America's Majestic National Parks (2012)

I loved this trip! See America first, they say. After traveling with GCT on two European trips I didn't hesitate to again trust them with my vacation tour. Ann Canada was a delight and kept us informed. Our bus driver kept us safe and the Western USA provided us with beautiful and memorable sights and things to do. In May, we had snow which added to the beauty and adventure but didn't slow us down. A sandstorm in Monument Valley was interesting and not rare which added to the realism. Antelope Canyon was not to be missed even if the drive out and back gave some pause. So much to see even for a second or third time of ever changing landscapes. Now I'm going back to London the England, Wales and Scotland with GCT.

Traveler: Andrew Leach from San Jose, CA traveled on May 16, 2011

We have traveled the world with OAT and GCT but had not seen much of the US. After this trip we know our own country much better and have over 900 beautiful photos to prove it.

We did take the pre-trip and although 19 days on the road is a bit trying, I would not wish to forego any of it. The Badlands and Custer State Park should not be missed. Our weather and the Fall foliage were gorgeous. There were numerous opportunities to make packing a bathing suit worthwhile.

I had not expected Zion and Bryce to overshadow the Grand Canyon but I felt they did. Lake Powell was a pleasant surprise as well. We were extremely fortunate to see the Morman Tabernacle Choir perform for their radio show.

Some of our most memorable experiences were going out on our own with our new-found friends. The shuttle ride from Jackson to Teton Village to eat at the Mangy Moose was great fun as was our night in the Diamond Belle Saloon in Durango. I would recommend an early morning while at Yellowstone to catch the sunrise. The quiet misty lake is a memory that lingers.

Thanks to GCT for providing a safe and comfortable coach with a spectacular itinerary. I am glad I left the planning and driving to them.

Traveler: Kathryn Mayo from Oswego, NY traveled on September 15, 2011

1) Ken, the bus driver, was an absolute gem. His personal knowledge of the area, based on his many years a park ranger, was a real bonus. Sign him to a long term contract.
2) On the down side, the accomidations at Yellowstone, while nice on the inside, caused us some problems. We were guided to our rooms, but they were in a separate building from the dining room. It was dark and there were only a few lights and virtually no sighs to guide us the the DR. As a result we decided to skip dinner that night. The breakfast the next AM was the best oof the trip.

Traveler: Robert Crump from Middletown, RI traveled on September 03, 2011

Having seen a lot of the world outside the USA, I decided that it was time to visit a part of our country which I didn't know enough about. The tour offered a comfortable and comprehensive way to experience many of our national parks.

I was very pleased with all aspects of the tour. Obviously I loved the scenic vistas, but I also was impressed by unexpected pleasures such as a visit to a world class museum in Cody Wyoming and the historical insights provided by an exceptioal tour leader.

Traveler: Joseph Hume from Youngstown, OH traveled on August 14, 2011

An outstanding trip, beautiful scenery, great value, professional guides and staff. Our third trip with this company. We will use them for our European River Cruise.

Traveler: Elizabeth & William Thomas from Columbia, SC traveled on August 03, 2011

My husband and I just returned from this trip and it was wonderful. We traveled early in the year and experienced snow in Yellowstone and Vail along with warmer weather on other parts of the trip. Watching pictures of this vast area do not do it justice. Our program director, Mary Bendolow, helped us realize the vast beauty of our country and helped us create memories of an experience we will never forget. What was the best - too numerous to mention. Yellowstone, Mt Rushmore, Bryce Canyopn, Zion Canyon - beatiful and awesome country. Unfortunately snow and ice kept us off the Durango RR and cancelled the stop in Vail, CO, but our program director and Grand Circle provided alernate experiences to make it worth every minute. Every American needs to experience it. Also our hats off to John, our driver, for getting us through all the weather and sharing his stories of the area, also.

