COLORADO ROCKIES, RAILS & WESTERN NATIONAL PARKS

JUNE 16 - 24, 2024 (9 DAYS)

WEBINAR FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EXCURSION:

https://event.webinarjam.com/t/click/o8qkpsn4br1u6vbkp1uwm4b6rf9

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

3 Train Experiences (Durango & Silverton Railroad, Pikes Peak Cog Railway, & Royal Gorge Railroad) • 4 National Park Visits (Mesa Verde Nat'l Park, Arches National Park, Canyonlands Nat'l Park, & Great Sand Dunes Nat'l Park) • 2 Nights - Durango, CO • 3 Nights - Colorado Springs • 2 Nights - Grand Junction • Vail, CO • Moab, Utah • Denver, CO • Dead Horse Point State Park • Garden of the Gods • U.S. Air Force Academy • Cowboy Dinner & Show

INCLUSIONS:

• Roundtrip Airfare - BUF & ROC • 11 Meals (8 Breakfasts & 3 Dinners) • Professional Tour Director • Motorcoach Transportation • Sightseeing per Itinerary • Admissions per Itinerary • Baggage Handling at Hotels • Hotel Transfers

ACCOMMODATIONS:  

1 Night Accommodations - Sheraton or Crowne Plaza, Denver

2 Nights Accommodations - DoubleTree by Hilton, Grand Junction

2 Nights Accommodations - Rio Grande Inn, DoubleTree or The Strater Hotel, Durango

3 Nights Accommodations - Hilton Garden Inn or Wyndham Antler's Hotel, Colorado Springs 

PRICE PER PERSON:

Booking Discount*: $4049 pp double
Regular Rate: $4149 pp double
Single Supplement: +$1150

BOOKING DISCOUNT: Save $100 Per Person ($200 Per Couple*) Make your final payment by check prior to the final payment due date & receive a $100 per person / $200 per couple booking discount! • Initial deposit can be made by check or credit card to be eligible. • Payments after the initial deposit are considered part of the final payment & must be made by check.

DEPOSIT & FINAL PAYMENT: A deposit of $400 per person is due with the Reservation Form to secure reservations. The final payment due date is March 22nd, 2024

PREMIER’S TRAVEL PROTECTION PLAN (TPP): $325 per person
(must purchase with initial deposit)

TENTATIVE ITINERARY:

DAY 1: ARRIVE DENVER, COLORADO: Upon arrival in Denver, meet your Tour DIrector and transfer to your hotel for an overnight stay in the Mile High City. This evening join your Tour Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Dinner. 

DAY 2: DENVER - VAIL - GRAND JUNCTION: Today travel west of Denver and stop in Vail, a favorite year-round resort destination for tourism and outdoor activity. Explore the Vail Village, the downtown district reminiscent of a Bavarian Village that includes a clock tower & features diverse shops and restaurants in addition to breathtaking mountain views. Later continue west and arrive in Grand Junction for a two-night stay. 

DAY 3: GRAND JUNCTION - CANYONLANDS & ARCHES NATIONAL PARKS - MOAB, UTAH: Today travel west into Utah to visit two of our country's great national parks. This morning, visit Canyonlands National Park featuring deeply eroded canyons interspersed with sheer-sided mesas and a variety of spires, arches, and unusual rock formations. Then stop at Dead Horse Point State Park for an amazing view of the Colorado River. A short ride brings you to Moab, Utah for lunch on your own in this town famous for Western movie-making. This afternoon, visit Arches National Park to see some of the famous arches (over 2,000 in total) and marvel at other red rock formations and canyons. Return to Grand Junction for an evening at your own pace.

DAY 4: GRAND JUNCTION - DURANGO & SILVERTON RAILROAD: Today journey south to Silverton, secluded in a mountain valley at an elevation of 9,318 feet to begin a wonderful train experience. It's an all-aboard the 1881 coal-fired, steam-powered Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad for a spectacular rail journey through the San Jaun National Forest following the sheer cliffs of Animas River. Arrive in historic Durango for a two-night stay. Durango began as a mining town during the gold and silver booms. Today, it's a center of year-round tourism, commerce, culture, and ranching featuring a Victorian downtown where you can enjoy the spirit of a bygone era. 

DAY 5: DURANGO - MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK: This morning visit Mesa Verde National Park, home to the largest and best preserved Anasazi Indian cliff dwellings in the southwest including the famous Cliff Palace. Venture out on the Mesa Top Loop Road which winds around overlooks to see some of the 4,000 ruin sites including 600 cliff dwellings. This evening in the Durango area enjoy a fun-filled dining experience at the Bar D Chuckwagon Supper & Western Stage Show. 

DAY 6: DURANGO - GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK - COLORADO SPRINGS: Today travel east to Great Sand Dunes National Park, established in 2004 and known for huge dunes and beaches created at the base of the dunes. Stop at a Visitor Center to learn more about this National Park, containing the tallest sand dunes in North America, rising to a maximum height of 750 feet from the floor of the San Luis Valley on the western base of the Sangre de Cristo Range. Later, journey to Colorado Springs, a picturesque city situated at the foot of famous Pikes Peak and check in for a 3-night stay. "The Springs" as it is commonly referred to attracts thousands of visitors each year for its picturesque setting, natural wonders, history & military sights.

DAY 7: PIKES PEAK COG RAIL - GARDEN OF THE GODS - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY: This morning board the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the world's highest cog railroad for an 8.9 mile trip to the summit of Pikes Peak (approx. 14,110 ft). On a clear day you can see 75 miles to Denver and over 100 miles to New Mexico. Later, visit the famous Garden of the Gods, on the National Register for Historic Places. Located where the Great Plains meet the mighty Rockies, this 1,300-acre park is home to towering sandstone formations. Then visit the U.S. Air Force Academy located at the foot of the majestic Rocky Mountains. The Academy is Colorado's most frequently visited man-made attraction and home to cadets participating in the officer-training program. Stop at the Visitor Center featuring exhibits on cadet life. 

DAY 8: ROYAL GORGE RAILROAD: Today travel to see the Royal Gorge and experience some of the most arresting scenery in all of American railroading aboard the Royal Gorge Railroad. The rail journey travels from Canon City to Parkdale along the Arkansas River through the scenic Royal Gorge and features dramatic views of the Royal Gorge Bridge, the world's highest suspension bridge. Tonight experience a Farewell Dinner at a popular local restaurant in the Colorado Springs area. 

DAY 9: COLORADO SPRINGS - DENVER - FLY HOME: Transfer to the Denver Airport for your flight home filled with wonderful memories of your travel experience.