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BEGINS IN: RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA

On the Road: Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Other Gems of South Dakota and Wyoming

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Program #20297RJ

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9 Days | 8 Nights
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Moderate
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While all of our learning adventures offer extraordinary value, our "Best Value" programs were rated by our participants themselves who thought their dollar went particularly far.
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EasyFor people looking to exercise their minds more than their bodies. There’s minimal walking and not too many stairs.
ModerateThese programs get you on your feet and include activities such as walking up to a mile in a day through a city and standing in a museum for a few hours.
ActiveFor people who enjoy walking as much as two miles a day, perhaps to explore historic neighborhoods or a nature trail.
Moderately ChallengingFor hardy explorers who enjoy a good physical challenge, spending most of their days on the go.
ChallengingGet ready to keep up with our highest-energy group. These demanding — and rewarding — programs are for seasoned outdoor enthusiasts.

Program Details > Meals & Lodging

Meals: 20 total, 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 5 dinner

 The following meal choices available when requested in advance: Vegetarian.

 If you have dietary restrictions due to medical requirements, please call (800) 454-5768, to see if we can accommodate your needs.

Lodging
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Howard Johnson Express Inn & Suites: Rapid City, South Dakota, 2 nights
Type: Hotel

 Description: This 2002 Rapid City hotel is located four to six blocks from downtown Rapid City with easy access off I-90, Exit 57, Exit 1C (from east or west) or from highway 79 and Mount Rushmore Road coming from the South. The hotel is only a block from the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center and three blocks from the two sections of the Berlin Wall.

Contact info:
950 North Street
Rapid City, SD 57701 USA
phone: 888-578-4657 xor6057374656
web: www.hojorapidcity.com

Room amenities: All rooms feature high-speed Internet access, voice mail, in-room coffee, hair dryers, iron/boards and expanded cable with HBO/Showtime.

Facility amenities: There is an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, exercise room, guest laundry and continental breakfast starting at 6:00 am. There is not a restaurant at the hotel, snacks are available to purchase or walk three blocks to the nearest restaurant/dining facility. There is a computer available in the lobby for people staying at the hotel. If you have your own computer, wi-fi service is available also, your own service provided (from cell towers) will work in Rapid City.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: Prices vary from $85 to $139.
Contact hotel directly for pre and post room costs, call 800-446-4656 or 605-737-4656.

Check in time: 3:00 PM

Additional nights after: Prices vary from $85 to $139.
Contact hotel directly for pre and post room costs, call 800-446-4656 or 605-737-4656.

Check out time: 12:00 PM
Irma Hotel: Cody, WY, 1 nights
Type: Hotel

 Description: The Irma Hotel is a landmark in Cody, Wyoming. It was built by William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, the city's co-founder and namesake who named it after his daughter Irma Cody. A focal point is a famous back bar made of cherry that was a gift given by Queen Victoria to Buffalo Bill. The Irma opened with a party on November 18, 1902, to which Cody invited the press and dignitaries from as far away as Boston. The hotel quickly became the social center of Cody. In the meantime, Buffalo Bill was under pressure from creditors and was forced to sign over the hotel to his wife Louisa in 1913, who was at that time on bad terms with him. After Cody's death in 1917 the hotel was foreclosed upon and sold to Barney Link. Before the end of the year Link's estate sold the property back to Louisa, who kept it until she died in 1925. The new owners, Henry and Pearl Newell, gradually expanded the hotel, building an annex around 1930 on the west side to accommodate automobile-borne visitors. After her husband's death in 1940, Pearl Newell operated the hotel until her own death in 1965. She left the hotel's extensive collection of Buffalo Bill memorabilia to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, and stipulated that proceeds from the estate be used as an endowment for the museum. The Irma Hotel is still open for business as both a hotel and restaurant. It is included on the National Register of Historic Places, listed in 1973. It is located on the Main Street of Cody.

Contact info:
1192 Sheridan Avenue
Cody, WY 82414 USA
phone: 307-587-4221
web: www.irmahotel.com

Room amenities: TV, alarm clock and telephone. Iron and ironing board available upon request.

