GRAND CANYON & NATIONAL PARKS - SEPTEMBER 4-17, 2024

Grand Canyon & National Parks

September 4-17, 2024    14 days / 13 nights

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Day 1 – New York - Indianapolis - Terra Haute September 4, 2024

6:30 AM Depart Gowanda, New York this morning for our travel to the National Parks of the West.  We’ll travel through three states today until we reach our destination in Indiana.

Hotel:  Drury Inn, Terra Haute, IN  3040 Highway 41S, Terra Haute, IN 47802 812-238-1206

Day 2 – St. Louis - Joplin  September 5, 2024

Breakfast included at hotel this morning. 7:30 Depart Indianapolis where we’ll travel through St. Louis home of the Gateway Arch.  Where once dilapidated warehouses stood, the Gateway Arch now soars above the riverfront grounds of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.  We’ll stop at the Archway for a ride to the top before continuing our journey west.  We’ll travel into Missouri and through Springfield on our way to Joplin for overnight. 

Hotel: Drury Inn & Suites, 3601 Rangeline Rd.,  Joplin, MO 64804  417-781-8000

Day 3 – Joplin - Amarillo  September 6, 2024                 Breakfast and Dinner included today.

Breakfast included at hotel this morning. 7:30 am depart hotel Today begins a journey into Americana history along Route 66.  Arrive in Oklahoma and pass Tulsa on our way to Arcadia, OK.  Our way down Route 66 it is not complete without a stop at POPS in Arcadia.  The sleek, ultra-modern architecture of the building is only overshadowed by an iconic 66-foot tall pop bottle sculpture sitting out front.  Visit POPS and admire the collection of over 12,000 soda pop bottles, then browse over 650 different kinds of ice-cold soda.  Find your favorite refreshing treat; whether it’s a traditional cola or a sweet fruity soda, POPS is sure to have what you like.  Our next stop is in Elk City for touring of the National Route 66 Museum.  Walk through displays of antique cars and historical documents detailing the narrative of America’s highway.  Continue along Route 66 before you return to Texas and make your way to Amarillo where you will meet your Guide.  It is said “all things are bigger in Texas” and in that spirit this evenings dinner & show will be at the historic Big Texan Steak Ranch known for its “72 ounce steak challenge” and a Route 66 landmark for over 50 years. 

Hotel:   Drury Inn & Suites, 8540 W. Interstate 40, Amarillo, TX  79121

Day 4 – Amarillo - Santa Fe - Farmington  September 7, 2024      Breakfast included

7:30 am Depart Amarillo traveling west on I-40 (Route 66) with a rest stop along the way. We enter Mountain Time Zone – Gain One Hour Today.   Continue on to the first state capitol in the United States:  "The Royal City of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis", better known as Santa Fe.  Founded in 1609, the city offers many historic and scenic delights.  Stop to enjoy lunch on your own at the Plaza & enjoy a brief tour of this beautiful and historic city including Palace of the Governors, Loretto Chapel, the Plaza and St. Francis Cathedral.  Continue our journey west through New Mexico and our overnight stay in Farmington.   

Hotel:  Red Lion Hotel, 700 Scott Street, Farmington, NM  87401  505-566-5505 or similar property

Day 5 – Farmington – Monument Valley – Grand Canyon   September 8, 2024    Breakfast and Lunch included today

Breakfast included at hotel this morning. Bid farewell to Farmington this morning and begin your westward travels through the rugged countryside.   Depart 7:30 am You are traveling north through the Navajo Indian Reservation to the Four Corners Region.  This is the only spot common to four state corners in the entire United States.  Stand in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, all at the same time.  Then arrive at the "Eighth Wonder of the World," Monument Valley on the Navajo Indian Reservation.  (This is the area where scores of famous Western films were made.)  After time to photograph these well-known landmarks, we continue to Goulding's Trading Post, built for the production of the John Wayne's western classic, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.  This afternoon, get a first-hand look at the Valley as you board 4-wheel drive (Senior Friendly) vehicles and take a comprehensive tour.  You will see ancient petroglyphs and cliff dwellings of the Anasazi, natural arches and windows in the rocks, and 1000-foot-high monoliths.  After your tour today we’ll travel through Arizona's high desert country as you make your way to one of the natural wonders of the world.  Enjoy a stop at the Cameron Trading Post to shop for authentic Indian Jewelry, blankets, and other craft items produced by the Navajo.  After browsing among the hand-made pottery, rugs, and sand paintings, we’ll continue on our way to "the Grandest Canyon of them all" - Grand Canyon National Park, overnighting just outside of the park.     

