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Worldwide Escorted Bus Tours & River Cruises
Colorado's National Parks & Trains
Colorado is a beautiful state, and you experience its spectacular scenery—as well as its historic trains—on this tour through Colorado. Start your vacation in Denver, Colorado’s capital, and visit the Colorado Railroad Museum; then head south to Colorado Springs. Visit Gardens of the Gods, famous for its red-rock formations, before taking the Pike’s Peak Cog Railway, the world’s first diesel-electric cog locomotive and highest cog railroad. As you climb to the 14,110-foot summit, enjoy spectacular scenery. Then board the Royal Gorge Route Railroad and travel on a diesel train for 12 miles following the most spectacular section of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. You may even see eagles and big horn sheep on this breathtaking journey, so have your camera ready! Afterward, be mesmerized by the amazing views on the Royal Gorge Bridge, the highest suspension bridge in the world —hanging 1,053 feet above Colorado’s wild Arkansas River. Next, cross the Colorado-New Mexico border 11 times as your journey on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, America’s most authentic steam railroad, built more than 120 years ago. Travel through the gorgeous San Juan Mountains and later arrive in Durango, a Wild West town founded during the Gold Rush. Enjoy a scenic ride through San Juan National Forest on the narrow-gauge Durango-Silverton train, a coal-fired, steam-powered train. This historic Colorado train has been in continuous service for more than 125 years! From Durango, visit Mesa Verde National Park and marvel at the ruins of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years—from 600 AD to 1300 AD. Today, the park protects over 4,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. Then head to Moab, Utah, and visit Arches National Park with its red sandstone formations. Travel back to Colorado and visit the Vail area and Estes Park—gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. Marvel at fantastic alpine scenery as you travel along Trail Ridge Road; at an elevation of 12,000 feet, it is the highest continuous highway in the United States. Finally, return to Denver for the end of your spectacular Colorado National Parks & Trains vacation! If you want to see Colorado’s majestic mountains, exciting cities, resort towns, and historic trains, this is the tour for you!
Highlights:
Garden of the Gods, Durango, Silverton, Mesa Verde National Park, Arches National Park, Glenwood Canyon, Grand Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park.
Itinerary:
| Day #1 |
DENVER. Enjoy time at leisure to relax or to do some independent exploring. Your Tour Director is on hand this evening to answer any questions. |
| Day #2 |
DENVER–PIKES PEAK COG RAILWAY–COLORADO SPRINGS. Begin the day with a visit to the COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM. This “must-see” site for rail fans features more than 70 historic narrow- and standard-gauge locomotives and cars. Then, travel south to the town of Colorado Springs, located on the plains at the foot of Pikes Peak. The natural beauty of Colorado Springs is legendary. The view from the top of nearby Pikes Peak inspired Katharine Lee Bates to compose America the Beautiful more than 100 years ago. Visit the GARDEN OF THE GODS, a city park that is a garden of towering red rock formations. Next is a fabulous train ride on the PIKE’S PEAK COG RAILWAY, the world’s highest cog railroad. Travel along Ruxton Creek in Englemann Canyon, then over Four Mile Switch for your first glimpse of Pikes Peak. At about the 5-mile point, the grade gets steep as you climb above the timberline and reach the 14,110-foot summit of Pikes Peak. (CB) |
| Day #3 |
COLORADO SPRINGS–CAÑON CITY–ROYAL GORGE ROUTE RAILWAY–ALAMOSA. This morning, all aboard the ROYAL GORGE ROUTE RAILROAD. Travel on a diesel locomotive for 12 miles following the most spectacular section of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad through the gorge on tracks laid more than 120 years ago. Riders often spot wildlife such as eagles and Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. The views are breathtaking, so bring your camera. Afterward, visit the ROYAL GORGE BRIDGE & PARK. Spanning a quarter-mile across is the world’s highest suspension bridge at 1,053 feet high. The panoramic vistas of the gorge are as mesmerizing as the Grand Canyon. See spectacular views of the Arkansas River and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on the Aerial Tram ride. Overnight in Alamosa, surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo range to the east and the San Juan Mountains to the west. (CB) |
