Travel to the very heart of the American Rockies, experience the real cowboy and indian country amongst quite breathtaking scenery, quite incredible wildlife, truly amazing National Park’s and world renowned National monuments such as Mount Rushmore. You can scroll down to read our customer experiences or click the link below to view this itinerary
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Hi Charlotte,
As promised here is a copy of our “trip report”. Sorry about it being War and Peace but this was for our own record as well. Feel free to use any of this on your customer comments pages if you like.
I may be back in touch soon about a trip to BC!
Rgds
Richard Lyon
Day 1 was a little stressful as the day we were due to fly coincided with “technical” air traffic control problems for UK airports causing flight delays. Fortunately by the time we were due to fly delays were only about 30 minutes. It did make for a very busy Heathrow terminal 5 however.
The BA flight was fine although the kids were frustrated with the typically unreliable in-flight entertainment system which had to be restarted several times. It was interesting to see Iceland and Greenland from 35,000ft as we flew over them.
We didn’t make up any time on the flight but Denver arrival, immigration control and baggage reclaim were quite efficient so we were able to get to our Alamo courtesy bus fairly quickly (which was exactly where CNA described in the itinerary). It was dark by this time. We were very disappointed with Alamo who had run out of GPS devices in spite of us having pre-booked this. We were told to drive to a Target or Wal-Mart and buy one which they would refund when we returned the car. Our full size SUV was huge and larger than we needed (my fault for not checking this before requesting it). That said, it was good for cruising long distances along empty roads and it certainly was not the only one on the road and did not seem so huge after a couple of days. Picking up the car involved someone pointing at a long row of parked Chevrolet Tahoes and being told to take our pick. Inspecting the car was not easy as, by this time it was dark and the car park was poorly lit. The stress continued when we had to try and familiarise ourselves with this huge automatic car at night and try and find our way to the hotel in the centre of a large city with very few directions (we were going to rely on GPS).
We tried to follow the CNA directions but must have missed a turn or possibly our exit was closed as there were lots of road works that night and we ended up going all the way on the interstate to the west of the city. When we turned off we spotted a Target so we pulled in and bought a GPS which took us to the hotel with no further problems. When we got to the hotel, the Sheraton found our booking was for the previous Monday! Fortunately they were not full and found us a suitable room.
I did mail Charlotte from CNA about this the next day and she checked to ensure all our other bookings were correct and I have to say we had no problems for the rest of our trip.
Denver the next morning was very nice and as the hotel was right next to a large pedestrian precinct we took in some souvenir shops and had a good breakfast at a local deli.
By mid-morning we decided to head off towards Estes Park passing through boulder en route. We then made our way to the park, bought our annual National Park pass and travelled up to the top of the park via the “Old Fall River Road” dirt track which was quite challenging in our large SUV! The information centre at the top was very good and we bought lunch and went for a short walk to take in some tundra and alpine scenery. We saw some wildlife as well such as elk and marmots.
As we weren’t used to the altitude, even a short walk was very tiring so we then made our way back down the mountains (via a larger road this time) and back to Estes Park to our hotel.
The Rocky Mountain Park Inn looked a little tired at first but the room was clean and the restaurant was fine.
The next day was a long drive all the way over to South Dakota as, as suggested we started early and thoroughly enjoyed the journey along the magnificent Big Thompson Canyon where we saw several pronghorns.
We programmed the GPS to take us to Cheyenne city centre which took us directly outside of the State Museum of Wyoming. This was well worth looking round as a fair portion of the trip would be in Wyoming. We then programmed the GPS to take us to our Keystone Hotel via Fort Laramie where we somehow managed to completely miss the turn-off to the Fort Laramie historic site. We went on and briefly stopped in Lusk for some fuel and a sandwich from Subway.
By this point we had started to see a surprising number of motor bikes on the road (all Harley Davidsons) and we assume there was some sort of local rally. As we travelled on to Keystone there were more and more bikes to the extent that when we arrived at Keystone which is a very small town built around providing accommodation and souvenirs for Mount Rushmore visitors there were several hundred bikes parked along both sides of the street and in many parking spaces for the hotels. When we checked in to our hotel, we learned that the first week of August is the annual Sturgis motor cycle rally when literally hundreds of thousands of bikers converge on or around Sturgis in South Dakota.
