G Adventures review: USA western states camping tour
An honest review of my experience with G Adventures USA
I had always wanted to experience the American west, and after travelling through the south western states on a two week Contiki bus tour in 2016, I was interested in visiting the mid-west and north west with other budget minded young travellers.
I chose to book the tour because I liked the itinerary, stopping in major cities, small towns, national and state parks and historic sites, overall it seemed like a good overview of the western part of the country. I was also curious about trying a camping trip, which was the lowest cost option I could find for a tour through this part of the USA.
I booked this tour in June 2018 and I paid for it myself, so this is a completely independent review.
I had some great experiences on this tour, visiting world renowned national parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite, stopping in small towns like Jackson Hole and major cities like Chicago and San Francisco, activities like hiking and paddleboarding, seeing all kinds of roadside attractions like the Corn Palace, and historic sites like Mount Rushmore, and overall just the fun, social experience of group camping, sitting around the campfire and roadtripping across the country.
You can read a detailed day-by-day summary of all the experiences I had on this tour or jump straight to the end where I share what I liked, what could have been better, and my final recommendation for this western states camping tour with G Adventures USA.
If you are more interested in planning your own American road trip check out this article instead:
How to plan a 3 week road trip across the Midwest and Western USA in 21 days
Typical campground set up with the tents and G Adventures bus
Quick Overview of the G Adventures western United States camping tour
Destinations: Chicago, Milwaukee, Sioux Falls, Badlands National Park, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, Wyoming, Montana, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole, Idaho, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park and San Francisco, along with many stops at other small towns and attractions along the way !
Highlights: The highlights for me were Yellowstone, Yosemite and Grand Teton National Parks, camping at the base of the Devil’s Tower rock formation in Wyoming, the western cowboy lifestyle in Jackson Hole, and learning about American history.
Who was on the trip: We were a group of 10 people, 4 from Germany, 2 Australians, 1 British , 2 Americans and myself from Canada. Probably a third of us were students, everyone was under 30 except for 2 people in their late 30s. Everyone was a solo traveller and it was close to half and half women and men. There was a driver and guide who were both American.
Who was the guide: There was one guide and one driver for this G Adventures tour. The guide was American and around the same age as us (mid 20s), I think he had just finished university. He was very well informed on the history of the area and did a good job of explaining where we were going, keeping things on schedule and managing the food and camping equipment. He was very professional the entire time. The driver was also American, he was a bit older than us and I think drove professionally most of his life. I felt that he drove safely, kept the bus clean and in good condition and was friendly and helpful, although I think there was occasionally tension between the guide and driver, with the guide feeling like the driver didn’t help out as much at the campsites, but overall they were both fine.
How did we travel: We had private minibus which we used for the entire tour. It had four rows of two seats on either side of the aisle and five across the back, there was no restroom on board. People generally kept the same seat for the entire tour. There was also an attached luggage trailer for all our suitcases, backpacks, the camping equipment and the cooler. You could leave anything on the bus or trailer and they would be locked at night for safety at the campgrounds. I found the bus to be comfortable and it had expected safety features. We did quite a bit of walking around the different parks, and we did take shuttle buses in Yosemite and taxis/ubers in Bozeman, Jackson Hole and San Francisco.
Where did we stay: This camping tour mostly used campgrounds, with one night in a hostel in Chicago in multi-share, gender separate rooms, and a Harrah’s hotel in Reno, in double share rooms with same gender roommates. There were no occasions where men and women stayed in the same room overnight. The campgrounds varied, some had a range of amenities like pools, general stores, laundry, golf courses, and other activities, while some sites were more basic. All sites had easily accessible restroom and shower facilities, with the exception of Yellowstone, where we had to drive to the pay showers. I thought G Adventures did a good job of selecting sites close by to weather shelters or washroom buildings, in most cases.
The tents were surprisingly easy to put up and take down, it took less than 5 minutes with two people, and equipment was labelled so you used the same tent, mat and sleeping bag for the whole trip. I would recommend bringing a headlamp or clip on reading light and a small memory foam pillow to make the tent more comfortable.
Recommended Luggage: The majority of people on this tour had a rolling luggage or rolling duffel. There really wasn’t a need for a big backpacks because we unloaded the trailer directly on the campsite, so you didn’t have to bring luggage anywhere by yourself.
