COWBOY COUNTRY

Tour prices are per person in British pound sterling. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, admissions, entertainment, special dinners, sightseeing, porterage, and the services of hotel and restaurant staff, local guides and drivers and the Tauck Director are included. Transportation from the Jackson Hole Airport to Jackson Lake Lodge is included, regardless of the time you check in to the hotel, provided you have furnished us with accurate flight arrival information at least three weeks before the start of the tour. Transportation from K Bar S Lodge to Rapid City Regional Airport is also included when you check out of the hotel. Transportation to and from airports may be shared with other Tauck guests.

Day 1 - Welcome to Jackson & Grand Teton Nat'l Park
Your Tauck Bridges Wyoming family holiday begins at 5:45 PM at the Jackson Lake Lodge. A transfer is included from Jackson Hole Airport to Jackson Lake Lodge in the heart of Grand Teton National Park. Meet the new friends who will share this Cowboy Country adventure with your family at our welcome reception and dinner.
MEALS : D
LODGING : JACKSON LAKE LODGE

Day 2 - Snake River raft trip, Mormon Row & Jackson
Marvel at the mountain majesty of Grand Teton National Park before setting off on a rafting adventure* down the Snake River. Along the way, your guide will help you spot the beavers, eagles, elks and other animals that live in the park. Next, stop at the park's Mormon Row Historic District, whose preservation is being supported by a grant from Tauck. A homesteaders’ settlement dating back to 1890 located in an undeveloped area of the park, Mormon Row is home to a number of weathered historic structures – including the iconic T.A. Moulton barn, an unofficial symbol of the park – with the dramatic Teton Range as a backdrop. You'll feel like you’ve travelled back in time at the site, which attracts photographers from around the world... so have your camera ready! This afternoon, travel to the historic (and trendy) Western town of Jackson to explore as you wish, or check out some of the fun things to do back at Jackson Lake Lodge. Spend the evening as you please.
MEALS : B, L
LODGING : JACKSON LAKE LODGE

Day 3 - On to Yellowstone, the world's first national park
You may want to check out the American Indian artwork and artefacts on display at Grand Teton National Park's Colter Bay visitor center before travelling on this morning to Yellowstone National Park, established in 1872 as America's (and the world's) first national park – where your historic "home away from home" for the next two nights, the Old Faithful Inn, is just steps away from the famous Old Faithful Geyser, shooting up to 184 feet in the air approximately every 90 minutes! Keep an eye out for Yellowstone's diverse wildlife as you explore some of the features of the park – whose geologic wonders include two-thirds of all the geysers in the world – with your family as you please. Have dinner at your classic inside-the-park lodge at your leisure tonight.
MEALS : B, D
LODGING : OLD FAITHFUL INN

Day 4 - Mud pots & more on a perfect day in Yellowstone
Wake up to a world of amazing natural wonders in Yellowstone National Park and spend the day sightseeing in the park with local experts from The Institute of the Yellowstone Association, who share information about the park and its abundant wildlife as you explore; Yellowstone protects threatened or endangered species including the gray wolf, whooping crane, lynx, grizzly bear and bald eagle. Have a picnic lunch, and see some of the 10,000 hot springs within the park, as well as bubbling pools of mud and volcanic calderas; and, a short distance from your lodge, make sure you reserve some family time to watch mighty Old Faithful shoot its plume of steam high into the air just about every hour and a half – a highlight of any Wyoming family holiday! After a day that is truly a celebration of the West’s natural beauty, enjoy dinner at leisure back at the lodge.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : OLD FAITHFUL INN

Day 5 - All about Buffalo Bill's West & rodeo fun in Cody
Say goodbye to Yellowstone and continue your Wyoming holiday to the historic town of Cody, Wyoming, founded in part by the famous "Buffalo Bill" Cody, from whom the town got its name. Glimpse the history and culture of the heyday of the American West at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, whose five connected museums each tell a different side of the story, focusing on the Plains Indians, Western art, firearms, natural history and the life and career of "Buffalo Bill" Cody himself. Have a western-style dinner and then thrill to bucking broncos, steer wrestlers, calf ropers and barrel riders and more at the nationally famous Cody Nite Rodeo – a fixture since 1938 here in Cody, often called the "rodeo capital of the world."
MEALS : B, D
LODGING : HOLIDAY INN® CODY AT BUFFALO BILL VILLAGE

Day 6 - A big helping of cowboy life down on the ranch
Journey through Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains today, past deep canyons, vast grasslands, and blankets of wildflowers en route to one of the highlights of your Wyoming holiday – a double dose of Western ranch life that your family will love! First, feel the spirit of Cowboy Country during an authentic ranch experience – including a cookhouse lunch, a horseback ride*, a horse whisperer and a roping demonstration – at the TA Guest Ranch in Buffalo, Wyoming. A real working cattle ranch, the TA Ranch was the site of a famous siege and shootout during the infamous "Johnson County War" in 1892; you can still see the old gunshot holes in the ranch's original horse barn! Later, continue on to an overnight and dinner at your leisure at yet another real Wyoming ranch – the Ranch at Ucross – topping the night off with an old-fashioned campfire complete with stories and s'mores!
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : THE RANCH AT UCROSS