Everywhere we went in South Dakota was swarming with bikers but I have to say they were considerate road users and were no problem in Keystone in the evenings. I would still recommend avoiding the first week of August if you can though.
Keystone was a cheesy place and we ate our worst two evening meals of the entire trip in the local restaurants there. The American Family Restaurant was particularly bad and after we ordered we discovered there was no liquor licence!
Mount Rushmore opens early and we would recommend getting there at 8 ish in the morning when you will get the place pretty much to yourself. By the time you have taken in the view and perhaps the short walk underneath the presidents heads the on-site restaurant will be open for breakfast.
Crazy Horse memorial is only about 15 minutes away from Mount Rushmore and is well worth visiting – again be prepared to share the experience with several hundred bikers. For the rest of the day, we chose to go to Custer State Park (you need to pay for this) and travel along the Needles highway (some of the tunnels are a tight fit for a full size SUV!) and then go along the wildlife viewing loop in the park. I think this was the only thing that was really spoiled by so many bikers and we saw very little in the way of wildlife. Perhaps they were scared off by the constant roar of Harley Davidson engines that it was impossible to escape from. After this we decided to visit the Jewel Cave attraction and paid for a 90 minute tour. If you are keen to see the inside of a huge cave complex then this is for you. We would suggest you check in advance for the timings of the tours or you could end up waiting for over an hour for the right tour. Also make sure you take something warm to wear. I have to say that I would have been happy with a 15 minute tour as on the whole it was not that interesting for me.
There are lots of other things that can be done in the Black Hills area but the above took us most of the day and we decided to get back to Keystone so we stood a chance of getting a parking space before the bikers invaded.
The next day was an early start again and we set off for Sheridan Wyoming. We got breakfast and more fuel at a small service station somewhere near the Wyoming state line. For lunch we decided we needed something healthy so we stopped off in Gillette and bought some boxes of fruit salad from Wal-Mart. The kids were very impressed with Wal-Mart and bought several cheap T-Shirts as well.
Somewhere between Gillette and Sheridan we saw a sign to a the Phil Kearney fort National Historic Site. This was worth the slight detour if you are interested in the phase of American history concerning the Indian wars. There is a visitor centre and small museum.
On to Sheridan and the Holiday Inn for an overnight stop. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant but were at the point of getting up and walking out before someone finally took our order. After that they were very apologetic and attentive and took 15% off our bill. I think there was a large wedding party at the hotel which had overstretched the staff and our problem was probably a one-off.
The next day was on to Yellowstone via Cody. This took us through the spectacular Big Horn Mountains and we stopped off at a visitor centre somewhere near the peaks which was excellent. There was a short circular walk from the visitor centre where we saw more Marmots and some bluebirds. We drove on to Cody where we paused at the Buffalo Bill museum but decided entry into the main exhibits was too much money for the amount of time we had so we had a quick lunch at a Wendy’s, got some more fuel and drove on to Yellowstone.
The approach into Yellowstone was another park itself with spectacular scenery. The drive from the Yellowstone entrance to Old Faithful Village where we were staying was long but enjoyable. We checked in for 3 nights at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge which was perfectly situated and an excellent hotel. That evening we popped out to the visitor centre and to watch Old Faithful erupt – just 5 minutes walk from our room!
For the 3 nights we were there, we had dinner in the hotel’s Obsidian Restaurant which was very good. The complimentary Firehole Basin evening bus tour was excellent and the guide really helped put everything we saw into context and gave lots of background information. Make sure you take a warm top and also mosquito repellent. It is definitely worthwhile making an earlyish start one day to walk around one of the local trails when you can see the geothermal features without the crowds and also see some of the wildlife.
Although Yellowstone was quite crowded and you tended to end up in convoys with an RV at the head, we always managed to find a parking spot at the main attractions.
Leaving Yellowstone and travelling towards Jackson takes you through Grand Teton National Park. We had time to stop at Jackson Lake Lodge for coffee before a scheduled horse riding excursion. This was one of two riding trips and both catered for inexperienced riders so were effectively just nose-to-tail trecks with no opportunity to canter or gallup. The scenery was good but you may be a little disappointed if you are an experienced rider and want something more challenging. After riding we returned to the Jackson Lake lodge to the diner-style restaurant for an excellent lunch – well worth visiting.