Arrival in Chicago
I arrived in Chicago the day before the tour started since I had never previously been to the city. I stayed in the HI Chicago (Hostelling International) which was the departure point for the tour since I thought that would be most convenient. It was safe and clean and provided a large kitchen area with free breakfast every morning. I picked up an American SIM card immediately upon arrival as well so I could have internet throughout the trip.
My first activity was a walking tour of downtown Chicago with Chicago Free Tours By Foot, which was a great introduction to both the history and architecture of the city, the weather wasn’t great so there was only myself and another girl along with the tour guide, so practically like having a private tour, and you just tip the guide at the end.
I had also advanced purchased a single ticket to the musical ‘Hamilton’ which was new and super popular at the time, someone offered to buy my ticket from me for several hundred dollars while I was standing in line and I declined since I wanted to see the show, but that would have given me enough spending money for the entire trip !
Day 1: Meeting the G Adventures group in Chicago
The tour technically started today around dinner time, so I had the day by myself to do some shopping, try a Chicago style deep-dish pizza and stop by some museums and attractions.
First stop was the American Writers Museum, which presents the legacy of America’s greatest writers through a variety of highly interactive exhibits and constantly changing special exhibitions. They even have old fashioned typewriters you can try out !
Second stop was The Art Institute of Chicago, which is a world class art museum with collections that span a range of countries, styles and genres. I personally enjoyed their collection of Monets and I also attended a lecture on 19th century Scandinavian furniture and design. I only had about 3 hours and here and could have spent the whole day, so give yourself enough time here if you love art.
Back at the hostel, I was really excited to actually meet the group, there were about 10 people plus the guide and driver, and two other people were joining the group in Chicago. Many of the existing passengers had been together for close to a month driving across the Southern US. They already had a ‘WhatApp’ Group started where the guide would post daily info and people could keep in touch and ask questions or share pictures, so they added all the new people to that.
The guide arranged for people to go out for dinner and drinks, and more than half the group just stayed at the hostel and went to bed. I understand that they were tired from travelling for so long and this was one of the few non camping nights of the trip. I was a bit disappointed, because I was so excited to meet everyone, I was surprised how few people wanted to go out and enjoy the city on a Friday night, especially on an age-limited 18-39 tour. We still had fun with the people who did join in, it just wasn’t the experience I was expecting.
Day 2: Minnesota and Miller Brewery Tour
After breakfast at the hostel, we loaded up the mini bus and luggage trailer. I think because we were an early season trip that wasn’t sold out so we all got our own row of seats, which was really nice.
First stop was an included tour of the Miller Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The experience involved quite a bit of walking and goes both outside around the different buildings, and inside to see the production process. We got some samples at the end in a ‘Bavarian’ style bar, and there is quite a good gift shop. I enjoyed learning more about different Miller products, because as a non-American, I had heard of a lot of these beers in country songs (like Miller High Life) and had no idea what they were.
Later in the afternoon, we actually had a unique opportunity to do a ‘homestay’ experience for lunch instead of just having a picnic at a rest stop. The guide happened to be from the area and his parents had offered to host our group for lunch at their suburban home, so that the international visitors could experience an American barbecue party (which they seemed to call ‘grilling out’ or a ‘cookout‘). It was lots of fun, they had sausages and burgers with Wisconsin cheese and they put a soccer game on the TV for all the Europeans. That was such a nice thing to do and interesting to see what regular life looks like in Midwest suburban America.
We continued on our drive towards the campground and stopped briefly for dinner at a big shopping mall complex which was also hosting a heavy metal music festival in the parking lot. Myself and the other vegetarian got some ‘fried cheese curds’ which are a local specialty, and we just sat out in the parking lot eating our Wisconsin cheese and listening to music with a lot of yelling.
Upon arrival at the campground, it was really late and already getting dark. I was concerned tents would be difficult and time consuming to set up, but we were done in about five minutes. The guide got a fire going and we just played games and roasted marshmallows for the rest of the evening.
Day 3: Mall of America and Sioux Falls
This morning was my first camping breakfast, and I was surprised there were so many options, we could pretty much choose what we liked from the big cooler, people made toast, oatmeal, berries and yogurt, mostly simpler things, and the guide made coffee. You could also prepare yourself a lunch or snack for the bus journey. Clearing up the tents and repacking the bus was also easier than I would have thought, everyone had a labelled tent and sleeping bag and we were done in less than half an hour.