Day 7 - Black Hills giants – Crazy Horse & Mt. Rushmore
Depart the Ranch at Ucross and Wyoming and head for the Black Hills of South Dakota. Look up in wonder at the Crazy Horse Memorial, where you'll view the work in progress as artisans carve the likeness of the famous Lakota warrior out of the mountain. Begun in 1948 after an Oglala Lakota elder commissioned sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski to create the memorial on the face of Thunderhead Mountain to show “that we have heroes too,” the independently funded project is now carried on by members of the late sculptor's family; when completed, it will be the largest rock sculpture in the world. At the project's visitor's center – which includes the former Ziolkowski family home – you'll explore exhibits that speak to the diverse histories and cultures of America’s native peoples, and learn more about this unique family project. Then it's on Mount Rushmore National Monument, where you’ll be welcomed by the colossal granite heads of four US presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln. The sculptures were the work of Danish-American Gutzon Borglum and his son, a 14-year project begun in 1927. From here, you’ll head to the K Bar S Lodge for an overnight stay and this evening’s farewell reception and dinner to celebrate a week of authentic western magic in Cowboy Country.
MEALS : B, L, D
LODGING : K BAR S LODGE

Day 8 - Journey Home
Tour ends: Rapid City. Fly home anytime; a transfer is included from K Bar S Lodge to Rapid City Regional Airport. Allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in.
MEALS : B

Nights 1-2
Jackson Lake Lodge - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
It's hard to sit still here. Everywhere you look, wilderness beckons. See the spectacular Tetons rising out of the sky above the Snake River from the huge picture windows 60 feet tall in the main lodge. Gaze across the shimmering lake and spy glimpses of wildlife ambling near the shore as you sit down to eat in the Mural Room. Or peer through your handy binoculars – a must for "up-close" viewing of mountain slopes dotted with wildflowers – while you are enjoying the only swimming pool in Grand Teton National Park. Set in the heart of the park, the Lodge offers all kinds of outdoor activities, including horseback riding, float trips and boat excursions. So when you're not off exploring postcard-perfect sights near the Lodge like Jenny Lake and the wildlife-rich Snake River with Tauck, you're free to enjoy your stay as you like.

Nights 3-4
Old Faithful Inn - Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
In 1987 the Old Faithful Inn was designated a National Historic Landmark because it was "the first building in a National Park constructed in an architectural style harmonious with the grandeur of the surrounding landscape". Its seven-story-high log lobby is unique in American architecture. Created with gnarled logs and rough-sawn wood from the Northern Pacific Railroad, it has a sense of place as identifiable as the park itself. But that's not the only thing special about this 100+-year-old hotel. It is also steps from the world-famous Old Faithful Geyser, where you can count on the clockwork timing of its plume of steam that soars skyward every hour. When you are not outside marveling at this natural wonder, you can enjoy the Inn's immense lobby and huge stone fireplace, comfortable rooms and a great restaurant.

Night 5
Holiday Inn® Cody at Buffalo Bill Village - Cody, Wyoming
Did you know that more than 93% of all American travellers have stayed in a Holiday Inn? That's because they know they can find friendly services, comfortable accommodations, and welcome amenities at this well-known hotel chain. The Holiday Inn® Cody at Buffalo Bill Village is no exception. It’s just blocks away from the Buffalo Bill Historical Center and close to the Cody Nite Rodeo and Dan Miller’s Music Revue, offering you one of the best locations in this historic "Old West" town. There’s an outdoor swimming pool and a small fitness facility when you’re ready to wind down after a busy day and an on-site laundromat available to guests. The Bottoms Up Lounge is a great place to relax after a busy day.

Night 6
The Ranch at Ucross - Ucross, Wyoming
No trip to the great American West would be complete without a visit to a real dude ranch. Days start with a cowboy breakfast spread, and end with a dinner buffet that has everything from grilled trout to Wyoming beef and tender chicken – with an apple pie that can't be beat. Lodging accommodations vary and feature views of horses grazing in the back pasture, or sage-covered hills well suited for a trail ride. There are so many activities here you'll never run out of things to do. You can choose to ride a horse or splash in the pool. Play tennis, soccer or challenge your travelling companions to a game of horseshoes. Board games make indoor time fun too. And believe it or not, there is one TV at the ranch but according to the ranch hands, there's hardly ever a kid in front of it!

Night 7
K Bar S Lodge - Keystone, South Dakota
Set in the unspoiled beauty of the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve, the K Bar S Lodge has views of presidents Washington and Jefferson at Mount Rushmore from the deck just outside its impressive lobby. Comfortable guest rooms feature Plush Serta® mattresses, coffee maker, hair dryer, free Internet access, 27" color TV with cable channels and HBO, and iron and ironing board. There are complimentary laundry facilities in each building. With its dining rated as "Supplier of the Year" by the National Tour Association, you can anticipate a great meal in the indoor dining room or the Gazebo.