Hotel:  Holiday Inn Expresss Tusayan, AZ

Day 6 – Grand Canyon - Las Vegas September 9, 2024

When entering Arizona, you gain 1 hour   Breakfast included

Breakfast included at hotel this morning. Depart hotel 7:30 am.  This morning enjoy touring of Grand Canyon National Park, *A UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This 1.2 million acre national park hosts a vast variety of wildlife and scenic wonders.  Learn about the geology and history of the canyon while taking in its breathtaking beauty.  After touring all the best view points, depart and travel on what was once Route 66 as we head west through northern Arizona.  Enter Nevada and arrive in the “Entertainment Capitol of the World,” Las Vegas.  Enjoy a commentary on Las Vegas on the way to our hotel located on the famous Las Vegas. The rest of the evening is yours to take in a show or test your skills against lady luck in the casinos.   Hotel on famous Las Vegas strip, Tropicana Casino Resort or similar.

Day 7 – Free Day Las Vegas  September 10, 2024 Breakfast included today

Today you are free to explore Las Vegas on your own, choosing the kind of entertainment that best suits you!  If you stayed at the gaming tables until the crack of dawn, you may decide that a day of relaxation is just what the doctor ordered.  Spend time lounging around the pool or doing a little more flirting with lady luck in the casino.  You may also choose to explore the wide array of shops and boutiques on the Strip.  Tonight is free for you to enjoy the unlimited "star studded" entertainment available.   Breakfast offering based on casino group programming – subject to change.

Day 8 – Zion - Bryce Canyon September 11, 2024  Breakfast included today

Breakfast included at hotel this morning. Depart hotel 7:30 am.  Today, trade man-made wonders for the handiwork of Mother Nature as you leave Las Vegas and travel through the Virgin River Gorge on your way to Zion, Utah's oldest and most famous national park.  Zion is unique among national parks in the west, with its awe inspiring monoliths that an early explorer called "temples".  You will tour the park, seeing its narrow canyons and dramatic buttes and mesas. This afternoon continue your journey through "Color Country."  You are traveling toward Bryce Canyon National Park, one of the most amazing and fascinating sights on earth.  Stand on the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau, where before you lays a city of stone cathedral spires, delicately tinted in shades of pink, red, and orange.  We’ll overnight just outside of Bryce Canyon National Park after a colorful day.  Enjoy an evening view of Bryce Canyon from one of the best scenic points.

Hotel: Best Western Rudy’s Inn  Bryce, Utah  

Day 9 – Bryce Canyon - Capitol Reef – Moab  September 12, 2024   Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included

Breakfast included at hotel this morning. Depart hotel 7:30 am. This morning we’ll return to Bryce Canyon National Park for sightseeing.  Then enjoy a drive on one of America’s most spectacular roads.  Scenic Highway 12 has been designated as an “All American Road,” the crown jewel of the Scenic Byways system.  First we will be traveling through Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument, with vast expanses of cream and rose colored Navajo sandstone.  There are dramatic cliffs, high mesas, beautiful streams and deep canyons in multi-hued colors across the 1.9 million acre monument.  Then drive up and over Boulder Mountain reaching altitudes over 9,000 feet with incredible views of Capitol Reef, the Circle Cliffs and the Henry Mountains.  Arrive at Capitol Reef National Park for a wonderful picnic lunch (assorted cold cut sandwiches, fruit slices, cookie, assorted chips & beverage) under towering cottonwood trees and sightseeing of ancient petroglyphs, beautiful rock formations, deep canyons and pioneer history.  The park was established to protect a 100-mile wrinkle in the earth’s crust called The Waterpocket Fold.  After touring in Capitol Reef we make our way to the nearby Town of Moab and check into our hotel.  This evening join the group for a unique experience as you take a Sunset Boat Ride on the mighty Colorado River through spectacular red rock canyons.  As the sun dips in the west, the canyon colors come to life while you learn about the river’s ecosystem, geology and history.  After a thrilling ride, enjoy a delicious BBQ dinner served on the banks of the Colorado River before returning to your hotel.

 Hotel:  Springhill Suites, Moab Utah

Day 10 – Arches - Glenwood Springs  September 13, 2024    Breakfast included today

Breakfast included at hotel this morning.  Depart hotel 7:30 am.  A silent monument to the power of wind and water, Arches National Park contains the world's largest assembly of natural stone arches.  This park is your first stop this morning, and you will have ample time to tour, walk around, and photograph some of the most interesting arches before continuing on to Professor Valley and Fisher Towers, the backdrop for scores of classic Westerns and contemporary movies.  This is the site where director John Ford filmed his famous Western, Wagonmaster, and to many people, this rugged untamed country symbolizes the West.  Exit Utah and enter the red rock country of Western Colorado on your way to the heart of the Rocky Mountains and Glenwood Springs, your home for this evening.  Tonight, for those who want to dip your toes into the Hot Springs and relax we’ll take you there.

