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Awlriiighht Contiki...let's get it on!! (our morning song on the Contiki bus to the classic Marvin Gaye tune)
Boarding a bus for a 2 week trek across America may seem crazy but doing it contiki style made it incredible. Apart from seeing some of the biggest sites the US has to offer, like Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Yellowstone National Park, and the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, we met some awesome people and partied it up in some of the most random towns in the country.
As per our usual style, we left our planning to the last minute but, as things always work out, we managed to get ourselves 2 of the last seats on the Northern Adventure Contiki tour. We met up with the group in Chicago and bussed out of stormy weather heading towards Wisconsin. Appropriately, our very first day took us straight to the Miller Beer factory and the free drinks we got there certainly helped ease the group together-interestingly no mention of the saffer owners of Miller. The number of sights and sounds we took in following that day would take way too long to type up here as we managed to cover 9 states and 10 cities in 13 days, but we have put our full itinerary at the end of this post for you to check out and we'll rather concentrate here on some of our highlights from the tour.
A bit of background first would be good though...we were looking for a way to get across the country and initially we were considering a road trip. Then we came across this particular Contiki tour. It did its primary job in getting us from the east coast to the west coast but it really made for a great experience as well. Once we got over the fact that we were travelling with about 35 Aussies (sorry to our new and old Australian readers but we are saffers after all) we got into meeting and greeting everyone in the group and cruised the north American highways, and we covered many many many miles. A lot of the tour was spent on the road and on some days we managed to cross full states in a single day (bags to coach at 7:45am and arrive at our destination at 7 that night). After a couple of late nights out, sleeping on the bus became as easy as sit, close eyes, ipod on, pass out. The long trips were broken up though with Motley Crue's Kickstart My Heart signaling wake up time and a stop at a Walmart for stocking up on supplies or to see great sights like the Corn Palace, the Spam museum or the town, nay, street of Wall Drug...pretty cheesy but fun none-the-less. Our accommodation was also really good. It was mostly motel living and in the small towns that we were generally in, the motels were well located. Most breakfasts were included and about half the dinners were included - where they weren't, we were always directed to good and reasonable spots. The tour left us well fed, well liquored and helluva tired and it exceeded all our expectations.
And now for some of our daytripping highlights...Mt Rushmore was an obvious highlight and actually seeing the mountain in real life was incredible. We had never heard of Bryce Canyon (essentially skyscrapers of dirt) or Crazy Horse (the Indian's version of Mt Rushmore and the will-one-day-be the biggest mountain statue in the world) and they were great unexpected surprises. Our summer trek took a winter detour when these mlungus both saw snow for the first time in Yellowstone. As cold as the Yellowstone reserve was, it was really beautiful and the hot geysers mixed up with the frozen lakes were getting along like Bulls supporters in a Soweto shebeen. In Yellowstone we were also lucky enough to see a real live bear in the wild (the other guys on the bus were so excited you would've thought they were watching a crocodile steal a lions buffalo kill while getting attacked by a heard of buffalo at the Kruger). We went rolling through the Rocky Mountains, even tried some rocky mountain oysters (if you don't know what these are, google it, trust usJ), saw a wild west shootout in Keystone and had a cowboy cook out in Kanab. The Grand Canyon was awesome and we did two trips to the canyon. The first one was a hike over the north rim of the canyon and we were rewarded with amazing views and photo ops. We were quite surprised at how green the canyon was from this side and as awesome as it was, it wasn't exactly what we expected. But our second trip, wow, it was done in style and was as grand as the...Grand Canyon :) This trip was a helicopter flight over, through and landing in the canyon itself - it doesn't get much better than that. Admittedly, it was expensive at $350 and we paid an extra $50 each to guarantee front seats in the helicopter but given that this was our first time in helicopters and the massiveness of the trip, it was a necessity and was worth every cent. The ride itself was brilliant and the views we got of the canyon were unbelievable and more in line with what we expected - it even included flying over Hoover Dam. If anyone's thinking of going to the canyon (which is very close to Las Vegas), save up and take the helicopter tour, you won't regret it! We will post photos of all these highlights soon so look out for them on the blog!
