Overnight Tour Summary Report – Cross Country 2026
Date: August 30 – September 25, 2026
Tour Director: Gene Gray
Driver: Sean Hatch
Starr Motorcoach #: 214
For your reading pleasure, here are Days 19-27.
Day 19: Thursday, September 17, 2026
After an early breakfast, we said goodbye to Los Angeles and enjoyed a relaxing, quiet ride. Just south of Las Vegas, we passed Seven Magic Mountains, Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone’s seven towers of neon-painted boulders, each 30 to 35 feet tall.
Lunch was at New York-New York Hotel & Casino, with options from fast food to sit-down dining, plus a little gaming. Everyone enjoyed this small taste of Vegas!
The scenery grew more beautiful as we climbed out of the desert, crossed the northwest corner of Arizona, and entered Utah, where colorful mountains rose on every side. It was truly eye candy!
Our home for the night was the brand-new Hampton Inn Cedar City, and we were their very first motorcoach tour! The cool, dry mountain air made it a perfect night for a walk.
Day 20: Friday, September 18, 2026
We continued northeast through Utah to Brigham City, where we had our choice of restaurants along two blocks of Main Street for lunch. After crossing into Idaho, I played music tied to our trip, including Depeche Mode’s version of “Route 66” and a Dolly Parton tribute. I saved John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” for our descent through the Tetons into Jackson Hole.
We arrived at the Rockwell Inn for a two-night stay. Despite the rain, downtown Jackson, just two blocks away, was hopping. Restaurants had thirty-minute waits, the shops were crowded, the bars were packed, and a bride was posing under the elk antler arch.
Day 21: Saturday, September 19, 2026
After a wonderful breakfast at the Rockwell Inn, our driver Jo Jo arrived with guide Jesse O’Connor. Jesse guided our Yellowstone trips in 2017 and 2018, and it was great to reunite with someone so passionate about Grand Teton and Yellowstone. He shared stories of climbing the Tetons with his son and daughter as we made our way to Yellowstone’s South Entrance.
Jesse explained that Yellowstone, established in 1872 as the world’s first national park, spans 2.2 million acres across Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Volcanic heat below the surface powers more than 500 geysers and bubbling mud pots, and the park has the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states. Evidence of the 1988 fires, which burned 36% of the park, is everywhere. The heat also opened lodgepole pinecones and seeded the dense new forest we see today.
Our first stop was Old Faithful, which erupted right on schedule at 11:12 AM. The two-minute eruption shot water 145 feet into the air, and steam drifted over the crowd. What an experience! We then had free time for lunch, shopping at Old Faithful Lodge, and the Visitor Center.
At the Lower Geyser Basin, we walked the 0.6-mile boardwalk past the Fountain Paint Pots. Mud bubbled, vents roared like tea kettles, and one nearby geyser put on a show by spouting water 100 feet high. Jesse did a great job explaining it all.
After a stop at Madison, we rode through tall lodgepole pines to Artist Point at Canyon Village. Here the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone glows in blended colors, with waterfalls in the distance. Then came the thrill of the day. In Hayden Valley, hundreds of bison grazed calmly on both sides of the road while a park official kept watch.
Our final stop was the historic 1891 Lake Hotel overlooking Yellowstone Lake, the largest high-elevation lake in North America.
It was a full day of Yellowstone’s greatest hits, and worth every minute.
Day 22: Sunday, September 20, 2026
After breakfast, we passed the fog-covered Grand Tetons and began a long day of more than 500 miles on Wyoming’s scenic two-lane highways. Lunch was at Johnny J’s Diner in Casper, a fun 1950s-style spot.
The rain poured as we entered South Dakota, but we arrived at the Mineral Palace & Casino in Deadwood in excellent time. The hotel welcomed us with a platter of roast beef, turkey, cheese, and crackers, plus beer and wine. Guests then set out to enjoy this unique western town. Some shopped, some dined, and a few got lucky on the slots.
Day 23: Monday, September 21, 2026
We celebrated a birthday on the way to Mount Rushmore, and I played a few guests’ song requests. Unfortunately, thick fog covered the monument. Somewhere behind it were Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln! Many of us walked the Presidential Trail anyway. At an overlook we met a gentleman who had used AI to add Mount Rushmore as a backdrop to his photos. I’d learned the same trick, so I added it to our group photo and sent it to everyone. It brightened a disappointing morning, and the fog certainly didn’t stop anyone from buying souvenirs!
