Published: November 15, 2008 01:44 pm      

Fly in, drive around, discover America

Did you see the Mount Rushmore special on television last week? Monograms is a company that offers self-drive trips through this rugged area. You fly in and do the driving, leave the details to them.

Your trip begins with your flight from home into Salt Lake City, Utah. From here you will collect your rental car and head north to Jackson, gateway to Grand Teton National Park.

The Teton Range rises from the basin floor to elevations of over 12,000 feet. This giant wall of mountain peaks runs for over 40 miles. There are seven pristine lakes, created by glaciers, running along the base of the mountain range. Elk, moose, mule deer and bison are frequently sighted.

Travel on to Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park. This park is a geothermal wonder, including the one we’ve all come to know and love, “Old Faithful”.

From Yellowstone you will drive east to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, which houses five museums (The Buffalo Bill Cody Museum, the Plains Indians Museum, the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, the Cody Firearms Museum, and the Draper Museum of Natural History). Arrive here between June 1 and August 31 and experience the Cody rodeo, hosted every evening.

Little Bighorn Battlefield is just a short detour from Cody. Here you will see the moving national monument to that battle known as “Custer’s Last Stand”, a battle of epic proportions between the Lakota Northern Cheyenne Indians and the 7th Calvary of the U.S. Army.

In Sheridan you can ride a trolley or stroll down Main Street. There are Western-Style shops, taverns, and restaurants. This town is a historic jewel with many adventures to choose from.

You are going to love your drive through the Black Hills and your stop in the Wild West town of Deadwood, where you can envision the likes of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane walking through these historic streets.

Continuing on you will be awestruck by your visit to Mount Rushmore, where the likenesses of four U.S. presidents are carved into the granite mountainside. This monument reflects the history of the first 150 years of our great nation, with Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Jefferson towering above you. There faces are 60 feet high, and over 2 million visitors are inspired by their majesty annually.

Nearby, the Crazy Horse Memorial is consuming an entire mountainside. Thunderhead Mountain is being carved to resemble the Oglala Sioux Chief Crazy Horse on his horse. It was begun in 1948, and if completed will be the largest statue in the world at 641 x 563 feet. The head of Crazy Horse is 87 feet high.

This road trip is an inspiring 8 day experience and premium accommodation prices begin at $699 per person, land only. You can price this vacation experience at www.thejoyoftravel.com. Just clink on the Monograms link and plan away. Opportunities for this trip begin in April and end in October.

Joy Gawf Crutchfield own The Joy of Travel. Contact her at www.thejoyoftravel.us or 918-339-4805.