I have also just returned from this brilliant trip which for me, was a holiday of a lifetime. My fellow travellers were really friendly and we gelled well and our tour manager Richard was excellent and very informative.
We started off the tour in Denver with an overnight stay at the Cherry Orchard Creek Holiday Inn which was a very pleasant hotel. The next day after a hearty American buffet style breakfast, which was a great way to begin the tour, we set off by coach to next destination in Rapid City for a 2 night stay. Don, our driver was great. The day's journey itself was very long and we covered a lot of miles travelling through Colorado. We had a stop in Cheyenne just over the border in Wyoming to stock up on snacks for lunch when we stopped in Fort Laramie with interesting buildings and nice views of the countryside in the fall. An evening of entertainment then followed with a ranch style dinner and a band which performed mainly country and western music.
On day 3 we headed for Mount Rushmore for another hearty American breakfast and then went on to view the statues of 4 previous American presidents carved into the Rock which was stunning to look at and photograph. We then went on to the Crazy Horse memorial for linchpin which was interesting however, the view of the statue was a bit disappointing. In the afternoon, our next stop was Badlands National park where the scenery was incredible with rock formations as far as the eye could see. Several prairie dogs were also spotted as we drove through which I managed to get pictures of.
On day 4 we packed up and left Rapid City and headed for Deadwood which is an old fashioned western town dating back to the 19th century which had the feeling of you being in the Wild West. We took an optional narrated tour on an old Deadwood bus and our guide Dave gave an interesting insight into the history of Deadwood. Afterwards, we headed into the Black hills of South Dakota and arrived at our next hotel in Sherdan for a 1 night stay.
On day 5, the Little Big Horn Battlefield was next on the itinerary which again was very interesting. Our local guide was very informative. We then continued the Western theme by heading for Cody which was a picturesque charming town for an overnight stay. In the evening, I dined at Adriana's where I had a Jack Daniels, chicken, onion and cheese pizza which was probably the best pizza I have ever had.
On day 6 Yellowstone National park was our next port of call which was incredible with stunning views of the volcanic scenery and the steaming geysers. Unfortunately, the weather was a bit rainy however, during our stops in the park, the rain eased making photographing less challenging. We stayed at the Brandin Iron Inn at West Yellowstone which was another picturesque town.
On day 7 We headed back into Yellowstone to view more of the park as well as "old faithful" which did erupt with steam shooting into the air making for some good photography despite more rain. We then drove through Grand Teton National Park which again was spectacular with buffalo roaming around however, low cloud shrouded the mountain tops which was a shame. Our overnight stop was in Jackson Hole at the Painted Buffalo Inn.
Day 8 started on a chilly note and we proceeded on another long drive to Salt Lake City. On our first stop was in a charming little town called Afton back in Wyoming where we stopped at a Chocolate shop which sold various flavours of chocolate. Afterwards, we headed for the National Oregan California trail center and then onto Bear Lake Valley where the scenery was spectacular before arriving in Salt Lake City for our next 2 night stay at the Crystal Inn hotel and suites which was a good hotel except for the non functioning wifi. We toured the city and a Mormon church.
On day 9 we went on an optional tour of Great Salt Lake which was again very interesting and with clear skies, the views were spectacular. Afterwards, we took in more of Salt Lake City with a local guide who showed us the highlights. We then had the rest of the day at leisure.
On day 10 we were on the road to our next stop at Arches National Park on another clear day and had stops within the Park taking in the incredible sights of the arched rock formations before heading for our next stop at Baymont Inn and Suites in Cortez.
On day 11 it was a relatively short journey to Mesa Verde National Park which was completely different with American Indian dwellings carved into the rocks which we toured. One of the dwellings, Spruce House was the highlight where it was a short trek to.
On day 12 we departed from Cortez for Monument Valley stopping off at Four Corners where the states of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado all meet on a plaque which we all stood on and were in 4 states at once. An optional jeep tour of Monument Valley then followed and we stopped at various locations in the Park taking in the scenery. Some of the group took an aeroplane tour above Monument Valley however, I saw plenty of the Park from the jeep. It is then on to Tusayan for our overnight stop.
Day 13 was one of the real highlights of this tour where the Grand Canyon awaited. I, along with most of the group took a helicopter flight over the Canyon which lasted about 25 minutes and I can only describe the experience and the sights as awesome. This optional excursion, in my view, was well worth the extra money paid for it. Afterwards, we toured the Grand Canyon from the ground stopping at various viewpoints which again were spectacular. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Kanub for the next 2 nights.
On day 14, this was another highlight as we toured Bryce Canyon National Park which was reminiscent to a giant ampi-theatre again with incredible panoramic views. The highest viewpoint was Bryce Point with an elevation of 8300 metres above sea level.
Day 15 dawned on a bright sunny note as we left Kanab heading for Las Vegas visiting Zion National Park on the way. This time, instead of looking down into a canyon, you were looking up at the sheer cliffs and deep chasms with streams flowing through. In the afternoon, we arrived in Las Vegas ( another highlight ) where I took in the bright lights which were breathtaking. We stayed at New York New York hotel and Casino on the heart of the Strip which I found to be an amazing experience.
On day 16 we took in a morning tour of Las Vegas and also had the opportunity to take in Las Vegas in daylight at leisure during the afternoon before departing for the airport for our flight home.
This was one of the best holidays I have had and I highly recommend Just You to anyone looking for this type of holiday. The tour leader Richard Lord was excellent and ensured that the tour ran smoothly.
Thank you Just You for a truly memorable tour. I am now looking forward to travelling with you on the new Andalucia Golden Triangle tour with the extension in October next year.
Grahame
