Day 1: Depart Chicago
All Yellowstone / Glacier Discovery Tour tour members will meet the Tour Director in Chicago’s Union Station at 12:30 p.m. At 1:15 they’ll prepare to board the famous California Zephyr. Departure is at 2:00. The Zephyr features the double-decker Superliner equipment. Relax in your reclining coach seat with leg rest. Roomettes or Bedrooms are available at an additional cost.
After settling in, you may want to go to the glass-walled Sightseer Lounge car with its comfortable seats that swivel. All meals on the trains are included. Enjoy a full-course dinner in the diner tonight.
Meal(s): D
Day 2: En Route
When you awaken this morning you may look out your window toward the West and thrill to the sight of the towering, majestic Colorado Rockies in the distance. Plan to get up early, have a piping hot breakfast in the dining car and find a seat in the glass-walled lounge car for the spectacular scenery that will unfold before you the rest of the day.
The Zephyr will pull out of Denver at 8:05 and begin its climb over the Front Range toward the Continental Divide. Throughout the day the train will wind around sharp mountain curves and through numerous tunnels. We’ll arrive in Salt Lake City around 11:00 p.m. Upon arrival, we’ll transfer to the attractive Radisson Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City.
Meal(s): B, L & D
Day 3: Salt Lake City
Our day will begin with a live broadcast by the world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir (not available in August). Following the broadcast, an expert local guide joins us to tour the beautiful Salt Lake City area. The city was founded in 1847 by Mormon pioneers led by Brigham Young. View the Mormon Temple in Temple Square, the Utah State Capitol, the Great Salt Lake and some of the sites used for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. America by Rail travelers will also visit Red Butte Gardens, with over 100 acres including display and natural gardens, walking paths and natural area with hiking trails. Enjoy an included lunch. Tonight we can visit Temple Square, a one block walk from our hotel.
Meal(s): L
Day 4: Trail Center/ Jackson Hole
Enjoy a hearty breakfast before we travel into Wyoming, passing through farming and range lands. At the national Oregon/California Trail Center, we learn about this historic pioneer route and what life was like traveling by wagon train! We continue to the ranching and resort center of Jackson, Wyoming. Our comfortable lodging is at the Best Western Lodge at Jackson Hole.
Tonight our group will travel a few miles outside the city for a chuckwagon dinner. A Western musical group will then entertain us.
Meal(s): B & D
Day 5: Grand Tetons
Enjoy a full breakfast in your hotel this morning.
No mountain skyline is more impressive than that of the Grand Teton Range. Peaks rise abruptly with no foothills. We’ll visit the Chapel of Transfiguration, a rustic log church with fantastic views of the Tetons. Lunch is included at the Jackson Lake Lodge. At the Colter Bay Visitor Center we view Plains Indian art and exhibits and learn more about Grand Teton National Park.
Later, we continue into Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone was established in 1872 as America’s first national park. This is the world’s most extensive region of geothermal activity. Thousands of hot springs dot the thermal basins. Old Faithful is the most famous geyser in the world.
We will spend three nights at the Best Western Desert Inn, West Yellowstone. There are a variety of evening activities available including the Playbill Theatre (Broadway-style musicals and dramas), an IMAX Theater featuring a 45-minute presentation about the Yellowstone Park area and the Yellowstone Historic Center.
Meal(s): B & L
Day 6: Yellowstone
A Continental breakfast is included each morning in our hotel. Today we begin to explore Yellowstone National Park, a two-million acre national jewel. We’ll journey through Madison Junction, Norris Geyser Basin, Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Junction and Tower Falls. Following an “on-your-own” lunch, we’ll continue on to Artist Point, Inspiration Point and the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River.
We’ll return to our hotel by late afternoon.
Meal(s): CB
Day 7: Yellowstone
We’ll begin our second day of awesome Yellowstone National Park experiences. A scenic drive takes us through the Hayden Valley, a region of lush forest meadows. Look for bison and other wildlife! Have a camera ready to capture awesome views. Old Faithful Geyser on the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone are highlights of the day. We’ll also view the paint-pots, which are bubbling hot springs mixed with clay. We return to our West Yellowstone Hotel for a final night. Dinner is scheduled at Bullwinkle’s Saloon and Eatery.
Meal(s): CB & D
Day 8: En Route/Glacier National Park
This is a travel day as we continue north to Whitefish, Montana. A number of stops will be made at scenic sites. You’ll thrill to the beauty and vastness of this magnificent state. We’ll arrive in Whitefish late this afternoon. Our home for the next two nights will be the Best Western Rocky Mountain Lodge.
Meal(s): CB
Day 9: Glacier National Park
We’ll depart on an all-day tour of one of America’s most beautiful attractions. Our group will travel over the spectacular Going-to-the-Sun Highway. Acclaimed as one of the outstanding scenic roadways of the world, the 50-mile-long drive affords magnificent views of the mountain scenery. Dense forests, picturesque lakes, brilliant flowers and abundant wildlife enhance the awesome views. We’ll stop for a leisurely “on-your-own” lunch at Lake McDonald Lodge and return to our lodge in Whitefish by late afternoon. The Tour Director will host a farewell dinner this evening.
Meal(s): CB & D
Day 10: En Route
We’ll transfer to the Whitefish Amtrak Station in time for the 7:46 a.m. departure of the Empire Builder for Chicago. Get settled in and then head for the Sightseer Lounge car. During the day we’ll cross the remote flatlands of eastern Montana and western North Dakota.
Meal(s): B, L & D
Day 11: En Route to Chicago
Breakfast and lunch on the train are included. We depart from Minneapolis - St. Paul at 7:40 a.m. and head south along the west bank of the Mississippi River. The train winds between the river bank and high bluffs. The Empire Builder is scheduled to arrive in Chicago’s Union Station late this afternoon.
Many of our tour members will conclude their fabulous America by Rail vacation by transferring to other Amtrak trains bound for home cities. Some will spend the night in Chicago and continue home by air tomorrow morning.
Meal(s): B & L