During your visit to Corn Palace you can delight in the building’s exterior decorations and murals. Unique architectural features such as onion domes and minarets make the Corn Palace appear as though it was drawn straight from a fairytale. Inside you can learn about Corn Palace history. Be sure to stop by the Gift Shop to browse items unique to the Corn Palace and South Dakota.
Also located in the Corn Palace is the Corn Palace Gift Shop. You can shop for handmade one-string and three-string corn necklaces available in black, blue, white, green, red and orange. One-string corn necklace sets including a corn necklace and corn earrings are also available to purchase. Corn Palace t-shirts come in all different sizes and colors. The world’s only Corn Palace popcorn balls are made fresh to order. They are sold by the dozen and come in an assortment of colors.
- The Corn Palace is ADA Compliant
- Visit the official Corn Palace Website to find out more about special events taking place during your visit to the Corn Palace.
The Pony Express National Museum
Learn about the history of the Pony Express, a mail service on horseback that delivered messages, newspapers, mail and small packages from Saint Joseph, Missouri across the Great Plains, over the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada to Sacramento, California, at the Pony Express National Museum as part of this group motorcoach vacation package. In April of 1860, a lone rider, the first of his kind, left Pikes Peak Stables in Saint Joseph, marking the start of the Pony Express. Today, Pikes Peak houses a modern, interactive and educational tribute to the history and legend of the mail service.
Start your visit to the Pony Express National Museum in the Pony Express Theater featuring a 16-minute live action documentary on the Pony Express. Visitors of all walks of life are sure to be captivated by the exciting, educational and state-of-the-art exhibits that explore the days of the Pony Express. Be sure to stop by the Gift Store to browse items related to the Pony Express National Museum .
- The Pony Express National Museum is ADA Compliant.
- Benches are located throughout the Museum for your comfort.
- Camera and video recorders are welcome in the Pony Express National Museum.
If you wish to pay with check, please text Zac at 501-799-3820 and provide your name, email, roommate's name (if applicable), and trip name and we will send a travel services agreement to begin the process to pay by check.