The Wild Wild West


The Wild, Wild West

10 nights
from £989 per person


Price includes: flights, accommodation and car hire

Experience all that the Wild Wild West has to offer on this fly-drive to Oklahoma City.  The adventure doesn't have to stop when you get to Oklahoma City, extend your stay and travel down to Dallas, Texas and maybe include some of the iconic Route 66!

Day 1 - Arrive Kansas City and pick up your hire car on arrival
Explore the world of Jesse James, the man who has drawn worldwide fascination for being known as America's Robin Hood and cold-blooded killer. Travel through Jesse James Farm & Museum, the home where Jesse was born, the farm holds the world's largest collection of James family memorabilia. Then explore the Jesse James Bank Museum, the site of the country's first daylight bank robbery. Visit the home where Jesse was shot and killed and Bob's Ford's grave-site, the man who killed Jesse! End your first day eating at one of the many barbecue restaurants Kansas City is known for and if you fancy a late night, continue on to a live Jazz club.
Stay three nights in Kansas City.

Day 2 - Visit the Historic 18th and Vine District
The American Jazz Museum and Negro Baseball Museum are two of the city's most acclaimed museums, and luckily they are under one roof! Visit here first. Move onto the Gangster Tour, this features an interactive look into the Pendergast era from 1920 to 1945. The tour highlights infamous crimes like the Union Station Massacre, the locations of speakeasies and shows how liquor freely flowed during Prohibition. Next head to Tom's Town Distillery, Tom Pendergast founded a whole liquor business and under his influence, Kansas City flouted Prohibition. Enjoy the nightlife of 18th and Vine after dinner and for those night owls, the Mutual Musicians Foundation offers late-night music until 5am.

Day 3 - Explore more of Kansas City
Spend your final day in Kansas City aboard Steamboat Arabia! When the mighty Steamboat Arabia sank near Kansas City on September 5th 1856, she carried 200 tons of cargo. Its recovery after 132 years brought treasures like clothes, tools, guns, jewellery and more! Head down to the Country Club-Plaza, this 15 block Spanish inspired shopping district is dotted with fountains, museums and statues to bring a truly new flavour to your shopping trip. Attractions such as the National Toy and Miniature Museum, Nelson Atkins Museum of art and the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art can be found nearby.

Day 4 - Depart Kansas City and drive to Manhattan, KS (approx. 122 miles)
On your way to Manhattan be sure to make a couple of stops along the way. Your first stop is Lawrence, home to the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian College. The downtown district is lined with eclectic boutiques, sidewalk cafes, antique shops, art galleries and studios. When you want to move on to your next stop, head to Topeka and visit the Brown V. Board of Education National Historic Site, where visitors can gain an insight into the Civil Rights Movement. Next stop is Council Grove where you will take a self-guided tour of historical landmarks - the most popular being Hays House, the oldest continuously operated restaurant west of the Mississippi River. After your walking tour it is onto Manhattan!
Stay one night in Manhattan.

Day 5 - Drive from Manhattan to Hutchinson, via Cottonwood Falls (approx. 150 miles)
Discover where the West truly begins. The Tallgrass Prairie once covered 170 million acres of North America. Today, less than 4% remains - mostly in Flint Hills. Visit the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, and end your time in wonderful Cottonwood Falls. Continue your journey onto Yoder and Hutchinson. Take a drive to the quaint Amish village of Yoder, home to the unique Carriage Crossing Restaurant, a great place to stop for lunch and then browse around the Country Traditions Store for handmade Amish quilts. Your last stop is Hutchinson, where you can spend the remainder of your afternoon at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, a world-class space museum featuring the largest collection of US space artefacts outside of the National Air and Space Museum, and the largest collection of Russian space artefacts in the Western world.
Stay one night in Hutchinson.

Day 6 - Drive from Hutchinson to Wichita (approx. 52 miles)
Wichita is the largest city in the heart of the United States.Wichita's colourful history is brought to life on the Guided Trolley Tour. Immerse yourself in the 1870s and experience Wichita as a Wild West Settler at Old Cowtown Museum. Also within the 'Museums on the River District' is the Wichita Art Museum, the renowned Botanica Wichita Gardens and the Mid-America All Indian Center. Walk the iconic 44-foot-tall Keeper of the Plains statue placed on the sacred ground of confluence of the Big and little Arkansas River. Old town is the place to spend your evening with a large selection of great restaurants and diverse clubs offering live music and entertainment.
Stay one night in Wichita.

Day 7 - Drive from Wichita to Tulsa (approx. 176 miles)
Tulsa is a distinctive mix of influences from Native American ancestors and the oil tycoons of the 1900s. The Gilcrease Museum houses the world's largest collection of art and artefacts of the American West, while the Philbrook is one of America's finest art museums located in an Italian Renaissance 72-room villa surrounded by 23 acres of botanical grounds. The Brady Arts District is one of the city's most vibrant area for live music and is home to the famed Woody Guthrie Center. At it's centre, Guthrie Green is a space that hosts live music performances and regular farmers' markets. cherry Street is another eclectic music, art and food district to explore and enjoy.
Stay two nights in Tulsa.

Day 8 - Drive from Tulsa back to Tulsa, via Tahlequah, Fort Gibson and Muskogee (approx. 152 miles)
Today, take a loop drive to some of Tulsa's neighbouring towns, starting off in Tahlequah with a visit to the Cherokee Heritage Center, Home to Diligwa - 1210 Cherokee Village, Adams Corner Rural Village, and the Trail of Tears exhibit. Next, travel on to Fort Gibson, the first army port in the Indian Territory, which was in operation from 1824 to 1890. The last stop is Muskogee, where you can find the Ataloa Lodge Museum, boasting one of the largest privately owned collections of Native American Artefacts in the U.S. as well as the Five Civilized Tribes Museum where you can get an introduction to the heritage and cultures of the Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw and Seminole tribes. At the end of the day, return to your final night in Tulsa.

Day 9 - Drive from Tulsa to Oklahoma City (approx. 106 miles)
Be sure to visit the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, which preserves the rugged individualism and romantic spirit of the frontier, and features a collection of contemporary and Western art, including the famous 18-foot sculpture The End of the Trail. Other must see attractions include the Oklahoma City National Museum, FAM First American Museum, the State Capitol, the Paseo Arts District, and the Boathouse District on the Oklahoma River. Other attractions are opening all the time including Church Studio, the Bob Dylan Center and Greenwood Rising (Tulsa) which is particularly significant for Civil Rights History enthusiasts.
Stay two nights in Oklahoma City.

Day 10 - Explore Oklahoma City
Native American Culture is the focus for today, with a visit to the Chickasaw Cultural Center, located near Sulphur, where you can see exhibits and live demonstrations. This is the U.S.A's largest tribal cultural centre, built on a section of more than 100 acres of rolling hills, woodlands and waterways. Visit the city's newest museum, the First Americans Museum, to learn about the 39 distinct tribal nations in Oklahoma today. Also take the time to see the Chickasaw National Recreational Area, which brings together diverse flora and fauna in a combination of eastern deciduous forest and western prairie. The Travertine Ranger Station Visitor Center offers the opportunity to take a short hike in and around this area of outstanding beauty. In nearby Davis, visit scenic Turner Falls and try some mouth-watering Oklahoma food at Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pies and Smokin' Joe's Rib Ranch. Return back to the Oklahoma City for your final night.

Day  11 - Depart
Drop off your hire car in time for your flight home from Oklahoma City back to the UK.
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