| Day #4 |
ALAMOSA–CUMBRES & TOLTEC RAILROAD–DURANGO. Today you travel on the CUMBRES & TOLTEC SCENIC RAILROAD, America’s most authentic steam railroad, built more than 120 years ago. Jointly owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico, the 64-mile line connects Antonito, Colorado, and Chama, New Mexico, via 10,015-foot Cumbres Pass. It is an archetypal remnant of the Denver & Rio Grande narrow-gauge railroad system that once stretched hundreds of miles throughout the Rocky Mountains. Travel through the beautiful San Juan Mountains on tracks that tamed the West. You’ll cross the Colorado-New Mexico border 11 times. The train stops in Osier, Colorado, for lunch. Disembark the train at Cumbres Pass and continue by motorcoach to Chama. Later, arrive in Durango, a town born in the Gold Rush and silver mining eras and at times run by gunslingers. (L) |
| Day #5 |
DURANGO. EXCURSION ON THE DURANGO & SILVERTON NARROW-GAUGE RAILROAD. Board the NARROW-GAUGE DURANGO-SILVERTON TRAIN this morning for a scenic ride through San Juan National Forest. Experience the adventure of traveling by a coal-fired, steam-powered locomotive on the same tracks that miners, cowboys, and settlers of the Old West took more than a century ago. The locomotives used to pull today’s train are 1923-1925 vintage. This historic train has been in continuous operation for more than 125 years. The train hugs steep canyon walls as it winds its way through the Rio de las Animas Canyon with vistas of snowcapped peaks. Free time in Silverton, once a major mining town, which owes its name to the bragging statement by an early miner, “We have no gold, but silver by the ton!” |
| Day #6 |
DURANGO–MESA VERDE–MOAB. Visit the ruins of Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See Spruce Tree House, which dates from 1200 AD and is tucked under a sandstone cliff face. Spend time at the park’s museum, depicting the story of these people who mysteriously disappeared almost 700 years ago. Continue on to Moab, a small town on the Colorado River surrounded by red sandstone formations. |
| Day #7 |
MOAB–GLENWOOD CANYON–VAIL. This morning, visit ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, where you will see the world-famous “Delicate Arch.” Continue your journey through the massive 1,800-foot walls of Glenwood Canyon and to the Vail Valley area, one of America’s most popular mountain resorts. Stroll through the pedestrian village and experience the unique shopping opportunities, or let one of the world-class chefs prepare a meal to delight your tastebuds. Overnight in the Vail area. |
| Day #8 |
VAIL–ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK–DENVER. See Colorado’s largest natural lake, Grand Lake. Cross the Continental Divide and behold vistas of lush meadows, alpine glaciers, and thundering waterfalls. Take scenic Trail Ridge Road over magnificent mountain terrain, which attracted the likes of Kit Carson and his group of trappers to ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK. A break at 12,000 feet provides fantastic alpine scenery. Next is a short stop in Estes Park before returning to Denver. Nestled in a high mountain valley at just above 7,500 feet elevation, Estes Park features hundreds of unique shops, galleries, and restaurants for you to enjoy. Free time this evening to enjoy Denver, one of America’s fastest-growing cities. A bustling area centered around a mile-long pedestrian promenade is lined with outdoor cafés and flower baskets. Dinner at one of the 300 restaurants and a horse-drawn carriage ride could be the perfect ending to the day. (CB)Note: The drive through Rocky Mountain National Park is subject to favorable road and weather conditions. |
| Day #9 |
DENVER. The trip ends today with guests departing on individual schedules. Transfers to Denver International Airport are included. You can extend your vacation with extra nights and explore the “Mile High City” further with a variety of exciting optional activities. (CB) |
Hotels:
Denver Comfort Inn Downtown (ST); Colorado Springs Comfort Inn South (ST); Alamosa Inn of the Rio Grande (F); Durango Holiday Inn Durango (F); Moab Big Horn Lodge (ST) Vail Area Comfort Inn Vail/Beaver Creek (ST)
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Pricing Options:
| Depart US | Land-Only |
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| 05/30/2011 | $1,479.00 | | 06/06/2011 | $1,499.00 | | 06/20/2011 | $1,499.00 | | 07/11/2011 | $1,499.00 | | 07/25/2011 | $1,499.00 | | 08/08/2011 | $1,499.00 | | 08/15/2011 | $1,499.00 | | 08/29/2011 | $1,499.00 | | 09/05/2011 | $1,499.00 |
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©2005 Flamingo Travel Group
All Rights Reserved
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