After driving into Minnesota, we arrived at our big activity of the day, the Mall of America, which is the 7th largest shopping mall in the world. There are 530 stores, a food court, restaurants, the Nickelodeon Universe amusement park area and the Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium. So, even if you are not a fan of shopping, there is still lots to do there ! As an international visitor, I mostly liked going into stores we don’t have in Canada, and looking for products and brands that are expensive to have shipped home.
The late afternoon was just spent driving through Minneosta to reach the campground called ‘Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park of Sioux Falls’, which is just over the border in South Dakota. This campground was excellent for drive-in camping, with amenities like a trampoline area, a pool and bar, a good gift and supply shop. We had the first major rainstorm that evening, and I thought camping would be miserable in the rain, but G Adventures made sure to book most camp sites near shelter areas and restroom facilities, so we were able to have dinner and play cards under a weather shelter area until the rain let up. I really enjoyed the freedom of being able to explore the entire campground and being with the group, rather than people all just going back to a hotel room at night.
Day 4: Corn Palace, 1880 Town and Badlands National Park
After leaving the campground, our first stop was to see the actual falls on the Big Sioux River, which Sioux Falls is named after. We were stopped in the parking lot by a local in his pickup trip who informed us that he thought the G Adventures logo looked like the symbol of the devil and therefore the bus was evil (you never know who you will run into on a roadtrip !).
To get to know other people on the tour better, we were playing some kind of game on the bus where you had to poke people in the nose (everyone was assigned a designated person, then if you got them, their target transferred to you).
When we stopped at a roadside attraction called ‘The Corn Palace’ everyone was all paranoid about getting poked, and an Australian girl got me pretty much the minute we stepped off the bus so I did not win. This stop in Mitchell, South Dakota was advertised as ‘The World’s Only Corn Palace’ and is an arena facility covered in murals and designs made from corn. At one time, there were more than 30 corn or grain palaces across the Midwest, and this is the last one left, so that was interesting to learn some more history.
Another hour down the road, we stopped at an attraction called ‘1880 Town’, which was like an old Western frontier cowboy village with old reconstructed buildings like a schoolhouse and a hotel, a train, and various museum exhibits to see how people lived around 1880. You are quite free to wander around and go inside to have a look at everything at your own pace.
After driving yet another hour down the road, we arrived at our first of many National Park stops, at Badlands National Park, which is probably best known for the distinctive striped geologic rock formations created by erosion.
We did about a one hour walk from the main parking lot, is it really beautiful scenery, you just have to stay on the path, bring water and be aware of heat and possibly snakes (we watched a rattlesnake safety video in the parking lot for the international people).
There wasn’t time to do any major hikes, and it was much too hot out to do so without correct supplies. We stayed just outside the park that evening at the Badlands/ White River KOA Holiday campground, which had good amenities like a pool, mini golf, a playground area and general store.
After dinner, the bus dropped us back in the park at one of the interpretive centres where the park rangers gave a presentation about bats and constellations. I think that is just a wonderful feature of the National Parks to provide interactive and immersive learning experiences, like actually being outside learning about what you are looking at. There was no extra charge for these presentations as our park entrance fees were covered by the tour cost, so that was good for those of us on a budget !
Day 5: Wall Drug, Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park
A nice feature of this G Adventures camping tour was the amount of included meals. There were two big coolers full of supplies you could use to make your own lunch and breakfast and then we usually worked together to make a set recipe for dinner. They were very good about accommodating myself and the other vegetarian, and most days I made avocado and apple salad wraps. Every few days we would stop by a large grocery store, usually a Wal-Mart, and the guide and driver would restock the cooler and you could request certain things, for example I asked for tofu and decaf coffee.
The first road trip stop today was ‘Wall Drug’, probably the most famous roadside attraction in America. It started as a little store that offered visitors free ice water, and now it is a big complex of tourist shopping stores, restaurants, cafes and galleries. We had about an hour to walk around and I got some locally made got some silver and turquoise earrings.
Next up was the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which is the four president’s heads carved into the mountainside. You can walk around the site and there is a small museum and visitor’s centre. People may have different perspectives on what the monument actually represents since the land it was built on, called the Black Hills, was important in the tradition of the Lakota Sioux people, as noted in this article by PBS. It is certainly is a unique American heritage site to see in person.