Facility amenities: Lounge and restaurant located in Hotel. Excellent burgers and steaks. Wi-fi is available only in certain locations within the hotel, most often in the small lobby area. Your own provider, if it is via cell phone towers, will work in Cody.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Bathroom: Tub shower combo. Some of the tubs have a deep tub.
Lake Hotel Cabins: Lake Yellowstone Area YNP, 1 nights
Type: Cabin

 Description: The Lake Hotel Cabins are right next door to the Lake Hotel and just a short distance from Yellowstone Lake. This is a great place to enjoy the natural quietness and beauty of the area. The hotel solarium is a great place to relax and enjoy the view of the Lake. Visit with the artist in residence in the hotel lobby and browse in the gift shop or learn about the history of the area and the hotel while on a guided tour with Park personnel. Yellowstone Lake is the largest body of water in Yellowstone National Park. The lake is 7,732 feet above sea level and covers 136 square miles with 110 miles of shoreline. The average depth of the lake is 139 feet, its deepest spot is at least 390 feet. It is the largest freshwater lake above 7,000 feet in North America. Native Americans lived in this region at least 11,000 years ago. The first white person to see the lake was trapper John Colter around 1806. From 1820 to 1840, the fur trading era, many trapping parties traveled through the Lake region. The lake drains north from it's only outlet, the Yellowstone River. Fishing for Cutthroat trout is catch and release only while Lake Trout fish must be killed since they are a predator of the Cutthroat trout. Recreational boating is allowed on the lake. In 1891, a hotel was built facing Yellowstone Lake. The original Lake Hotel was a plain clapboarded Colonial Revival structure with two large Ionic porticoes facing the Lake built for the Northern Pacific Railroad. In 1903, Robert Reamer (architect of the Old Faithful Inn built in 1903) remodeled the hotel and in 1928 a two-story west wing was added. The entire hotel was extensively renovated from 1894 to 1990. The entire Lake complex includes: Lake Hotel, comfortable cabins, an annex building, dining lodge, medical clinic, hospital, general store, park ranger building, and post office.

Contact info:
1 Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone Lake Area, WY 82190 USA
phone: 307-344-7901
web: www.nps.gov/yell/

Room amenities: Private bath with shower. No air conditioning, radio or TV, or alarm clocks in YNP. All rooms in YNP are non-smoking. There is a $150 fine for smoking in any of the rooms. There is a coffee maker in each room.

Facility amenities: Adjacent to the Historic Lake Hotel; dining room; gift shop; and just a short walk to Yellowstone Lake. All hotel rooms in Yellowstone National Park are non-smoking. There is NO cell phone or Internet service available within the Yellowstone Lake area. Non of the facilities within the park have air-conditioning or TVs.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Bathroom: Tub/shower only.
Old Faithful Inn Complex--West Wing: Old Faithful Area Yellowstone National Park,...
Type: Hotel

 Description: As a national historic landmark, Old Faithful Inn is the most requested lodging facility in the park. The rustic-style lodge, with log and wood shingle exterior is located adjacent to the world famous Old Faithful Geyser. The original part of the Inn, known as the "Old House" was completed in 1904 and includes an immense lobby with a huge stone fireplace. Robert Reamer was the architect. The East and West Wings were added in the teens and the twenties, with many rooms having been remodeled in recent years. Guest accommodations include rooms with private and shared baths. Additionally, a full service restaurant, deli, bar, gift store and interpretive tours are available at the Inn. Please note that all park accommodations are non-smoking and reflecting the natural surroundings of Yellowstone; televisions, radios, air conditioning, and Internet service is not available. Wheelchair accessible accommodations are available on a limited basis. Old Faithful Geyser is just a short walk from the West Wing. Enjoy a walk around the Old Faithful area including a visit to Old Faithful Inn, Old Faithful Lodge, the Visitor's Center, numerous walking trails and of course watch for animals. Check the Park Times Newspaper for activities and events related to your overnight stay.

Contact info:
1 Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 USA
phone: 307-344-7901
web: www.nps.gov.yell/

Room amenities: No air conditioning, radio, TV, or alarm clocks in any of YNP properties. All rooms are non-smoking and there is a $150 fee for anyone smoking in the rooms. Each room does have a telephone, fan, coffee maker and extra blankets.

