GTT
17132 Magnolia St., Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Phone: 714-848-1255
info@goodtimestravel.com
Featuring a Single Hotel Stay - Mt. Rushmore - Badlands National Park - Custer State Park - Crazy Horse
Tour Highlights
Tour Inclusions
Accommodations
Booking/Additional Information
Activity Level 3
Pace Level 3
Activity Level
Pace Level
Embark on a spectacular journey featuring some of the West’s most unique sites and famous monuments. From the magnificence of the Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse memorials, to the wild west atmosphere of Deadwood, to a buffalo “safari” in Custer State Park and the dramatic landscape in Badlands National Park, this unique itinerary not only includes the best of the Black Hills and Badlands region of South Dakota but features a single-hotel stay in the heart of downtown Rapid City.
Optional transfers from our departure points will have us at LAX for a morning flight arriving in Rapid City, South Dakota this afternoon. Those guests making their own flight arrangements can request the group’s flight schedule to coordinate a flight arrival time that would allow them to be included on the complimentary transfer to the hotel. Upon arrival, we’ll board a deluxe motorcoach and travel to downtown Rapid City where we’ll enjoy a five-night stay at the premier, full-service hotel. Enjoy the balance of the evening at leisure with a variety of restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.
Following an included breakfast, we’ll join our local guide and travel to the Chapel in the Hills. Built in 1969, this unique chapel is an exact reproduction of the Borgund Stavkirke in Laerdal, Norway which was built in 1150. Set in a beautiful natural setting, the chapel museum shows how Scandinavian immigrants lived and features a gift shop located in an authentic Norwegian Stabbur. We continue into the famed Black Hills of South Dakota and visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial – where American history is alive in stone. Enjoy time at leisure here to explore the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center and the Sculptor’s Studio. A stroll along the Presidential Trail provides more intimate views of the 60-foot faces and perhaps some of the area’s wildlife. We return to Rapid City for a brief area tour featuring the Prairie Edge Gallery and The City of Presidents Walk. One of the most patriotic cities in America, downtown Rapid City features a series of life-sized bronze statues of our nation’s presidents. We continue to the Journey Museum, an interactive museum that provides an incredible trek through time – from the violent upheaval that formed the mystical Black Hills over 2.5 billion years ago to the continuing saga of the Western Frontier. This evening we arrive at Fort Hays and the Chuckwagon Supper & Music Variety Show. First, enjoy time browsing the Dances With Wolves film set and the Fort Hays workshops. When the supper bell rings, grab your handmade tin plate for the best chuckwagon in the West! After supper, the Fort Hays Wranglers take the stage to entertain you with the Black Hills’ most popular music variety show.
Following an included breakfast, we’ll join our local guide and head to Black Hills Gold for a fascinating factory tour where you can see how each piece of gold is cast, shaped, ground, polished, soldered, cleaned, wriggled and engraved by skilled artisans. After time at leisure for lunch on your own in Hill City, we’ll visit the Crazy Horse Memorial – considered The Eighth Wonder of the World...in progress. Started in 1948, this tribute to the Lakota leader will be 563 feet high and 641 feet wide, making it the largest sculpture in the world when completed. Enjoy time at leisure here to browse the Indian Museum of North America which houses the sculptor’s home and workshop. We continue to Custer State Park and the historic State Game Lodge – the summer White House for President Calvin Coolidge. We’ll board a jeep and get an up-close view of some of the Park’s 1,400 free-roaming buffalo, as well as possible sightings of elk, wild burros, and golden eagles while on a guided buffalo “safari.” This evening we’ll enter one of the Park’s mountain meadow canyons and enjoy a chuckwagon feast and live entertainment with a western flair.
After an included breakfast, we’ll join our local guide and visit the campus of the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and the Museum of Geology which features extensive exhibits focused on paleontology and mineralogy. We continue east to Wall, South Dakota and the world-famous Wall Drug Store. Enjoy time at leisure for lunch on your own and browsing this fascinating complex of shops, art galleries and restaurants that has been serving road-worn travelers since 1931 with their famous, free ice water. We continue to Badlands National Park – a study in contrast of nature’s chaos and wild beauty. The dramatic landscape here features layered rock formations, steep canyons and towering spires. We’ll make several photo stops at scenic outlooks along the Loop Road before we return to Rapid City. Enjoy the balance of the evening at leisure or partake in an optional excursion to experience the Mt. Rushmore Evening Program for an additional $45 per person (paid on tour, with minimum number of guests). This patriotic and inspirational program in the outdoor amphitheater includes a ranger talk, short film and the lighting of the memorial.
After an included breakfast, we’ll join our local guide and turn-back the clock to Dakota territorial days as we take a ride aboard the
After an included breakfast, we’ll visit Bear Country USA – a unique drive-through wildlife park where we’ll see black bear, elk, reindeer, cougars, bighorn sheep and buffalo up-close. After time at leisure for lunch on your own in downtown Rapid City, we’ll continue to the Rapid City Airport for a return flight arriving in Los Angeles this evening. Those guests making their own flight arrangements can request the group’s flight schedule to coordinate a flight departure time that would allow them to be included on the complimentary transfer to the airport. Back in Los Angeles, those guests with pre-arranged transfers will be returned to their respective destinations.
While we make every effort to operate our tours as outlined in the itinerary, we ask for your understanding, flexibility and to retain a sense of adventure while traveling with us. While these have always been necessary traits for travelers, they are needed now more than ever! Situations may arise that necessitate changes to the itinerary. Should we need to adjust the itinerary either prior to or while on tour, these changes will be communicated to you and only done when absolutely necessary. Now more than ever, our 30 years of knowledge and tour planning experience helps us navigate a unique travel environment on your behalf. You can put your trust in us knowing we are experts in travel planning and will do everything possible to provide wonderful new experiences and create amazing new memories for our guests while on the road with us.
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