May 24: Denver, Colorado - Tour Begins
Adventure awaits as we explore the towering peaks and rolling meadows of Colorado and Utah. This tour (which features four national parks) opens in the “Mile High City” of Denver where you will gather for a welcome dinner with your fellow travelers.
Included Meals: Dinner
May 25: Denver - Rocky Mountain National Park - Denver
Today we travel through Boulder, a scenic university town known for its iconic landmark, the striking, reddish-brown foothills known as the Flatirons. We’ll stop in Estes Park, a mountain resort town and home of the Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Shining. Our adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park starts on the Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved, continuous highway in North America. It’s a drive that should be on everybody’s bucket list. At Rainbow Curve you’ll marvel at the majestic mountains that stand in contrast to deep, rugged canyons. Later, return to Denver for a free evening in this dynamic city.
Included Meals: Breakfast
May 26: Denver - Colorado National Monument - Grand Junction
The spectacular Rocky Mountains are your traveling companion as we make a scenic drive from Denver to Grand Junction, passing through many of Colorado’s famous ski resorts. Our journey also takes us to one of the grand landscapes of the American West – Colorado National Monument. Continue along the Rim Rock to see a colorful panorama of deep, sheer-sided canyons and high rock towers. Gather for dinner at a favorite local hangout in Grand Junction, a town that attracts outdoorsmen, foodies and all manner of free spirits.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
May 27: Arches National Park - Canyonlands National Park - Grand Junction
Today, one amazing park follows another! In Arches National Park, see the world’s largest concentration of natural sandstone arches. Next up is Canyonlands National Park, a vast landscape of gorges carved by the mighty Colorado River. We top off the day at the Island in the Sky mesa resting on sheer sandstone cliffs over 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain.
Included Meals: Breakfast
May 28: Grand Junction - Silverton - Durango
Head south to Silverton, a former silver mining town and now a National Historic Landmark. Hidden high in the San Juan Mountains, this town blends spectacular scenery, Victorian charm and historic architecture. Then it's “all aboard” the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This 1881 coal-fired, steam-powered locomotive made its name hauling silver and gold ore from the San Juan Mountains, but you will soon realize it is the view that is its most precious asset.
Included Meals: Breakfast
May 29: Durango - Mesa Verde National Park - Durango
An incredible day awaits in Mesa Verde National Park, home of the ancient Ancestral Puebloan civilization. Today, it’s your choice! Join a local guide on a drive through the park making several photo stops including views of the famous Spruce Tree House, one of Mesa Verde’s best preserved cliff dwellings; and Cliff Palace, the largest in the park -OR- if you are feeling more adventurous, join a National Park Ranger on a short hike down the canyon into one of the cliff dwellings; as you walk, soak in views of the valley along with some of the 600 homes carved along the cliffs. This evening, experience an Old West adventure* filled with traditional cowboy cuisine and entertainment.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
May 30: Durango - Colorado Springs
Sit back and relax during a scenic ride to Colorado Springs. En route, marvel at the landscape as we make our way from the San Juan National Forest and across Wolf Creek Pass, a section of the Continental Divide that would take pioneers two to three weeks to cross. Continue on through the Rio Grande National Forest, a vast expanse of wilderness named for the 1,800 miles of Rio Grande River that cuts through the forest. Your day concludes in Colorado Springs, an artistic and cultural hub.
Included Meals: Breakfast
May 31: Colorado Springs - Canon City - Colorado Springs
Depart for Canon City, home of the Royal Gorge Route Railroad. Get ready for a memorable train ride that follows the tumbling Arkansas River deep within the soaring 1000-foot granite cliffs of Colorado’s grandest canyon. Later, travel to the Garden of the Gods to take in the view of towering sandstone formations that dot the landscape set in the backdrop of majestic Pikes Peak. Tonight, join your fellow travelers for a farewell dinner and celebrate your adventure.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Jun 01: Colorado Springs - Tour Ends
Your tour comes to a close in Colorado Springs.
Included Meals: Breakfast