In the late afternoon, we drove into Custer State Park and did a driving tour to see the buffalo, along with a stop at an interpretation centre to learn more about them. It was the first time I had ever seen them up close, they just walk right around the cars in little groups since they are used to visitors, you are just asked not to feed them or touch and bother them.
There was also an optional activity for kayak, canoe or paddleboard rental in a little lake within the park, I went paddleboarding for a hour with one of the Australian girls just before sunset and it was a lot of fun, several people also went hiking as a free activity.
The campground this evening was a bit more average with a smaller site, limited amenities and individual restrooms, so there were long lines for the showers. It also happened to be my birthday and the guide has gotten a cake at WalMart so that was very thoughtful and overall quite a memorable and busy day for a birthday !
Day 6: Crazy Horse Memorial, Deadwood and Devil's Tower in Wyoming
The first stop today was the Crazy Horse Memorial, which is one of the world’s largest statues carved into a mountainside that has been under construction since 1948 on privately owned land. The statue will eventually depict a Native American who was a leader of the Lakota people known as ‘Crazy Horse’, although there are differing perspectives on what this monument really represents, and you can read more in this Wikipedia article. There was a comprehensive gift shop and museum on site with artefacts, paintings and other related local historical items.
On the drive to our lunch stop in the town of Deadwood, the tour guide provided some facts and commentary about the places we were visiting and he made a point of integrating Native American history consistently during the tour, which I was very happy to see, since I think it is important to get that perspective when visiting a colonial history country.
We had about two hours in Deadwood for lunch, it was a former Black Hills Gold Rush town in the late 1800s and the main street still retains many architectural elements of the time. Now it has lots of tourist shops and casinos along with a historic train and museum. It was quite a dramatic setting among the hills and really feels like you are ‘out west’ in America.
Another hour an fifteen minutes down the road, and we arrived at Devil’s Tower National Monument in the early afternoon, and we were able to set up the camp immediately at the Devil’s Tower KOA, directly across from the actual ‘Devil’s Tower, which is rock formation that rises from the landscape.
This was my favourite campgrounds of the whole trip, with a pool and two general stores and overall a great atmosphere being able to have beautiful views right from the tent. The whole G Adventures group went on a sunset hike along the actual trails up the rock to get views of the surrounding countryside, one of the Australians did that hike in flipflops, make sure to bring proper athletic clothing and footwear if you book this tour !
Day 7: Little Big Horn Battlefield Memorial and Bozeman, Montana
We left Wyoming this morning for a three hour drive to the Little Bighorn National Monument, which is a historic site where the Battle of the Little Bighorn (sometimes called ‘Custer’s Last Stand’) took place. There was a museum with a video presentation and you could walk around the site to see memorials to the groups who fought on both sides of the conflict. I had learned a lot about American history previously on a walking tour of Philadelphia, but visiting this site helped me understand a lot more about the experience of Native Americans in the history of the western states.
Most of the afternoon was spent driving across Montana, with a stop in Billings for lunch and to fill up the food cooler at a Wal-Mart again, we were also told this was a good place to stock up on snacks and drinks for Yellowstone, since we wouldn’t be at a big store again for a few days.
Upon arrival in Bozeman, we stayed at the Bozeman Hot Springs Campground, a campground with smaller sites that also had cabins, a cafeteria/restaurant area and a hot spring area. It was raining most of the time, so we went into town for the evening since there was a street food summer festival going on. Bozeman is a fun ‘college town’ , there were nice souvenir stores, bars and restaurants and lots of people out in the evening.
One thing to remember about visiting the USA is that you have to be 21 years old to buy alcohol Our group was all of age, but one person looked quite young despite having a perfectly valid Maryland driver’s license showing he was 21. The police actually confiscated his license at one of the bars we went to, until they could confirm it was legitimate, so be prepared to prove you are 21+ if you plan to go out since they take it quite seriously relative to some countries. We got an Uber home around midnight, and the tents stayed dry even though it rained all night, which was good.
Day 8: Yellowstone National Park
Breakfast was actually included indoors at the campground, which was a nice change, we also saw other tour groups here, there was a Contiki bus of people doing a similar itinerary as us but staying in cabins and hotels instead of camping. I actually enjoyed the camping and the freedom of having so much space at the campgrounds.
This morning we started the short two hour drive to one of the highlights of the tour, Yellowstone National Park , which is mostly in Wyoming, with a small section crossing into Montana.
