bubbieK

I'm searching a trip for my 40th anniversary. We are young 60 year olds. We want to take a bus tour of the US National Parks. ( Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Mt Rushmore etc.) Has anyone taken this tour or a similar one. Can anyone recommend a tour company for this tour.? (Globus, Insight etc.)

thanks for your help

Dayle

Hi bubbie,

Is there some special reason why, as young 60's, you want to take a bus tour? Why not do it on your own! SO much better! Nothing difficult about it.

If you use the search box above, sorting by state and putting in "Yellowstone" or "Bryce Canyon" or "Rushmore", you will get lots of trip reports and helpful threads.

That will get you off to a good start!

spirobulldog

You will pay more and see less by using bus tour company. You will wait for everyone everytime you eat and everytime you stop the bus to look at something. Most national parks are not that bad to drive thru. How much time do you have to spend for this trip? Are you adventurous, active? What are your interests? Many good National Park Trips out there. Several of which you can combine 2 or 3 parks together in one trip. When are you going?

bubbieK

We are now thinking of doing it by ourselves. We are planning to go in August 2008. I am thinking of flying into Rapid City, SD to go to Mt. Rushmore first, then on to Yellostone and Grand Tetons to Jackson, with stops in between. I am not sure where we will stop. We were thinking Cody and Little Big Horn.

mmouse52

I think your plan of doing it on your own and flying in Rapid City is a good one. I have done this and you will see spectacular scenery. You should see Custer State Park which is not far from Mt.Rushmore. It's a beautiful area well worth seeing. Also not far is Crazy Horse Monument. You could base yourself n Keystone or nearby and see all. From Rapid City we drove to Cody. It is about an 8 hour drive. In Cody you should see Buffalo Bill Cody Museum it is excellent. Also in the summer in Cody they have a nightly rodeo it goes along with the whole western experience. When we left Cody we took the northern route into Yellowstone going on the Chief Joseph Highway and the Bear Tooth Highway. It is one of the most spectacular drives in the country. The bear tooth takes you right into the northeast entrance of Yellowstone. In all we took 10 days and and you will see much more than by bus. Once you get into Yellowstone you can take a guided bus tour of the park this way you will get the park history.

spirobulldog

Bubbiek,

I am liking the sound of things now. Try to get lodging ASAP. National Park lodges fill up sometimes a year in advance. I would stay @ Custer State Park. See Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and perhaps Wind Cave National Park.

Consider driving in on The Beartooth HWY as mmouse52 suggested. Maybe stay one night in Lake Hotel or Mammoth Hotel. Then stay a couple of nights in Old Faithful Inn. The inn, lake hotel, and mammoth are all located wihin the park itself.
Jackson Lake Lodge is good in Tetons. Jenny Lake Lodge is excellent in Tetons but it is expensive.

We are flying into Billings and then departing from Jackson. It only cost a few dollars more. Sometimes it is much more, so check the flights carefully.

You might want to do a Yellow Bus Tour in Grand Canyon since you mentioned that earlier.

Have you looked on the NPS websites? What interests do you have (fishing, rafting, hiking, scenic drives, horseback riding)?