Hotel: Holiday Inn Express, Glenwood Springs, CO  81601  970-945-5995

Day 11 – Rocky Mountain National Park   September 14, 2024    Breakfast and Dinner included today

Breakfast included at hotel this morning.  Depart hotel 7:30 am.  Today we’ll cross Vail Pass and parallel the Blue River through Granby leaving the friendly foothills and spiral to the higher elevations where you will see an unending panorama of soaring peaks, steep walled canyons, primeval forests, and flower studded valleys.  This is the roof garden of America.  You follow the awe-inspiring Trailridge Road (weather permitting), of Rocky Mountain National Park, over the ridge tops of the mighty mountain ranges.  On both sides are magnificent views of canyons, rivers, valleys, and waterfalls thousands of feet below.  After crossing the Continental Divide, you descend into Estes Park and through verdant valleys of pine and quaking aspen towards Denver for your overnight accommodations.  This evening enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.    

Hotel:   Drury Inn & Suites, Westminster, CO

Day 12 – Denver – Lincoln   September 15, 2024 Breakfast included today.

Breakfast included at hotel this morning. Depart hotel 7:30 am. Unfortunately it is time to start the return journey eastward this morning.  After saying good-bye to your tour director. We’ll check-out and travel to Nebraska. On the way, stop in Kearney and tour the Great Platte River Road Archway.  It’s described by the Miami Herald as a “splashy, brassy history museum that uses film, computer graphics, light and sound, life-size dioramas, re-enactors and classic cars to document over 150 years of transportation and communication across America.” The Archway brings the westward migration to life. Then continue on to Lincoln and your overnight stay. 

Hotel:  Country Inn & Suites, 5353 N 27^th St, Lincoln, NE   68521  402-904-3085

Day 13 – Lincoln – Joliet, Illinois   September 16, 2024  Breakfast & dinner included today.

After included breakfast, Depart hotel 7:30 am - we’re off to continue the journey through America’s heartland heading toward the Hawkeye State – Iowa, stopping in Des Moines for lunch and a visit to West End Architectural Salvage home of a popular DIY and HGTV remodeling reality series.  We’ll explore and shop the 50,000 square feet of reclaimed, recycled and salvaged materials (including jewelry) taken from old homes, abandoned schools and turn-of-the-century churches.  This relic also features a large café complete with coffee bar featuring hot and cold espresso drinks, Italian sodas and fruit smoothies.  Continue east and enjoy the remainder of the travel day relaxing and visiting with your travel companions.  Arrive in Joliet for overnight.  Tonight, join the group for a farewell dinner at Dixie Kitchen.  This informal restaurant is a great way to enjoy great food and simply relax.  Fried or Grilled Chicken entrees are your choice tonight.

Hotel:  Hampton Inn or Similar in Joliet IL

Day 14 – Home  September 17, 2024     Breakfast included today.

After a hearty included breakfast, your group begins its journey home. 7:30 am depart hotel.  Relax as you travel, taking this chance to think back on the marvelous scenery and wonderful friendships you have discovered in the past few days.  What an unforgettable vacation you've had in the west!   Estimated time of arrival home is 7-8 pm.  ion insurance included.

Please join us on this once in a lifetime excursion!

FOR BOOKING & MORE INFORMATION:

Irene Pfeifer 716-532-4268

Bridget Farner 716-532-9586

Tour Includes:

Tour package is based on motor coach transportation via Niagara Scenic Motor Coach with professional operator, 13 nights accommodations, applicable room taxes & fees, standard meal gratuity on meals included, Professional Tour Director from Amarillo to Denver. 13 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 4 Dinners, Entrance to attractions as noted, National Park Fees and Monuments mentioned in the itinerary, and luggage handling (where provided) for one bag per person.

Note: Hotels & restaurants are subject to change slightly but will remain the same quality noted in flyer.

Excursion Price Per Person

Double occupancy (two people, one or two beds)           $6,475.00        

Single occupancy (one person, one room)                      $8,275.00

Payment Schedule:

$500.00 deposit required to secure your seat(s)

Payment #2 $1,000.00 due April 15, 2024

Payment #3 $1,000.00 due May 15, 2024

Final Payment June 15, 2024

Trip is non refundable after June 15, 2024

Payment in full is always welcome.  Please make checks payable to Collins Center Seniors.  In note section of the check note: Grand Canyon 9/4/24

Trip Protection

Trip protection is recommended and available through Niagara Scenic & AON AFFINITY to US Residents.  Pricing for trip protection varies based on the coverage you choose and is NOT age based.  For example, the Enhanced Plan covers preexisting conditions if purchased within 14 days of initial deposit.  Trip Protection covers you in you need to cancel prior to your trip for medical reasons or a coverable reason noted on the plan you purchase, AND covers you while you are ON the trip for any unforeseen situations. 

Sample Trip protection pricing Double Occupancy

Basic Plan         $582.75

Enhanced Plan  $760.81

Sample Trip protection pricing Single Occupancy

Basic Plan         $744.75

Enhanced Plan  $972.31

How to enroll:   https://nta.aontravelprotect.com      

Visit this website to view all plan documents.  Once you enter your information, you have a choice whether you want to purchase or decline. 

Tour Operator Location Number: 386097 – this is required to purchase the protection.

Destination: Grand Canyon

Dates: 9/4/2024 to 09/17/2024

If you enter more than one person, the plan cost noted will be for TWO people combined.