Entrance to the park was again included with the tour, and most of the day was spent driving between different stops to see the famous hot springs like Mammoth Hot Springs and Great Prismatic Spring, which is the largest hot spring in the USA and has rings of vivid colours like blue, orange, yellow and red due to microbes in the water. There was also a stop to go hiking for about two hours in the afternoon, and people split off into different groups depending on interest and ability level.
We arrived at our campsite within the park just before dinnertime and we all made tacos together that night and everyone helped with cooking or doing dishes. It is worth noting as well that there was no regularly available wifi and phone data wasn’t working either, so a few people who needed to send emails home or do online banking were struggling with that.
Later, we walked over to a nearby outdoor amphitheatre where they have ranger presentations every night, the presenter had been working at the park since 1960s and talked about park history and wildlife with a slideshow.
Tour Tip : Yellowstone got quite cold at night, even in July because it is at a higher elevation. I had packed several layers, wool socks, gloves and a hat and I was still cold in the sleeping bag, so don’t underestimate the temperatures here and pack layers of clothing, suitable walking or hiking shoes, a waterproof jacket and hat, gloves and warm socks, even for a summer visit.
Day 9: Old Faithful, Great Prismatic Spring and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Yellowstone was one of the few two night stops on the tour since there is just so much to experience there. When we left the site for the day, we left all the basic camping equipment out like sleeping bags in the tents, but anything valuable (or even your whole suitcase) could be locked in the luggage trailer, just to be safe. No one had any items stolen during the trip, but you never know who else is staying at a campsite.
The first stop this morning was the Old Faithful geyser, which is known for its reliability and goes off every 45 minutes – 2 hours. I had seen geysers previously on a tour of the Golden Circle in Iceland, but it was interesting to see one again and also to walk around the boardwalk area for a few hours and see other springs and streams.
The park clearly warns people to stay on the designated pathways and to not chase hats or dropped items, since you can (and probably will) die if you fall in the springs. I still saw children running off the pathways and people getting closer to take better pictures, so that was slightly concerning. It’s a very popular site, with a big visitor centre and lots of tourists, so to get a front row view of the Geyser, you need to secure a spot a while before the eruption.
In the afternoon, we saw the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, which was created by an ancient volcano lava flow and is now a narrow, deep canyon area with a waterfall. You can walk down quite a few stairs to different levels of viewing platforms and the rocks look like almost a rainbow of different colours, both from the sediment in the rock and the spray from the waterfall. We definitely got some good exercise on this tour, and I found it helpful to have a little hiking backpack and several layers to wear, since it remained chilly throughout the day.
Just before dinner, we were dropped off at a big building with shower facilities, which you had to pay a few dollars for, and we had been warned of this on the itinerary. The people who were last in line didn’t have enough time to dry their hair and I felt quite rushed trying to shower, so that was not the most pleasant experience, but it was just one time on the whole trip, so not a big deal. We had another group dinner back at the campground, I think pasta and chicken and then went to another park ranger presentation. Everyone was in bed quite early because it was so cold out and we were all tired from exploring.
Day 10: Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole
It was a pretty short drive this morning, only about an hour and a half south of Yellowstone to arrive at Grand Teton National Park where there were a few options for hikes. All the girls went together on an easier hike around the lake and we played Ed Sheeran songs on a portable speaker to avoid bears. Some of the boys went on a longer hike and got mixed up and were quite delayed returning to the bus. We were all getting worried when they were more than an hour late, but they had bear spray with them, phones hardly worked out there so we couldn’t just call or text. It is possible to get confused and lost even in popular and busy National Parks, so make sure you stay on the trail, bring appropriate supplies and let someone know where you are going.
After another picnic lunch, we drove to Jenny Lake, which is the most popular stop in the park and has beautiful views of the mountains and features several hiking trails. There is also a visitor centre and a paved 0.5 km easy trail to walk around on along the edge of the lake.
The campground for the evening was alright, there were beautiful mountain views right outside the tent, but we were quite a far walk from any amenities. The bus dropped us in the town of Jackson Hole for an optional dinner at a brewery, which was a nice change from camping food. Most of us went over to the ‘Million Dollar Cowboy Bar’ later in the evening for a few beers and line dancing, it is very traditional inside, playing country western music, with pool tables and bar stools that look like saddles. One of the Australians even got a cowboy hat to wear and overall it was a really fun experience, we all got a taxi home again around midnight.