Jackson itself is a big tourist attraction and there are lots of souvenir and clothing shops which appealed to the kids. The Rustic Inn accommodation was fine and the included breakfast the next day was OK.
The next day was a long drive from Jackson to Vernal. As always the scenery was spectacular. The temperature increased throughout the day and was extremely hot by the time we arrived in Vernal where the BW Dinosaur Inn motel was OK. The attached restaurant had closed but there was a good but busy steak house a couple of blocks south of the motel. The complimentary breakfast was very poor and we would have done better to find somewhere else to eat.
On leaving Vernal we went to the temporary visitor centre for the Dinosaur National Monument. It is not possible to see the fossils unless you go with a guided tour. We would have liked to do this but we had just missed one and it was too long to wait for the next. I would recommend phoning ahead to check the times.
Another long but spectacular drive across open range and some desert took us to the outskirts of Moab where we spent a couple of hours at the Arches National Park. Very good and some good opportunities for some exercise along their trails.
The BW Canyonlands Inn was very good and right in the centre of Moab. Lots and lots of shops and restaurants in Moab. We had two excursions booked for our 2 days in Moab and we doubled checked the arrangements by calling the local contact numbers on the vouchers. It was lucky we did as if we had followed the timing on one voucher and the location on the other we would have missed both the riding and rafting excursions.
Rafting was excellent – make sure you take water and sun protection if you do this and also leave valuables in the hotel safe.
The next destination of Mesa Verde was a relatively short drive and we arrived in time to book ourselves on a guided tour as per the CNA recommendation. I have to say that the tour was slightly disappointing for me in part because the ranger guide was not a very good communicator and did not bring the site to life. It was also extremely hot with little shade. After the tour we went to a museum at one of the sites (I can’t recall the name) but it was very good and more informative than the ranger-led tour.
The Far View lodge had excellent views (as you might expect) but I must say the rooms we a little on the shabby side and had no air conditioning. The restaurant was quite up-market although I thought the “fusion” cuisine did not work especially well.
The longest drive of the entire trip was from Mesa Verde to Colorado Springs back across the mountains. We stopped for breakfast in Durango which was nice and drove across the continental divide (again) over to the Cheyenne Mountain Resort hotel. This was a very good hotel with various dining options. We chose the buffet which was good if you like meat but a little light on the vegetables.
For our final morning we spent some time in Manitou Springs where there a lots of unusual souvenir shops. We then had a leisurely drive back to Denver Airport to hand back our car. The pay-back of not getting the GPS from Alamo was that they completely refunded the cost of it and let us keep it although I’m not sure when I’ll need a US maps only GPS next.
General Comments
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Very impressed with CNA and plan to book another trip
I would echo others comments about combining the use of a GPS and maps so you don’t miss out on anything.
Probably obvious but check the weather stats if you do the Rocky Mountain tour – it was generally very hot everywhere we went and we had packed too many warm clothes.
Don’t buy too many maps in advance as CNA provide all you need.
I’ve never written after returning from a holiday before but have made an exception in this case as my wife, daughter and I would like to thank the members of the Complete North America team for organising our wonderful holiday, “The Real American Rockies”. Pre-holiday, our queries and requests were dealt with promptly and fully. Our personalised information pack was an eye opener which proved a valuable accessory while we were travelling. The itinery had been clearly planned and tested, given the mileage to be covered. We had no problems with the car hire and accommodation arrangements and It was great that we were able to actually stay within the Yellowstone and Mesa Verde National Parks. At times we were overwhelmed by the amazing sights before our eyes but we would suggest that you include a mentioned of a side trip to Bighorn Canyon on Day 6 for future customers who can’t get enough of the wonderful scenery. Based on our experience, I would not hesitate to use Complete North America again
Hi Alistair
We returned from the American Rockies flydrive two weeks ago and wanted to let you know just how much we enjoyed our amazing holiday. Everything went smoothly from start to finish. This was our second trip with CNA having taken the Western flydrive last year. For anyone contemplating this holiday be aware there is a lot of driving involved. We managed to clock up 2,800 miles in a fortnight. An SUV is a must, as is a Satnav – it allows chief navigator to relax abit, particularly around the bigger towns/cities. If people have the time, a few extra days added on would be good and would provide some additional time for some relaxation and the opportunity to see abit more of the areas visited. Nevertheless, we knew it would be intense, so early nights and early mornings were the order of the day. We crammed in so much and have the photos to prove it! All accommodation was very good, particularly the Rustic Inn in Jackson, and Cheyenne Mountain Resort, Colorado Springs. There was an abundance of wildlife, particularly bison and we were lucky to have a several sightings of grizzly and black bears too. We are always happy to recommend Complete North America to family and friends and will be using you again for our holiday arrangements very soon.