On the way to Wall Drug, I shared its history. It became famous in 1936 by advertising “free ice water” to weary travelers, and today it has 23 themed rooms and a cafeteria that seats 530. Our group was ready to eat and shop, and many returned with a package or two.
Heading east toward Mitchell, I played Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper, who were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 3, 1959, “The Day the Music Died.” We crossed into Central Time and arrived early at the Comfort Inn Mitchell.
Day 24: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
After breakfast, we departed for the Field of Dreams. Lunch was at the Pizza Ranch buffet in Fort Dodge, Iowa, with pizza, fried chicken, a salad bar, and an ice cream machine.
Afterward, I honored the many veterans on board, including one guest celebrating her retirement after 22 years in the Army and 20 more with the federal government. We all applauded her 42 years of service, and I played patriotic songs including “The Armed Forces Medley.”
We arrived early in Dyersville and split into two groups. One toured the farmhouse from the movie while the other played ball on the field and took photos coming out of the corn. Lifelong Dyersville resident Tom led the house tour, showing movie stills in each room. He explained that Columbia Pictures renovated the house for filming and promised to restore it afterward, but the owners loved the upgrades and kept them!
From the risers along the first base line, we heard from Frank Dardio, who played one of the ghosts in the movie when it was filmed in 1988. He shared how the role changed his life and has since taken him around the world telling his stories. It was entertaining and educational.
Following our visit, we settled in at the Holiday Inn Dubuque for the night.
Day 25: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Heading to Findlay, Ohio, we passed Chicago, and I reflected on our wonderful Days 2 and 3 there.
To prepare for tomorrow’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame visit, I explained why Cleveland was chosen, how artists are inducted, and who’s in the 2026 class, to be inducted November 14 in Los Angeles and aired on ABC. Then I played a song from each member of the first class in 1986, from Chuck Berry and James Brown to Ray Charles and Elvis. What a trip down memory lane!
We arrived at the Drury Inn Findlay, and we headed straight to the Kickback for a fun evening together.
Day 26: Thursday, September 24, 2026
On the way to Cleveland, I played more music from Hall of Fame inductees and shared my tip for touring the museum: start on the lower level and work your way up to the 6th floor.
Our first stop was the house from “A Christmas Story” (1983). Superfan Brian Jones bought the 1895 house on eBay in 2004 and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars restoring it to match the movie down to the smallest detail. Guests took lots of photos, and some visited the gift shop.
At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, guests explored on their own. The lower-level Ahmet Ertegun Exhibition Hall holds most of the collection, including guitars, stage outfits, and memorabilia, with Elvis, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones claiming the largest displays. A special exhibit celebrated 50 years of music on Saturday Night Live, and a theater showed classic “Soul Train” performances. There was so much to see!
After checking into the Hampton Inn Cleveland, our final hotel, guests had two hours to relax or explore before our farewell dinner at Hofbräuhaus. Upstairs, in a long, high-ceilinged hall that looked straight out of Hogwarts, we enjoyed beer or wine, Bavarian pretzels, a delicious entree, and German chocolate cake. The conversation was friendly and electric, and it was the perfect farewell dinner for our very special 27-day Route 66 Centennial journey.
Day 27: Friday, September 25, 2026
After breakfast and back on the bus for our final day together, I handed out my “2026 Starr Cross Country Statistics at a Glance” packet and played Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound” as we pulled away. Then I led a trip down memory lane through our 27 days together.
After a rest stop, we held our “Cross Country Awards Assembly.” Sean and I each said a few words, several guests took the microphone to share their memories, and I presented each guest with their 2026 Cross Country Award. The heartfelt comments were a wonderful testament to the friendships we’d formed.
At Eat’n Park in Somerset, Pennsylvania, we had lunch and said farewell to our Starr Tours Capital Region guests with hugs and plenty of fond memories.
Then it was on to Bensalem, where we received a hero’s welcome! A special thank you to the Starr office staff for their warm greeting and pretzel treat.
All day, guests thanked Sean and me for a fabulous “Trip of a Lifetime.” They brought excitement and enthusiasm from Day 1 and embraced every quirky stop along the way. I couldn’t have asked for a better group or a more memorable month of travel!