Facility amenities: Elevator to all but one floor--one flight of stairs; four floors total; the West Wing is attached to the Historic Inn; short distance to dining room and gift shops. Cell phone service is limited at the Old Faithful area. Wi-fi is not available. If you have your own Internet service provider through cell towers, you may have limited service. No air conditioning or TVs in any of the lodging facilities within the park.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes
Yellowstone National Park SnowLodge: Old Faithful Area Yellowstone National Park,...
Type: Lodge

 Description: SnowLodge is the newest property in the Old Faithful Complex area. The main building is made of wooden log columns with a cedar shingle roof on top. Some of the lodge's wood was recycled from the same mill that provided lumber for the famous Old Faithful Inn in 1904. It has 134 spacious lodge style rooms with western-style furnishings and casually elegant decor. A full-service dining room, bar, the renowned "Geyser Grill" and gift shop are located in the lodge. Enjoy the ambiance and warmth of the stone fireplace in the lobby. The SnowLodge is across the street from the Visitor's Center, that opened in 2010, and Old Faithful Geyser.

Contact info:
Old Faithful Complex Area
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190 USA
phone: 307-344-7901
web: www.nps.gov/yell/

Room amenities: Room amenities include: Hair dryer, portable fan, iron & ironing board, coffee maker and an alarm clock.

Facility amenities: Premium hotel style rooms with private bathrooms. Large lobby features a stone fireplace. Also in the facility is a bar, full restaurant, grill for light menu and gift shop.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes
Jackson Lake Lodge: Jackson Hole Valley Wyoming, 1 nights
Type: Other

 Description: First designating the Teton Range and 7 southerly Piedmont lakes as a National Park in 1929, Grand Teton National Park would struggle for 21 more years before adding an additional 200,000 plus acres to form the Park we enjoy today. With the enlargement of the Park in 1950, the publicity surrounding the successful conservation of Jackson Hole attracted many more visitors. More than 587,000 visitors came to the new Park in 1951 and there were not enough facilities to accommodate them. Feeling somewhat responsible for bringing so many visitors to the Park, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. was asked what could he do about the situation, he responded “I supposed I ought to build a hotel”. Early on, with a picnic lunch in hand, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. would often hike to the top of Moose Hill and gaze out upon the Willows and the towering Teton Range. Legend has it that this view influenced the location where he would eventually build Jackson Lake Lodge. Constructed in 1955, near what is now called “Lunch Tree Hill”, the Lodge is a tribute to the vision and the lasting memories that one special moment can create. Jackson Lake Lodge was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003. Designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, who previously had designed the Ahwahnee, Bryce Canon, and North Rim Grand Canyon lodges, Jackson Lake Lodge combines some elements of these earlier rustic style buildings with the modern International style. This breakthrough opened the way for many modernistic visitor centers and accommodations in National Parks built under the Mission 66 initiative to accommodate major increases in visitation after WWII. The integrity of the Jackson Lake Lodge and its associated buildings, the exceptional importance of the integrated modern/rustic architectural design of the building, and its association Gilbert Stanley Underwood, contribute to its exceptional national significance under National Historic Landmark criteria.

Contact info:
Grand Teton National Park P.O. Box 240
Moran, WY 83013 USA
phone: 307-543-3052
web: www.gtlc.com

Room amenities: The cottages have up-to-date comfortable beds, tub/shower combination, ironing board/iron, telephone, coffee makers and ceiling fans. There is an outside porch light for when you come back to your cottage after dark. You can enjoy the outdoors sitting in one of the wooden patio chairs in front of your cottage. No TV or AC in the National Parks Lodging facilities.