Regards
Vicky and Denis Sweeney
We would like to thank and congratulate Complete North America on organising a superb package for us. We were particularly impressed from the moment our customised itinerary arrived (early as we requested) to the arrival at our last property at the end of the holiday. Everything went exactly to plan. In this world of cut price internet based travel, Complete North America has been a wonderful reminder of the value of using experts to build the holiday of your choice. Your directions, the travel vouchers, the maps, the other information, the car hire arrangements were all organised to perfection. We would not hesitate to recommend you and will definitely use you again.
‘Dear Kerry,
We have recently returned from our Rockies fly/drive trip. From my initial contact with your company to the end of the holiday, this has been a first class experience. Your company has been extremely helpful and the holiday was a complete success. The choice of hotels, locations and the notes provided made this an excellent experience.
We have recommended your company to friends who have been impressed by our glowing reports of our holiday.
Kind Regards,
Liam Dunne’
Many thanks for compiling our itinery for our holiday to America. We returned home last Friday (24th) after having the best holiday ever. Everything went according to plan (except for delays to the flights both ways). The hotels were more than ok and the staff couldn’t do enough for us. The routes between stops were amazing and we could tell that someone had travelled on the route before as we would never have thought to go that particular way, so your experience certainly helped us. Car hire was also without any problems and we got the car we wanted without any hassle to upgrade. The only suggestion I would make is to pick the car up the day after arrival as after a long plane journey and arriving late at night the trip into Denver was not the easiest.
Once again many thanks and who knows we may be in need of you services again in a couple of years!
Regards
Ann
Hi Alistair
I am so sorry this has taken so long to be written but I have hardly been at home since we returned from the fabulous trip you organised for us. Yellowstone was every bit as fabulous if not more than I ever dreamed. We were so lucky to see bison, grizzly bear and black bears on our trip.
Once again thank you for a fantastic time
jeanne & Colin levy
Hi Sarah,
Just to let you know that we got back last week and the tour was FANTASTIC. We got lost a couple of times, but the satnav that we hired got us out of trouble. Yellowstone and the Tetons were mind-blowing and I am already trying to persuade my wife to tackle your Canyonlands tour – albeit with a couple of minor changes.
One of the most impressive things was that there was a glitch with payment on one hotel and your contact in the USA solved it within 15 minutes at 7 o’clock in the morning depending on which time zone he lives in. Problems will always happen. It is the manner in which they are solved that shows which people are professional.
Many thanks
Graham
Dear C.N.A.
We arrived back home just under a week ago, after an absolutely amazing Real American Rockies fly drive tour. We just wanted to drop you a few short lines to say THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!
It was an absolutely awesome trip. From the initial booking process and advice, to the information pack we received prior to departure, we were most impressed. However, that was nothing, once we had sampled the delights of Denver. Oh, and what a wonderful, comprehensive additional information pack we received on arrival at the Sheraton Hotel in Denver. By the end of this trip, we have now visited 20 states in the US, during several trips across the “pond”. This trip, however, totally blew the others clean out of the water. Whilst it was certainly not the cheapest package we have been on, it certainly is the one with the most amazing memories and worth every single penny.
The flights, with BA, from the much criticised Terminal 5, were fantastic, on time and WITH ALL our baggage intact. The hotels were fantastic, especially Sorrell River Ranch (WOW!!!!!!!). The only disappointment was the Far View Lodge, which unfortunately was rather basic with an awful shower or rather lack of. That said, given it’s location 15 miles into the Mesa Verde National Park, I maybe shouldn’t complain too much.
Once again THANK YOU, I’m sure we will use C.N.A. again and would have no hesitation in recommending you to friends and family.
