The smell of sage and the pure dry air, the sound of the wind in the pines, the sight of antelope and buffalo grazing on the prairie. Our senses discover the unspoiled West, as we explore the most spectacular scenery of the American Rocky Mountains and enjoy the region’s finest attractions. 

 

Included meals are denoted: Breakfast: B, Lunch: L, Dinner: D

 

DAY 1            

We depart the Albuquerque Sunport and arrive in Bozeman, Montana. We then make the easy drive to West Yellowstone, where we will check into our hotel.

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DAY 2              B, D

Today is our first day to explore Yellowstone. Yellowstone was America's first and is still its most famous national park. Curious thermal features, unspoiled nature, and wild animals roaming free make Yellowstone a thrilling experience. Buffalo, elk, deer, and moose can often be seen. We will take the Upper Loop and see Gibbons Falls, discovered in 1872, Steamboat Geyser, Mammoth Hot Springs, which looks like a cave turned inside out due to its limestone formations and Norris Geyser Basin, the hottest, oldest and most dynamic of Yellowstone’s thermal areas where you’ll have a sensory experience in sound, color and smell in the barren Porcelain Basin. A stop at the Albright Visitor Center gives us plenty of time to observe the elk. We return to our hotel for a welcome dinner together.

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DAY 3              B

Today our exploration of the park takes us to Sulphur Caldron and the Lower and Upper Falls. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is the first large canyon on the Yellowstone River downstream from Yellowstone Falls in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The canyon is approximately 24 miles long, between 800 and 1,200 ft deep and from .25 to .75 mi wide. We return to our hotel in West Yellowstone.

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DAY 4           B

In the Lower Geyser Basin we take the boardwalk trail to see Fountain Paint Pots. No visit would be complete without seeing Upper Geyser Basin and Old Faithful. The billows of steam that rise from boiling pools and the spouting geysers are truly fascinating. While we wait for Old faithful to erupt, we enjoy a walk along the trail to Morning Glory Pool or watch audio-visual programs of park information. The geothermal hot springs and geysers are fascinating and the wildlife keeps our cameras busy.   A short drive takes us into the eastern loop of Grand Teton National Park, whose 310,000 acres include lush valley floors, mountain meadows, alpine lakes, and the rising peaks of the Teton Range. We’ll get peeks of Mt. Moran and the northern section of Grand Teton National Park and stop at overlooks providing panoramic views of the mountains, the Snake River and Jackson Hole Valley. The National Museum of Wildlife Art is the nation's only museum dedicated to wildlife art from around the world. The 51,000 square foot building with its Idaho quartzite facade was inspired by the ruins of Slains Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Located on a bluff called East Gros Ventre Butte in the midst of a wildlife habitate, the institution overlooks the National Elk Refuge and is just north of Jackson. The collections reflect traditional and contemporary realism.  The Lodge in Jackson Hole is our home tonight. 

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DAY 5            B,D

After breakfast, we make a short road trip through Grand Teton with scenic stops at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, Jenny Lake and Menors Ferry.  Tonight we enjoy a Farewell Dinner and our last night at the Lodge in Jackson Hole.

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Day 6               B

We must fly home to Albuquerque with photographs, friendships and memories from these glorious national parks and historic places.

 

Itinerary subject to change

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