Day 11: Jackson Hole and Twin Falls, Idaho
When I woke up this morning, the bus was gone as the guide and driver had left to get supplies really early and my luggage was on the bus so I couldn’t get ready until they returned, so that was a bit of a mix up and not the best way to start the day.
After clearing out the camp site, we had the entire morning in Jackson Hole as free time. It is a smaller town in a valley between the mountains, and there are several ski resorts nearby and lots of outdoor activities. I mostly went around to some souvenir shops and galleries and got some pictures of the elk antler arches in the town square.
As we continued the drive into Idaho later in the afternoon, the scenery changed more to farmland as we left the mountains behind, passing through Idaho Falls to our destination just outside of Twin Falls for the evening. There was short stop at the Shoshone Falls Lookout before arriving at the campground.
There was also a white water rafting optional activity here somewhere but only one person wanted to, and after my experience white water rafting in New Zealand on a Topdeck tour, I was definitely not interested in trying again.
Typical campground set up for dinner
The campground was kind of strange, it was directly on the banks of the Snake River, but we were the only people there, besides the owners who were having a party on the far side. We made personalized baked potatoes with different toppings for dinner this evening and s’mores and just played cards for a while.
I was talking to the bus driver as well about the tour, and what I didn’t realize was that there are a lot of hidden costs of doing a roadtrip that you might not think of. On the surface, it might seem cheaper to do a tour like this by yourself like a camping roadtrip, but if you were to add up the cost of a rental car, insurance, toll road fees, gasoline, park entrance fees, campsite costs, food and the included attractions, I actually think this was a good deal for what was included.
Day 12: Drive to Reno, Nevada
This was probably the longest day on the bus, around 450 miles or eight hours, as we left Idaho for Reno, Nevada and spent most of the day driving through the desert. I had a US SIM card, but still didn’t have consistent internet service for a lot of the drive, which was frustrating for doing work on the computer. We stopped at a huge truck stop/service station called Love’s Travel Stop and they have the most random stuff for sale besides food, outfits, souvenirs, weapons, so much stuff you wouldn’t expect in a gas station.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Reno, as I had been to Vegas twice previously, it sounded like a miniature Vegas with lots of casinos from what I read online. We were there on a Tuesday and stayed at a Harrah’s hotel, which was a nice change from camping. The hotel had a full set up for a professional beer pong tournament, which I did not know was a sanctioned sport.
We went on a sort of casual walking tour with the guide to see the famous ‘The Biggest Little City in the World’ sign and we stopped by an outdoor equipment and clothing outlet store, before going to an ‘all you can eat’ sushi restaurant for dinner (which is not something I am interested in doing again).
I felt like there started to be a bit of a divide in the group, with some people who were just not as involved or participating, but I know some of them had been travelling for a long time and had already gotten to know each other, so maybe they were just kind of tired. A few of the boys went out to a casino after dinner, mostly for the novelty of it, and no one wanted to go anywhere else so I just went back to the hotel and went to bed. It was nice to have one night with a proper shower and not dealing with the tent and camping equipment, but I would have liked to explore the city a bit more.
Day 13: July 4th in South Lake Tahoe
Our next stop was Lake Tahoe, just about an hour south of Reno, and our visit there coincided with July 4th, which is an American celebration called ‘Independence Day’ where people often dress up in red, white and blue clothing, and have barbeques or picnics and parties with friends and family. Due to this, the town of South Lake Tahoe and the nearby campground we had booked were super busy, it was hard to get around and there was just generally a lot of confusion. A random person had set up in our designated campsite so it took while to have them removed.
When we tried to go down to the beach, there was no parking so the bus driver just had to leave us near the beach and come back later and we had to drag all our supplies, including the giant cooler, probably 500 metres to try and find an open spot. The guide was still acting very professional but you could tell he was frustrated. When we finally got our sun shade sorted out and decorated, I opened the cooler and all my stuff had been taken out accidently by someone else, so I was a bit annoyed by that, but enough people had food and drinks to share that it was all right.
The actual lake at Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake and second deepest lake in North America and it is known for having very clear water and being quite cold, even in the summer but we did go swimming for bit. We also played some card games andmost people dressed up in American themed hats or shirts we had picked up at Wal Mart or a truck stop. I had a great time, it was a fun atmosphere being on the beach with all the music and decorations, even if you aren’t American it is an interesting cultural experience. A few people in the group were just not participating at all, I don’t know if they thought the beach party was a waste of time maybe, but that happens sometimes on group tours, not everyone is always going to enjoy every activity.