Facility amenities: Imagine looking out the 60-foot panoramic window from the Lodge to a wide expanse of fields surrounding a blue mountain lake, with moose, elk, bison and sometimes bear and wolves, wandering close by. Then rising above this scene is one of the most photographed mountain ranges in the world--the Grand Teton Range. All of it so close, you feel like you can touch it. This is the thrill you can expect from the historical Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton National Park. Visit the Mural Dining Room to learn about the biography of Carl Roters and see his mural painting throughout the dining room depicting early life among the Wyoming trappers and Native Americans. Walking trails and viewing terrace just outside the Lodge Lobby. There is a business center with computers available in the Lodge. The Lodge offers several choices for meals including the more formal dining room with an entire glass wall opening up to the willow flats to the horizon where it meets an uncluttered view of Mount Moran and the Grand Teton Range, for the Mural Room-reservations are required; Blue Heron Lounge offering quick lunches and little plates; the Coffee Cart within the lobby; and the Pioneer Grill with a less formal setting offering breakfast, lunch and dinner in a classic 1950s-style sit-down service and take-out service. Grand Teton Lodge Company is one of the "Eco-centers" of the National Parks. There is an activities desk to help with reservations during your free time/own cost (float trip, boat ride, cookout, horseback riding and poolside BBQ). Retail shops ranging from postcards, newspapers, sundry items, clothing, pottery, jewelry and many other souvenirs offer something for everyone. The outdoor heated swimming pool is a nice way to relax after a busy day. Visiting Jackson Lake Lodge perhaps will be an inspiring experience of a lifetime for our guests. It definitely will create lasting memories that only one special moment can create.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.
Hampton Inn & Suites Casper: Casper, WY, 1 nights
Type: Hotel

 Description: Newer property in the north part of Casper. Across the parking lot from the Hilton Garden Hotel (this property has a lounge).

Contact info:
1100 N. Poplar Road
Casper, WY 82601 USA
phone: 307-235-6668
web: HamptonInnCasper.com

Room amenities: Air conditioning, alarm radio, curved shower road, duvet covers, non-allergenic pillows, handicap room by request, non-smoking, 32 LCD TV; TV Cable, workstation, coffee maker, hairdryer, iron/ironing board, surge protected desk outlets, telephone, and night light.

Facility amenities: Self coin laundry; audible alarm system; controlled access corridors, double locking doors, electronic locks, electronic smoke detector, safety deposit box, wide angle door viewer, fitness room, and indoor pool. Hot continental breakfast. Hotel has a business center with wi-fi connection, also in sleeping rooms. If you have your own Internet service, most carriers have service in the area.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes
Howard Johnson Express Inn & Suites: Rapid City, South Dakota, 1 nights
Type: Hotel

 Description: This 2002 Rapid City hotel is located four to six blocks from downtown Rapid City with easy access off I-90, Exit 57, Exit 1C (from east or west) or from highway 79 and Mount Rushmore Road coming from the South. The hotel is only a block from the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center and three blocks from the two sections of the Berlin Wall.

Contact info:
950 North Street
Rapid City, SD 57701 USA
phone: 888-578-4657 xor6057374656
web: www.hojorapidcity.com

Room amenities: All rooms feature high-speed Internet access, voice mail, in-room coffee, hair dryers, iron/boards and expanded cable with HBO/Showtime.

Facility amenities: There is an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, exercise room, guest laundry and continental breakfast starting at 6:00 am. There is not a restaurant at the hotel, snacks are available to purchase or walk three blocks to the nearest restaurant/dining facility. There is a computer available in the lobby for people staying at the hotel. If you have your own computer, wi-fi service is available also, your own service provided (from cell towers) will work in Rapid City.

Smoking policy: No
Smoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: Prices vary from $85 to $139.
Contact hotel directly for pre and post room costs, call 800-446-4656 or 605-737-4656.

Check in time: 3:00 PM

Additional nights after: Prices vary from $85 to $139.
Contact hotel directly for pre and post room costs, call 800-446-4656 or 605-737-4656.

Check out time: 12:00 PM


The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.
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•8 nights of accommodations
•20 meals: 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 5 dinners
•29 Expert-led lectures
•31 Field trips
•1 Hands-on experiences
•2 Performances
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4.9
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Back to Back Adventures

On the Road: South Dakota's Black Hills and Wyoming's Yellowstone and TetonsDate: Jul 13, 2013
Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the Badlands: Young ExplorersDate: Jul 14, 2013
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