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Awesome National Parks
By: Sally Yamada | Sun Jun 04, 2017 at 09.46 PM
The driver was phenomenal. He got us safely through a traffic detour and was clearly a professional and experienced driver.
The guide was more comfortable speaking Chinese and did no more than necessary to perform his duties and did n
..ot seem overly enthused about the venues. He did not have the depth of information about historical sites and was not engaging as far as anecdotes and interesting facts. He would lead the group to a picturesque location and quickly abandon us. He encouraged us to have dinner at certain Chinese buffets, forcing most of the passengers to look for less expensive alternatives. Wakeup calls were generally at 5:30 a.m. and we were on the bus by 6:30 a.m.
It took five hours to get through the Rocky Mountains and although it may have been interesting for the first half hour, the scenery was repetitive and we would have enjoyed a faster ride to Denver.
I wonder if it is possible to explore a one night hotel stay in Yellowstone Park to save time even though it may raise our costs a bit, it would give us more time to enjoy the park. It took 2-1/2 hours to enter the park to view Old Faithful and 2-1/2 hours to exit the park to arrive at our hotel in West Yellowstone. It took 2-1/2 hours to re-enter the park the next day to visit some sites and 2-1/2 hours to exit the park to start our journey to the Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole Wyoming, and Salt Lake City.
I understand the guide and driver’s admonition not to use the toilet, but to keep it locked for eight days and not allow for emergencies was stressful and left us sipping water for fear we will need to go on a different schedule than the 2-1/2 hours between bathroom breaks. When the bus came to a stop, everyone rushed to the front in order to head for the restroom. Women’s lines were always longer. I think tour companies should improve the functionality of bus toilets including the unpleasant smell and disposal of human waste. I have read that some toilets only have a cover, some use formaldehyde solution, and drivers have poured motor oil into the toilet to seal the top. To deny usage based on the driver’s convenience is wrong, especially when it is mentioned on the website as an amenity.
Aim for getting to the hotel between 6 and 7 p.m. We often arrived closer to 9:00 p.m. The on-site restaurants were closed and passengers had to check in and immediately go out to look for mini-marts or fast food restaurants. This left no time to enjoy the amenities of the hotel such as the gym and swimming pool.
Most passengers were tired by the end of the trip but were pleased because of the beautiful venues we visited. Those who started the tour in Los Angeles were able to visit 9 states in 8 days. The weather was beautiful for the entire trip and the cost of the trip was a real bargain.
Please rethink your bathroom policy, alter routes to get us to the hotel between 6 and 7 p.m. and improve the Yellowstone Park experience by considering a one-night stay inside the park. Otherwise, thank you for a truly awesome time. We made some new friends and have many wonderful photos. Read full review
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