Back at the campsite, we had a nice barbeque dinner and went back to the same beach to see fireworks over the lake which was nice. Overall, this day was a bit overwhelming and different from what was on the itinerary, but still a lot of fun.
Day 14: Drive to Yosemite National Park
This morning we started the drive towards Yosemite National Park, which was the last major stop of the trip. We stopped first at big grocery store in South Lake Tahoe to restock the cooler and get supplies for the park. The eastern entry to the park is through the Tioga Pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and it is the highest mountain pass in the state. It is typically closed from October to May, we were fine going through in July, but you have to check if its open before you try to drive it.
During the drive, the tour guide talked about the history of the park itself and also John Muir and the establishment of the US National Parks System.
Upon arrival in Yosemite, we did a driving tour with stops at the Glacier Point and Tunnel View lookouts to see the famous ‘Half Dome’ granite rock formation. You can do a day hike along a pre-made trail with cables, but you need a special advance permit, if you are interested in climbing or hiking Half Dome, check the park website in advance.
The bus stopped to pick up some girls hitchhiking at the bottom of the mountain and bring them back to the park entrance, that was interesting to meet some people our age travelling in a different way, I personally would not feel safe doing that, but everyone is different !
We stayed at a popular, busy private campground just outside the park. The sites were quite small, but it had a pool and showers and there were quite a few other groups there, including another G Adventures group. We just made pizza this evening, and the tour guide explained the G Adventures ‘Planeterra’ program, which supports cooperative tourism initiatives and projects in developing destinations, and arranged for us to make a group donation.
We all took turns with helping with either cooking or washing the dishes, and I have to say one concern I had on this tour was that the dishes and utensils were not washed to a standard I was comfortable with, we were using a damp towel that was hardly washed and we weren’t bleaching things used by the entire group. I chose to take my own set of cutlery and coffee mug to use and wash myself. The guide did arrange to buy new dish towels as soon as this concern was brought up, which was good.
Day 15: Mist Trail in Yosemite National Park
Today was a free day in Yosemite Park for hiking or other activities. We all made picnic food and packed snacks for the whole day, we arrived quite early, the guide explained the hiking trails, then left us for the day to be picked up at 4pm.
I originally wanted to do the flat Valley Loop Trail, but most of the people doing that one had kind of made their own little group and weren’t being very inclusive, so I went instead with everyone else doing the slightly harder Mist Trail (Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall Trail) which turned out to probably have been the better choice anyway for the beautiful views.
It was almost entirely uphill, climbing a lot of stairs and we stopped at the Vernal Fall Footbridge area, where most casual visitors turn back. The park also had a good little shuttle bus system, so you could go around to different stops and interpretive centres, though the buses were often quite crowded.
When we regrouped at the main visitor’s centre to be picked up by the G Adventures bus, all of a sudden everyone got internet signal on their phones, and many people were finally able to send messages to friends and family or do their banking. A random woman walked by our group standing there on our phones and loudly criticized us, saying ‘kids these days spend too much time on the Internet.’ I thought that was funny, since we literally hadn’t had Internet access for more than half the trip.
Back at the campground, we went to the pool area for a while then made a chicken stir fry, with tofu for the vegetarians. Once it got dark, we joined another G Adventures group that was mostly Australians and I enjoyed talking to them about my visit to Australia where I did a G Adventures tour of the Great Ocean Road.
The other group we talked to said they had their own issues with some group members hardly participating in the cooking and cleaning, so I think camping tours require a higher level of commitment and interaction than a hotel or even hostel level tour would, just something to consider when booking a camping tour. Overall, a nice experience for our last camping night and we made s’mores for the last time as well.
Day 16: Drive to San Francisco and sunset cruise
After packing up the bus for the last time and making sure we still had all the tents and sleeping bags, we started the final drive towards San Francisco. Someone arranged to get cards signed and gather up tips for the guide and driver.
We also stopped at a big outdoor mall area with a Taco Bell and in In-N-Out Burger, which are both fast food chains that are not common or don’t exist internationally (one of the British boys really wanted to try ‘Baja Blast’ Mountain Dew).
Upon arrival in downtown San Francisco, we completely unloaded the bus outside a major hostel, and then people either went to their accommodations, left for the airport, or arranged to join each other for an optional sunset boat cruise that the tour guide would still accompany us for.