As we did so much in the 2 weeks on the Contiki, we have split the Contiki entry into 2 parts - look out for our next blogpost where we will describe the great nightlife that we experienced on the tour!
Trek on…Brett and Darren
Appendix: Itinerary
Day 1: Chicago to Madison
Meet up with your Contiki crew in the 'Windy City' of Chicago. Begin your adventure with a stop in Milwaukee & tour Miller Brewery, one of the nation's largest beer brewers, en route to the university town of Madison. Hotel (D)
• Drive through America's beautiful heartland
Day 2: Madison to Sioux Falls
Catch the pulse of the true American Midwest on your way to Sioux Falls. Hotel (B,D)
• Visit Falls Park & see the waterfall that gave the town its name
Day 3: Sioux Falls to Mt. Rushmore
Journey through the unique, lunar-like landscape of Badlands National Park before arriving in the stomping grounds of the Wild West. Hotel (B,D)
• See colourful buttes, pinnacles & spires
• Walk the Fossil Trail
Day 4: Mt. Rushmore
Marvel at the American presidents' faces on iconic Mt. Rushmore & see the world's largest mountain carving, Crazy Horse Memorial, honoring the famous Lakota Sioux warrior. Hotel (B)
• Visit Mt. Rushmore National Memorial & Crazy Horse Memorial
Day 5: Mt. Rushmore to Cody
Visit Devil's Tower National Monument & see the legendary Devil's Tower as you steer toward Cody & the heart of the American West. Hotel (B)
• See the scenery made famous by the blockbuster movie, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"
Day 6: Cody to Yellowstone
Kick back in this cowboy town or ride the rapids on an optional whitewater rafting trip before you head to Yellowstone, the world's first national park. Hotel (B,D)
Day 7: Yellowstone National Park
Explore the crown jewel of America's national parks. It's a masterpiece of wilderness, wildlife & natural wonders. Hotel (B)
• See the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, the famous 'Old Faithful' geyser, wildlife such as buffalo, elk & possibly bears
Day 8: Yellowstone to Salt Lake City
Set your sights on the towering spires of the Teton Range & stop in the swanky, yet western-styled town of Jackson Hole before arriving in Salt Lake City. Hotel (B)
• Visit Temple Square
• See the impressive six-spire Temple & Mormon Tabernacle
Day 9: Salt Lake City to Kanab via Bryce Canyon National Park
Hike among the richly coloured rock formations of Bryce Canyon National Park on the road from Salt Lake City to Kanab. Hotel (B,D)
• See the bizarre shaped canyons & rock spires called "hoodoos"
Day 10: Grand Canyon National Park
Hike, walk, or simply relax at this phenomenal natural wonder. Hotel (B)
• Hike along the Canyon's North Rim
• Capture incredible photos from a panoramic viewpoint
Day 11: Kanab to Las Vegas via Zion National Park
Before partying like a rock star in Las Vegas, get close to nature in the dramatic landscapes of Zion National Park. Hotel (B,D)
• See soaring cliffs, sculptured canyons, & dramatic landscapes
• See the gigantic red & white stone formations of West Temple & Watchman
• Evening tour of the famous Vegas 'Strip'
• Visit Fremont Street
Day 12: Las Vegas
It's all glitz & glamour as you hang out on 'the Strip', relax by the pool, or hit up Sin City's party hot spots. Hotel (B)
• Experience some of the world's largest hotels & casinos
• Non-stop nightlife
Day 13: Las Vegas to Los Angeles
Leave the bling of Vegas behind & head through the vast Mojave Desert into California. Your US adventure
wraps up when you arrive in Los Angeles where it's time to say farewell to your new friends.
• See the famous Joshua Trees
- comments
JaredL the jealousy is actually causing an ache in my gut
Tal I second that, gut is aching
Nikki u know u love the AUSSIES!!! u havent mentioned the white trash party boys, disappointed! lol
dmansheer chicks? chicks? and what about the chicks?
S & G Amazing......Stunning.......Incredible
lara all I can say is WOW!!! You are definitely enjoying every minute of your trip guys. Keep trekking on...
Elena :)