More details about the 9-day PCA-MKE 2027 Western Tour
We’ll depart on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2027. Night 1 will be spent in Sioux Falls, SD. Night 2 will be spent in Buffalo, WY, literally at the foot of the Bighorn Mountain Range. On Day 3, we’ll drive the twisty Porsche-perfect Cloud Peak Scenic Byway over Powder River Pass (Elevation 9,666 ft.). Later that day, we’ll see tall mineral deposits as we pass through Thermopolis, WY. Then, we’ll ascend the Wind River Range as we top out at Togwotee Pass (Elevation 9,659 feet). Shortly thereafter, we’ll arrive at our accommodations for the next 4 nights, a mountain lodge midway between Jackson, WY, and Yellowstone. We’ll have dinner on our own in the Lodge’s restaurant. Afterwards we’ll hear a brief talk about one of our member’s climb of the Grand Teton in 2002.
On the first of our 3-day stay in the area, there will be a group drive to Jackson. This will be a slow-paced drive passing through Grand Teton National Park, stopping at many of the scenic overlooks along the Snake River. The Teton Range is arguably the most-dramatic mountain range in the U.S. The reason: There are no foothills; the mountains jut up abruptly from Jackson Hole to the 13,770-foot summit of the Grand Teton. When we arrive in Jackson around noon, you’ll be on your own. Finding parking together for all of our cars will probably be impossible. There are numerous shops, boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants in Jackson. That evening, we’ll meet at a ranch near Jackson where we’ll be conveyed 2 miles up Cache Creek Canyon in horse-drawn covered wagons for a group chuck wagon dinner and to experience a Western show.
On the second of our 3-day stay in the area, there will be a group drive to Yellowstone to visit Old Faithful Inn for a buffet breakfast. Afterwards, we will walk a few hundred feet to Old Faithful Geyser and will tarry there until we see an eruption (they occur roughly every 90 minutes). After that, you will be on your own to decide what other Yellowstone features you want to visit. With the exception of Old Faithful, the parking lots at most other features are so small that they wouldn’t accommodate all of the cars in our group if we arrive en-masse. We’ll provide information about how you can arrange for a self-guided narrated driving tour of the park which you can download on your phone.
On the third day, there will be no planned group drive. With an overview of the area gained on the previous two days, you can decide where, and how, you would like to spend your last day in the area. We will provide options for activities that you might consider.
On the morning of Day 7, Friday, September 17, we’ll depart from our lodge and head back north to Yellowstone. We will exit the park at its northeast corner via the Beartooth Highway which will lead us into Montana. This highway is rated as one of the most-scenic drives in the U.S. The highest elevation on this highway is at Beartooth Pass (Elevation 10,947 feet). Later that day, we’ll follow Interstate 90 to the Little Bighorn (formerly known as Custer) Battlefield National Park where we’ll spend a couple hours. Then, we’ll continue on to Buffalo, WY, where we will spend the night at the same hotel where we spent Night 2. From Buffalo, we’ll make a 2-day dash across the plains to home, arriving on Sunday, September 19.
It is anticipated that we will open the tour for sign up and hotel reservations early next year, 2027 that is. As typical, the tour will be limited to 20 cars. Keep an eye open for more details and plan to sign up early as this tour will likely fill up quickly.