The boat cruise optional was expensive, and I had been in San Francisco myself a few months before on a stopover and ad already seen the Golden Gate Bridge, but the guide said it was worth it, so I signed up.
We boarded the boat with another tour group, I think with Contiki, and the cruise included a few beers or sodas, along with jackets if it got cold. I had been over the Golden Gate Bridge by myself, but going underneath is a completely different experience and perspective. Overall, it was a memorable activity and a nice way to end the tour with most of the group. We had dinner just at a sports bar in the Fisherman’s Wharf area, which is a bit touristy, but we stopped by a photo booth to take some pictures and had a few drinks at a nearby bar. Most people had flights home the next day, so everyone was pretty much back to their accommodation by midnight.
Day 17: Coit Tower, Chinatown and visiting Alcatraz
I had booked an extra day in San Francisco by myself, I thought some people from the tour might still be around, but everyone had left already. On my previous trip I had visited the Castro District, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Cable Car Museum, so this time I just went for a walk through Chinatown and then up to Coit Tower.
I had also prebooked Alcatraz tickets online since they sell out quickly. Our boat left around 4pm and I had about two hours to walk around the site and do an audio tour. It really is a unique experience with lots of history and stories, and you get nice views of the city, especially around sunset.
I had a late night flight back to Canada, and that ended my visit of the American west with G Adventures.
Hiking and attending a ranger presentation at Badlands National Park
Final Recommendation for western USA camping tour with G Adventures North America
What I liked:
I really liked the variety of stops on the itinerary, it seemed like we experienced a lot of the highlights of the region and there was a mix of cities, towns, parks, historic sites, roadside attractions and other places of interest.
Having all the park entrance fees and campsite costs included along with some attractions and activities was good, there did not seem to be too many optional or add-on costs. I thought we generally had enough time to experience the different destinations, although you could easily spend a week or more at any of the big parks, we just saw the main highlights over two days.
I was really unsure about the camping aspect of the tour, but since a lot of the main attractions were the national parks, the camping actually allowed for a more immersive experience than a hotel would have, since we were actually out in nature and could do activities at night in the parks. The camping equipment was also in good condition and easy to set up so that was less of a hassle than I expected it would be. The camp sites G Adventures selected generally had good amenities and were close by to all the major sites we stopped at.
The smaller group size made it easy to load the bus in the morning and we weren’t stuck waiting too long for people at rest stops.
The tour was very good about accommodating me as a vegetarian, and there was a large variety of food options to choose from in the cooler, and we often made our own snacks and lunch, which was good for saving money and not having fast food too often.
The bus seemed safe and comfortable, no issues there and it was great to not have to worry about the driving. The guide was well-informed and educated about the history of the area and acted very professionally the entire time. Pre-departure communication was generally adequate and the provided packing list was helpful.
What could have better: I think the pre-departure packing list could have emphasised a bit more to bring warm clothing, I was quite cold in Yellowstone in the summer time. I would also have found it helpful to see a video of what a typical campsite looked like and the process of setting up the tents, as I was hesitant to book not knowing if the provided camping equipment would be difficult to use.
I think the website could also have emphasized a bit more that the camping tours require more commitment, interaction and participation than hotel or hostel tours, they did refer to ‘participation camping’ but you need to be prepared to help out and work with people who may come from a very different lifestyle or background (for example, some people may never have cooked their own food or washed dishes before the tour).
I would have also appreciated knowing that cell phone/internet service would be limited in some destinations, I had trouble submitting a work document on time and another tour member missed a university application deadline in one of the parks.
Final Recommendation:
I felt that I had a very memorable and fun experience. As an international visitor who didn’t want to rent a car and drive or camp alone, this was a reasonably priced way to see some of the highlights of western USA with a small group of similar aged budget travellers. I thought that many of the stops like Yellowstone and Yosemite were ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences and just really amazing outdoor and nature destinations.
I generally didn’t feel too rushed and I felt that I learned a lot about American history and everyday life in that part of the country. This certainly isn’t a luxury experience and it is not marketed that way, and you do need to be prepared to participate and help out every day with the camping. I think a camping tour requires a bit more patience and being open minded than a hotel or hostel level tour would, since you are with other tour participants pretty much all the time.
Overall, I think a summer time camping roadtrip was a great way to experience the mid and north western states of the USA and I enjoyed stopping at so many memorable destinations on one trip.
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