John Dutton.
We would all like to thank you for organising a great holiday for us, it all went without a hitch, apart from the lost handbag which was unforseen. We enjoyed everything, the scenery was breathtaking, the driving easy and relaxing, though I was the only one who enjoyed Skyline Drive the rest had their eyes closed most of the time. We have all seen things, that until this vacation, had only seen in the movies or on TV. Thanks again for an amazing four weeks. Hope to see you again soon
Best Regards
Mick & Sandra,John & Eileen
Dear Kerry/CNA,
Just to report the completion of another successful trip with CNA.
Here are some remarks, which you may use on your website if you care to:
All the arrangements with the hotels and lodges worked perfectly. We especially enjoyed the luxury log cabin at the motel in Jackson Hole.
Alamo car hire put pressure on me to ‘go full size’, arguing with apparent cogency that I didn’t want to be ‘stuck behind the semis’ on the long passes for want of power. I thought it might be fun to upgrade, and got a great big lazy Pontiac Grand Prix, immensely good at roaring past the speed limit on the interstates, but liable to grind away at 1,500 rpm on the ascents, and not responsive in ‘Drive’ to a light-footed ‘UK’ style of driving. Still, it worked OK all the way round, and was comfortable. Make sure you know how ‘Cruise Control’ is engaged!
I found the National Geographic ‘Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks Road Guide’ and the equivalent ‘Rocky Mountain’ guides very useful. An ‘essential guide for motorists’ might seem to an outdoor-minded person from the UK a crazy contradiction. But put it this way: you could not fit Yellowstone twice into the whole of Yorkshire, and you have a day and a half for your visit. Reading off what’s beside the road is the best you can do at seeing as much as possible in the time.
Speaking further of Yellowstone, just south of Madison, on the by-road called ‘Firehole Canyon Drive’, we happened across the Firehole River swimming hole. The Firehole is warmed by all the geothermal activity, and, upriver, runs clear and shallow in the sun. The swimming was thrilling – perhaps too thrilling for me – lots of people are there, and it is recognized as an allowed swimming place. But if you intend to work up through the ravine and bob back on the current, a flotation device would be best for younger children (or, in my case, nervous adults).
I’d advise people undertaking this trip that it is worth making a prompt start on Day 13, the drive from Moab to Mesa Verde. It being only 130 miles might encourage a dilatory start to the day, but after the long climb up the Mesa, there will be a long queue signing on for the ranger led visits to the major sites (Long House and either Cliff Palace or Balcony House – but not both). If you are signed into the thrillingly situated Far View Lodge, you are not time restricted, and can sign up for a late visit. But it is conceivable that if you rolled up mid afternoon, all the places might be gone (our visit was high holiday season). These are unforgettable places, and the visit to Balcony House not for those who get nervous on ladders.
You can’t motor up the high Rockies, jump out of the car, and go on a hike:
the altitude hits you, and you lose commitment quickly! In the Arches National Park, and Canyonlands, you really do need to be carrying water – they advise taking at least a quart for the immensely rewarding hike up to Delicate Arch. Beside the trail, you will probably see American trippers who have had far too many giant waffles for breakfast in their lifetimes, and who can no longer get to see their own landscape heritage. A bit of fitness does help.
This is a big driving holiday (I clocked up 2,856 miles). There’s only one genuinely tedious drive, day 4 once you get heading through Cheyenne and northwards. Very flat, very hot: but we happened into the eatery at Lusk – a truck stop, really: real American life. And this day bucks up at the end as you go into the Black Hills and onto the scenic byway.
The penultimate day’s drive from Mesa Verde to Colorado Springs is of similar length (the route sheet omits the mileage). I’d advise leaving the trip through the Garden of the Gods for the morning of the final day. The Quality Inn is surely on the LEFT of the Garden of the Gods Road when you come off the Interstate 25. On the final morning, we both loved a visit down the Mollie Kathleen gold mine at Cripple Creek (round the back of Pike’s Peak). There’s a fine ‘Dinosaur Resource Center’ at Woodland Park en route west from Colorado – geology is quite a theme in this holiday. Dinosaur bones have been found all over the region, and sometimes the road will have signs naming the formations you are driving by: the drive up the Big Horn Mountains at the start of day 7 takes you through six major geological periods.
