Cowboys and Comanches
Tour Overview
"Cowboys and Comanches" is a four-day tour through the landscape and history of the Old West with Dr. Torget as your personal guide. Beginning in the famous Stockyards of Fort Worth, the tour makes its way into the panhandle of Texas, exploring the history of cowboys and cattle kings, longhorns and bison, Comanches and the U.S. Army, while walking in the footsteps of American West icons like Quanah Parker and Charles Goodnight. Along the way we will stay in elegant hotels, enjoy great food, ride in the comfort of a chartered bus, and be treated to private tours of historic sites.
Dates
October 23-26, 2025
Duration
Four days, three nights
Cost
$2,300 per person
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — October 23, 2025: Cattle Drives, Fort Worth, and the Rise of the Cowboy
The tour begins with the rise of the cowboy! Traveling from Denton, we start our adventure in Fort Worth, the last great cattle town on the edge of the Great Plains. Following the Chisolm Trail into historic downtown, Dr. Torget will lead a walking tour through Hell's Half Acre, the notorious red-light district whose saloons and brothels became the stomping grounds for Western legends like Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp. We will then tour the world-famous Fort Worth Stockyards, take in a longhorn cattle drive, and enjoy dinner in a private room at historic Billy Bob's Texas, the "World's Largest Honky Tonk." We will spend the night in the historic four-star Hilton Fort Worth (the same hotel where President John F. Kennedy spent his last night).
From Denton to Fort Worth
Dinner
Hilton Fort Worth
Day 2 — October 24, 2025: Comancheria and Life on the Plains
Today we travel into the Great Plains and the heartland of the Comanche. In the morning we make our way to Fort Richardson, the most important of the historic forts built by the U.S. Army to subdue the great American Indian tribes. Dr. Torget will lead a personal tour of Fort Richardson, talk about the movement of Americans into the Plains, and the fights that erupted between the U.S. Army and Plains Indian tribes like the Comanches. We will then travel to the site of the Pease River Massacre, where Texas Rangers recaptured Cynthia Ann Parker and set her son, Quanah Parker, on his path to become the last Comanche warrior chief. Next, at beautiful Copper Breaks State Park, we will visit and feed Texas's official state longhorn herd, before making our way to Embassy Suites in Amarillo, for a private dinner and lecture.
From Fort Worth to Amarillo
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Embassy Suites, Downtown Amarillo
Day 3 — October 25, 2025: The Red River War
Today we make our way into the Red River War, the last great fight between the U.S. Army and the final bands of Comanches, Kiowas, and Apaches led by Quanah Parker. In the morning, we will travel to the Canadian River, where an outpost for buffalo hunters known as Adobe Walls became the site of a desperate attack by 700 Plains Indians in June 1874, prompting the U.S. to send 5,000 cavalry in pursuit of these Indians. Following a private lunch (with a presentation about the role of buffalo in the lives of the Comanche), we will then tour the stunning vistas of Palo Duro Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the United States and the last refuge of the Comanches. Exploring the history of the canyon, Dr. Torget will tell the remarkable story of how the U.S. army overran Quanah Parker and the Comanche in the canyon, ending the era of free American Indians in Texas. We will conclude the day at the hotel with a private dinner and lecture.
In the Panhandle
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Embassy Suites, Downtown Amarillo
Day 4 — October 26, 2025: Charles Goodnight and the Rise of Mega-Ranches
During our last day, we explore the rise of the famous mega-ranches in Texas that ended the cattle drives and began the modern cattle industry. We will enjoy a private tour of the Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight Ranch State Historic Site, the home of cattle legend Charles Goodnight, who founded one of the largest and most iconic Texas ranches in the aftermath of the Red River War. We will enjoy a boxed lunch, tour the house and grounds, and hear about how the Goodnight family's efforts to save the buffalo from extinction led to the modern Texas State Bison Herd. On the ride back to Denton, Dr. Torget will talk about how the legacies of cowboys and Comanches, longhorns and bison, cattle drives and mega-ranches, have all shaped the modern landscape of Texas.
From Amarillo to Denton
Breakfast, Lunch
Activity Level
This tour requires average physical activity and is for healthy active adults. The itinerary blends some longer days with shorter days containing more leisure time. Travelers should be in good health, able to climb stairs, walk reasonable distances on paved sidewalks and on some uneven ground, and able to ride for long periods on a chartered bus. Travelers will be able to explore some sites at their own pace.
Hearing Assistance
Our chartered bus will be equipped with a microphone and speakers for Dr. Torget's onboard lectures. Dr. Torget will also use a microphone and speakers for all lectures in hotels and during meals. In addition, we will also provide special headphones for each Traveler to use while we visit historic sites, which will allow you to easily hear Dr. Torget at all times.
Trip Highlights
- Walking tour of Hell's Half Acre in Fort Worth.
- Walking tour of the Fort Worth Stockyards.
- Private dinner at iconic Billy Bob's Texas.
- One night in historic Hilton Fort Worth.
- Walking tour of Fort Richardson.
- Visit site of Pease River Massacre (where Cynthia Ann Parker was captured).
- Feeding Texas State Longhorn Herd in Copper Breaks State Park.
- Two nights in Embassy Suites in downtown Amarillo.
- Private room for our group in Embassy Suites for meals and lectures.
- Visit Canadian River, location of the Battle of Adobe Walls.
- Visit to historic Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
- Private tour of Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight Ranch State Historic Site.
What's Included
- Expert guidance and historical lectures by Dr. Torget throughout each day of the tour (on the bus, at historic sites, during meals)
- Transportation in private chartered bus.
- Three nights in beautiful hotels.
- All meals (dinner on 10/23; breakfast, lunch, dinner on 10/24 and 10/25; breakfast and lunch on 10/26).
- Entrance fees for all historic sites.
- Custom tour booklet.
- Tour guide headphone system (special headphones that will allow you to easily hear Dr. Torget at all times when we visit historic sites).
Important Information
Payment Deadlines:
- A $500 deposit is required to reserve your seat on the tour.
- Full payment is due by Wednesday, July 23, 2025.
Terms and Conditions:
- Please carefully read the that apply to all tours by Yellow Rose Tours, LLC.
Travel Insurance:
- Although the price of this trip does not include individual travel insurance, travel insurance is strongly recommended for all Travelers and is available through multiple independent travel insurance providers.
Bus Pick-up and Drop-Off:
- The chartered bus for this tour will depart from and return to the Support and Services Building (SSB) at 1500 N. I-35E in Denton, where the offices for OLLI at UNT are located.
- All Travelers on this tour need to make arrangements to be dropped off and picked up at the SSB location, as no Traveler on the tour can leave their vehicle in the SSB parking lot during the trip.
Luggage:
- Each Traveler is limited to one suitcase that will be stored underneath the bus and one small carry-on bag that must fit underneath your seat on the bus.
Restrooms:
- Our bus will be equipped with an on-board restroom.
- Restrooms will also be available at most tour stops.
Snacks and Water:
- Complimentary snacks and water will be available on the bus.