BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK

2 Full Days Touring the Big Bend Area (National Park & State Park) * Chisos Basin * Santa Elena Canyon * McDonald Observatory * Guided Solar Tour * Star Party * The Rio Grande Valley * Fort Stockton Historic Fort * Anne Riggs Memorial Museum

Day 1 : Home2 Suites, Abilene (TX)
Day 2 – 5 : Quarter Circle 7, Alpine, (TX)
Day 6 : Hidden Falls Inn, Marble Falls (TX)
(On some dates, alternate hotels may be used.)

SINGLE OCCUPANCY:  $2,750 Per Person     DOUBLE OCCUPANCY:  $2,250 Per Person

TRIPLE OCCUPANCY:  $2,000 Per Person     QUAD OCCUPANCY:  $1,800 Per Person

DEPOSIT REQUIRED:  $250 Per Person    REMAINING BALANCE DUE:  March 7, 2025

PRICING INCLUDES

6 Nights Lodging * 19 Meals (6 Breakfast, 7 Lunches, & 6 Dinners) * Admissions for Group Activities Per Itinerary * Baggage Handling @ Hotels (One Suitcase Per Person) * Luxurious Motor-Coach Transportation * Professional “American Tours” Tour Guide * Complimentary Secured Parking @ American Tours

DAY 1 – April 7, 2025:  Tyler to Abilene (TX)
We will begin our day departing out of TYLER (TX) at 6:00am.  Today’s leg of our journey takes us as far as ABILENE.  We arrive in Abilene in time for lunch before taking in FRONTIER TEXAS.  This amazing museum, located in historic downtown Abilene, is a western heritage center that allows visitors to relive the OLD WEST through state-of-the-art technology.  Frontier Texas brings the frontier to life and lets visitors meet people who played out their lives on the Texas Frontier.  We will check into our Abilene hotel early, freshen up, and set out to an early group dinner. (L & D)

Day 2 – April 8, 2025:  Abilene to Alpine (TX)
Our journey will continue across TEXAS, through MIDLAND, and into ODESSA where we will stop for lunch.  This afternoon, we begin making our way towards SOUTH TEXAS to arrive in ALPINE.  We will check into our hotel (our home for the next three nights) in time to freshen up before setting back out to enjoy dinner at one of Alpine’s finest.  We will not keep you out late today.  You will need your rest for the next two day’s adventures! (B, L, & D)

Day 3 – April 9, 2025: Alpine to Big Bend National Park to Alpine
This morning, our BIG BEND PROFESSIONAL GUIDE will join us for a journey through BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK!  We will travel through this desolate, yet beautiful, land learning about Big Bend’s GEOLOGY, CULTURAL HISTORY, as well as it’s MEDINAL and EDIBLE PLANTS.  We will travel down the ROSS MAXWELL SCENIC DRIVE, stopping off at SANTA ELENA CANYON with her MAJESTIC ROCK CLIFF WALLS towering 1,500 FT and SOTOL VISTA with amazing views overlooking the CHIHUAHUAN DESERT.   We will enjoy a picnic lunch in a HOTSPOT FOR BIRDING.  Finally, we travel the MOUNTAIN ROAD up into the CHISOS BASIN!  Here, we will enjoy the iconic “WINDOW VIEW” and CASA GRANDE.  This 800,000+ acre park is full of canyons, rocks, rivers and was once the home of dinosaurs! We will watch for wildlife and all the wildflowers that should be blooming this time of the year! (B, L, & D)

Day 4 – April 10, 2025:  Alpine to Ft Davis / McDonald Observatory to Alpine
Today, we will keep you out late to enjoy our STAR PARTY to its’ fullest.  So, this morning, we allow time to sleep in before starting out for today’s adventure.  This morning, we depart for the MCDONALD’S OBSERVATORY!  We will be taking another TEXAS SCENIC BYWAY up to the MOUNTAIN TOWN OF FORT DAVIS, the highest town in Texas.  We will be on the lookout for BIG HORN SHEEP, AOUDAD, and MULE DEER on our journey.  Before making it to McDonald’s Observatory, we will stop for a buffet lunch at PRUDE RANCH.  Early afternoon, we head to the WORLD FAMOUS MCDONALD OBSERVATORY, learning how they see our fascinating Universe!  We will learn about the sun in the SOLAR TOUR, followed by a GUIDED TOUR of their OBSERVATORY.  We then make our way back to our hotel where you will be given an individual option of freshening up or remaining at the hotel for the evening.  If you decide to freshen up, we have more excitement planned.  We head back out to PRUDE RANCH for an evening dinner buffet followed by the STAR PARTY where we will learn about the COSMOS and view STELLAR OBJECTS through multiple TELESCOPES.  (B, L, & D) 

Day 5 – April 11, 2025:  Alpine to Big Bend National Park to Alpine
This morning, our BIG BEND PROFESSIONAL GUIDE will join us again, as we travel through TERLINGUA and stop off at the HISTORIC TERLINGUA GHOST TOWN.  Learn the history of the “boom and bust” mercury mining era that put this town on the map.  Next, we pass by many “off grid homesites” on our way to LAJITAS, which boasts a history from being a landmark on the Comanche War Trail to a cavalry outpost.  Then, we drive into BIG BEND RANCH STATE PARK, the HIDDEN GEM OF THE BIG BEND.   We traverse the RIVER ROAD through the park, paralleling the RIO GRANDE with stunning views into MEXICO.  Next, we travel through PRESIDIO, a border town with OJINAGA, MEXICO.  Finally, we head north through MARFA, made famous by the ART WORKS of DONALD JUDD and his MINIMALIST STYLE, enroute to ALPINE, once again our home for the evening.  (B, L, & D)