Traveler: Zola Cavanaugh from Casselberry, FL traveled on May 05, 2011

We went May 25, 2010 on this Majestic National Parks tour and it was fantastic. Much more than we expected. Mary Bendelow was our guide and she was wonderful. So much information and she gave us many things to think about. From why we have Nat'l Parks and how they came to be, also our protection of animals and the rights of farmers and landowners. She gave us all sides so we could see that is not an easy thing to come to a good solution for all involved. Water rights were also covered and who owns the river water. Our superb drive was Ken. They both made this a favorite of our 3 trips.

Traveler: Robert Harris from Oceanside, CA traveled on May 06, 2010

My spouse and I just returned from this trip. The trip was aboslutely majestic and fabulous. Our Programm Director ( Tim Miller ) was very professional, knowledgeable about the various places of visit, provided additional insights regarding the places of visit and some notable people, provided the music to suite the places of location and suggested various restaurants for the area. We really appreciated all of Tim's efforts to make our vacation memorable. Our motocoach driver ( Dennis ) was very professional, knowledgeable and was an excellent driver throughout the trip. Our thanks and appreciation goes out to Dennis on a job well done . You will thoroughly enjoy this itinererary !!!

The only suggestion that I would like to make is the airplane portion of the trip. I would like to suggest that you leave home a day prior to the trip. We arrived at the Charlotte airport at 6:05AM for a 7:50AM flight. The flight was cancelled and all 200 passengers had to be rebooked. When they finally booked us we had to wait twelve hours at the Charlotte airport before the next flight to Rapid City via Chicago. It was a very stressful period. On the return trip our bags were not transferred in Detriot to the Charlotte connection. We finally received our bagagge yesterday, a day after our return home, GCT used USAUnited for our trip and I would like to suggest that they use more reliable air carriers. We realize that flighting these days can be stressful but GCT should compalin about the service to there air carriers.

Traveler: Nettie Walker-O'reggio from Fort Mill, SC traveled on September 25, 2010

SPECTACULAR scenery. Had visited several of the parks before, but it is so much better being able to see the scenery from the large, panoramic windows of a high bus than driving, navigating and looking out the small windows of a car.
Both optional tours offered (Antelope Slot Canyon and Mesa Verde) were very worthwhile, if a little pricey, with excellent, local step-on guides.
Included hotel breakfasts tended to be repetitious and not very healthy, not nearly enough fresh fruit of good quality. If you are ever near a grocery store, pick up some fresh fruit.
Rest stops are of course required on long bus rides, but too many of the rest stops turned into mini-buying sprees. If you like cheap souvenirs and jewelry, this is the tour for you! Am not a shopper, so would have preferred shorter stops and moving on the day’s destination where better shops and activities for non-shoppers (swimming pools, brief rest before dinner) would have been available. But have to admit most of the women on the tour loved the shopping, so if you are not a shopper bring a good book.

Traveler: Richard Carlson from Arlington, VA traveled on June 24, 2010

Wow, what an amazing trip! Our expectations, very high to begin with, were surpassed. Not only was the itinerary well-paced, but the sites chosen were perfect. We loved the grandeur of the Tetons, the awesome sights of the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon, and the contrast among locations -- desert, canyons, lush forests, etc. Our program director, Timothy Miller, was one of the best, if not THE best, we have ever had on a trip. Knowledgeable, flexible, organized, and funny -- he was perfect, and really made the trip special. The added extras made this trip really great, such as stops at unique shops, lectures by local experts, and opportunities to experience extra options such as hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearse and watching native Americans craft jewelry. We would recommend this trip highly.

Traveler: Georgene Falcon from Elizabeth City, NC traveled on June 03, 2010

Majestic, that is the perfect word to describe this trip. Every day was a new adventure. Each day was unique and could not be compared to the day before. We were fortunate to have a wonderful tour guide in Tim Miller. He was always informative and tried to make the long stretches of the Navajo reservation more interestiing with a video or some insight into the area. He gave us suggestions for good places to eat in every area we visited. The hotels we stayed in were just what we hoped they would be and sometimes much more. The optional tours we are glad we didn't miss were the Antelope Canyon jeep tour, the Snake River rafting tour, and the Mesa Verde tour. On the Antelope Canyon tour we had a Native American serenade us with her flute in one of the alcoves. The Snake River rafting experience in Jackson Hole was just plain fun. We had a box lunch as we floated down the river with a magnificent view of the mountains. The Mesa Verde optional was amazing. It was a bit of a hairy bus ride to the top of the mesa, but well worth it. The train ride from Durango to Silverton, with the color of the fall leaves and the mountain streams, was awe inspiring. We had just about perfect weather throughout the entire trip. I would stongly reccommed this trip.

