TRIP UPDATES

students walking away from camera toward hole in the rock
June 22, 2026
2026 Grand Western Tour

Carved Cliffs and Red Rock Arches: Day 7 to Salt Lake City

Moab, UT

Day 7 with The Grand Western Tour took us deep into red rock country, and it gave us one of the most memorable rest stops of the trip so far. We pulled over at Hole N’ the Rock, a quirky roadside attraction near Moab where an entire home has been carved right into the cliff […]

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Teen leaning on the railing of the open-air Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad train car, looking up at steep rocky mountain slopes covered in pine and aspen trees
June 21, 2026
2026 Grand Western Tour

Quarters, Mountain Towns, and an Open-Air Train: Day 6 in Silverton and Durango

Durango, CO

Day 6 with The Grand Western Tour kicked off with one of the more underrated milestones of any trip: a morning at the laundromat. For more than a few of us, this was the first time ever doing our own laundry, and we came prepared with what felt like several pounds of quarters to get […]

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trees and hills from colorado
June 21, 2026
2026 Grand Western Tour

From Card Games to Whitewater: Day 5 Lands Us in Durango

Durango, CO

Day 5 had a little bit of everything, which is exactly how we like it. The morning was all about the journey across Colorado, and the bus stayed lively the whole way. There were rounds of Mafia, BS, and Go Fish going strong, and a few of us even spotted an antelope out the window. […]

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students group picture at garden of the gods
June 18, 2026
2026 Grand Western Tour

Garden of the Gods: Day 4 in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs, CO

Day 4 packed in just about everything, from ancient rock formations to a mountaintop more than two miles in the sky. We kicked things off at Garden of the Gods, starting with a short film on the park’s history and geology and a look through the visitor center exhibits on animal tracking and local wildlife. […]

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