Day 6 – April 12, 2025:  Alpine to Marble Falls (TX)
This morning, we start our journey back towards Northeast Texas but not before spending some quality time at FORT STOCKTON HISTORIC FORT as well as the ANNE RIGGS MEMORIAL MUSEUM.  We will journey through more of our beautiful Texas Hill Country to arrive in JUNCTION (TX) for lunch.  The afternoon will include two short leg-stretches before we stop for the night in MARBLE FALLS (TX).  After checking into our hotel with time to freshen up, we will enjoy a wonderful dinner at the BLUE BONNET CAFÉ.  If you like OLD-FASHIONED PIES, this will be PURE DELIGHT TO YOUR TASTE BUDS!!   Established in 1929, the Blue Bonnet Cafe is one of the oldest running restaurants in Texas.  Specializing in southern ‘comfort food’, the menu offers classics like chicken fried steak (the owner’s favorite) and burgers along with weekly specials, delicious breakfasts, and huge variety of pies.  (B, L, & D)

Day 7 – April 13, 2025:  Alpine to Tyler (TX)
Today is the last leg of our trip.  We have had some long scenic days and even kept you out till nearly midnight to enjoy our Star Party to its fullest.  So today, we let you sleep in a little longer than normal.  Today is an excellent opportunity to exchange addresses and phone numbers with your new travel friends as you plan your next adventure with AMERICAN TOURS.  We should arrive in Tyler a little before 4:00 PM with wonderful memories of the BIG BEND OF TEXAS!  (B & L)

OPTIONAL “PRE-TRIP CANCELATION INSURANCE” OFFERED BY AMERICAN TOOURS
This optional Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance is $225 per person and is not included in Tour Pricing.

What is the CANCELATION POLICY on “Motor-Coach Tours” offered by American Tours?

• Travel Insurance:  American Tours STRONGLY RECOMMENDS the purchase of Travel Insurance. You may purchase Travel Insurance through another agency or purchase the Travel Insurance offered by American Tours.
• Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance offered by American Tours:  Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance offered by American Tours provides peace of mind. We make it easy for you to book now and know you are covered – just in case.  Despite your best laid plans, life sometimes gets in the way.  Trips (planned and paid for weeks or even months in advance) are sometimes impacted by unforeseen and sometimes unavoidable obstacles such as illnesses, vehicle accidents, injuries, family situations … the list is endless.  With our Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance in place, all that is needed is a phone call or email to our office prior to the day of your tour’s departure making us aware of your need to cancel. THAT IS IT!! No paperwork. No doctor’s note. No police report. No explanation. All that is required is a simple phone call or email. You are then able to give your full attention to whatever set of circumstances caused the cancellation. At the conclusion of the tour, a full refund check is mailed to your home address.  For Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance to be in place, it must be purchased at time of sign up.  Our Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance covers you if you have the need to cancel between the FINAL PAYMENT DUE DATE and the DEPARTURE DATE of the trip.  These dates are different for each respective tour but can be found on each tours REGISTRATION FORM.
  • Customer cancels PRIOR to “Final Payment Due Date”:  In this case, the purchase of our Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance does not come into the equation.  The same policy will apply in this case whether the customer has purchased our Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance or not.  The customer gets a FULL REFUND of all funds paid (including any funds paid for Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance).
  • Customer cancels AFTER the “Final Payment Due Date”:  In this case, the purchase of our Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance IS IMPORTANT in this equations.  On the FINAL PAYMENT DUE DATE of the tour in question, the passenger’s funds are COMMITTED to the tour.  If the passenger HAS PURCHASED our Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance, no matter the reason for the cancelation, a REFUND CHECK will be mailed out at the conclusion of the tour minus the cost of the purchased Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance.  If the passenger HAS NOT PURCHASED our Pre-Trip Cancelation Insurance, no matter the reason for the cancelation, there is NO REFUND of any funds paid.

*** PASSPORT NOT REQUIRED *** 

*** Trip status converts from “PENDING” to “MADE” after the 20th Registration. ***

ACTIVITY LEVEL:

Level 1: The tour operates at a very leisurely pace and involves some minimal physical activity such as climbing stairs, boarding a motorcoach, walking into a museum or other venue, and walking from the hotel reception area to hotel rooms and dining areas.

LEVEL 2: This tour requires average physical activity. You should be in good health, able to walk some stairs and walk reasonable distances, possibly over uneven ground, and cobblestoned streets.

Level 3: This tour includes moderate physical activity. The itinerary blends some longer days with shorter days. You should be in good health, able to walk a flight of stairs or more and participate in walking tours or nature walks possibly over uneven ground and cobblestoned streets with periods of standing.  There could be some early and late activities, and temperature and altitude changes.

Level 4: This tour is active, requiring participants to be good physical shape to fully enjoy the experiences. This itinerary has more activities which may include such things as longer walking tours over uneven ground, transfers over uneven and dusty terrain, high altitudes, or early morning departures. All conditions do not apply to all days, so please read the itinerary carefully and speak to one of our Reservations Coordinators to determine if this tour is right for you. Unfortunately, this tour is not appropriate for individuals who use wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, or similar equipment.