We saw so much. These holidays place you midway between being a genuine traveler and being a holidaymaker. The more you put in, the more you get out. They are demanding – those places are so big, you drive a long way even once you are inside a National Park. But then you’ve always got a hotel and air-con and a pool to arrive at and recuperate.
Roy
Roger
Just deleting this old e-mail when I realised that we hadnt written to you to say that we had a quite splendid holiday. Your itinery was excellent and all the accommodation at least as good as we expected and frequently better. Will certainly use you if we decide to visit the USA again and are about to give friends your details Cheers John
Morning Roger
Have just returned from my fly drive holiday and just wanted to say how pleased we were with all the aspects of the holiday from the itenery to the hotels we stayed in and all the information and maps sent to us. If I was to go on this type of holiday again I would definitely choose your company again.
Thank you for all your help
Anne
Dear Roger,
We arrived back last week from a fantastic trip and would like to thank you for arranging this for us. We have memories of wonderful scenery that will last a lifetime,.
I think you will be interested in a couple of points we made so that we could let you know about them when you book this holiday for others in the future.
The only real problem we encountered was on our second night when we arrived at the Holiday Inn in Estes Park. They had no record of our booking on their computer system. The staff were extremely polite and sympathetic but unfortunately they just had one room left and it was a very smelly smoking room so we had to use that. We made a telephone call to our friends in Torrington Wy. who we were meeting the next day and we were not charged for this call as means of apology. However, they did try to say that usually the fault for this sort of thing lay with the tour company rather than with them. ( We were not so sure).
After a great time with our friends visiting Mt Rushmore, the Badlands and spending time on a ranch in Sheridan we started out on our own. We visited the Cody Museum and left at 5p.m. to drive to Yellowstone which would have been fine if we had read your directions properly. However we got it wrong and ended up aiming for the North East entrance. We left Cody on the 120 and then turned left on the 296 which is a scenic highway. This was the best mistake we made. It took us four hours to drive to Yellowstone but if future visitors would prefer more scenery and less time in the museum then do tell them to drive the 296. ( “Wow ” type scenery around every hairpin bend!)
We didn’t visit Salt Lake City because it was so hot so we drove south from Jackson to Pinedale and spent a very pleasant night at the Best Western there. They were very helpful suggesting a very good lakeside restaurant and also booking an extra night at Vernal for us. Pinedale was a very nice little town with good little gift shops but not busy or touristy.
All your instructions and suggestions for places to visit were extremely helpful and we were so glad that we had the extra stop at Gunnison otherwise we would never have seen the Black Canyon.
The only other problems we had was a very slow check in at Jackson ( they said they can’t get cleaning staff so rooms were not ready by 3p.m.) the heat which no one can do anything about and the B.A. flight delays both ends which seem to be par for the course these days.. We visited Fort Laramie with our friends and the temperature was 107 and very similar in Utah.
Thanks again for a memorable trip,
Barbara and Jim (Southampton)
Just a line to thank you for organising our American holiday for us. We had an amazing time and the itinerary was perfect. Unfortunately we were turned back at Rocky Mountain National Park on the first day due to snow on the high peak trail, but we visited everywhere else on the list. We particularly enjoyed Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument which they started carving 50 years ago, a great experience. Of all the states we visited Utah was the one we liked the best. It has so much variety and the Canyonlands were just beautiful. Once again thank you for your help.
Pete
We got back from a great trip to Denver on Sunday. To confirm the comment I picked up on your website – SatNav from Hertz was outstanding – what a blessing when trying to find hotels!
Thank you for the brilliant suggestion of arriving and staying at an Airport Hotel and getting the car the next day. All worked well – we were very pleased with the quality provided. Our stay at Grand Lake was in what might be described as a lower bracket of hotels but looking around the town there weren’t a lot of other options! Special mentions for that indefinable “we felt good here” were earned by Holiday Inn Estes Park and BW Inn at Jackson Hole. Estes park as a town gets a poor write-up in our guidebook; we found a clean, orderly, beautifully located town that did not match the guide at all.
No firm plans yet for next year but rest assured that when our thoughts turn to the US again we’ll be back. Many thanks again – a satisfied customer
Peter