Traveler: Sandy Wagner traveled on September 21, 2009

I traveled as a single on this fantastic trip through our western national parks. Our tour guide, Sarah Greener, was outstanding. She made me feel a part of the group from day one. The group of 40 was congenial, always on time, and helpful. Sarah shared history, legends, and facts, along with music and videos during our hours on the bus. The scenery and her imput made the drives very interesting.The hotels were quite nice and located within walking distance to most townsshops. Be sure to take the optional tours--especially the Antelope Canyon and Mesa Verde tours. The Navajo guide, Leonard Nez, at Antelope Canyon, made this experience come alive with music and legends. The step-on guide, Marty, was a walking encyclopedia with a passion for Mesa Verde. The 14 mile walk down the mesa to stand in the cliff was awesome. The Bar D BBQ optional dinner was a bit of a disappointment because of the quality of the food. Of course, being able to attend a rehearsal of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Thursday evening in Salt Lake City was a highlight. Eating a picnic lunch by the falls of Yellowstone's Grand Canyon was magical. The most awesome part of the trip was seeing Bryce Canyon. The hoodoos are spectacular and was the highlight of my trip. We traveled 2700 miles, driven by our most competent bus driver, Rick. Our country is beautiful and this trip covers so much of it!

Traveler: Marjorie from Basking Ridge, NJ traveled on July 30, 2009

Our recent trip was spectacular! It was far above our expectations. We wish that more of our countrymen could experience the wonderful trip we enjoyed through five states on the America’s Majestic National Parks Tour. The spirit of the West – epic, wild, and rugged – is at the heart of this American experience. Viewing the national parks is the most magnificent, majestic settings on earth and a unique photogenic experience. These memories will stay with us for the remainder of our lives.

Our tour guide, Linda Rome, was terrific in every way! So knowledgeable and extremely caring, she made our trip absolutely wonderful.
Our bus driver, Benny Martin, was friendly and caring as he carefully maneuvered our beautiful bus along the 2400-mile trip. This was our sixth GCT trip and we look forward to planning our next trip with Grand Circle Travel. The enjoyment and enlightenment of our trips were an exceptional value.

Traveler: John & Shannon from Lewisville, TX traveled on June 25, 2009

This trip will amaze you with the beauty of the land and parks. Timothy Miller our program guide told us that each day it would get better and he was right on. The slot canyons near Page, AZ were breath taking and Bryce Canyon at sunset and sunrise worth a million words. We covered over 2200 miles and wore our eyes out with the beauty. I would recommend this trip to all. We even had wonderful weather. If you take this trip be ready for lots of photo's to sort when you return. Also we had the most delightful fellow travlers and a terrific driver, Don.
Pat and Al from Minden, NV

Traveler: Albert from Minden, NV traveled on May 18, 2009

This was my 26th trip with Grand Circle and I consider it one of the top five best trips that I have taken. Every single day was an adventure coupled with learning and discovery. Our tour leader, Ann Canada, was absolutely outstanding. Since we went in May we had great weather, The scenery was truly magnificent and the wildlife we saw was spectacular: my first Grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park and a Condor in the Grand Canyon. We also saw buffalo, mountain goats, elk, deer, prairiedogs and a variety of birds. We traveled through 6 states accumulating more than 2200 miles on the road. Our accomodations and meals were first class. I highly urge you to take this trip to see this beautiful land of ours. In retrospect, we need many more of these national trips , e.g. a cruise down the Mississippi, and additional national parks such as Chacon National Park in New Mexico would be a great addition to American tours.

Traveler: Edna from Hermosa Beach, CA traveled on May 09, 2009