Western USA
Nature is on display here from the grandeur of stunning Yosemite National Park to the rugged beauty of the California coastline. Further inland, the multi-hued rock walls of the Grand Canyon stretch into the distance. This is Native American country too, where all those stories of the wild west originated. But let’s not forget the exciting cities along the way - all built with that pioneering spirit. Experience the glamour of Los Angeles and Hollywood, explore San Francisco, delightful ‘city by the bay,’ and be dazzled in decadent Las Vegas.
While the Mamas & the Papas were dreamin’ about it, the Beach Boys rather naively wished we all could be female inhabitants. California, the Golden State dominating the US west coast, really does have it all. From the rugged coast of the Pacific Ocean to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the east, you can sip wine amid the vines of the Napa Valley or star gaze among the Joshua trees in southern desert. As the song goes, once experienced, you can check out, but you can never leave.
If you’re going to San Francisco, besides the obligatory flowersin- your-hair, be prepared to find creativity on all spheres of life, reflected in the fine-food emporiums and wonderful architecture. And apparently there’s a fine bridge or two as well.
Los Angeles is synonymous with glitz and glam; Hollywood, the Oscars, Universal Studios, beach-side bodybuilders, the Walk of Fame and enough designer boutiques to satisfy even the most ardent fashionista.
Next door in Nevada, rises that hedonist heaven in the Mojave desert, where fortunes are won or lost. But Las Vegas is not all about gambling. You can have fun just checking out the jaw-dropping casino developments, go window-shopping at designer stores, hit the swimming pool, see spectacular shows or have a spa treatment.
Beyond Sin City’s neon glow lie the famous National Parks, full of wide blue skies, awe-inspiring canyonsand unusual shaped wonders, rich in mercurial color, which change depending on the time of day.
This is Native American country too, where you get to witness not only the local culture and traditions but also experience the Wild West, the legends, the wildlife and frontier towns that all go with it.
5 Fun Things To Do
1. See the Fall of Atlantis show at the Caesars Forum Shops or the high-flying acts at Circus Circus in Las Vegas.
2. Climb aboard one of San Francisco’s famous openair cars, fully operational since 1873 and the last of their kind in the world.
3. Relive the Wild West and enjoy live entertainment at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar located in the heart of Jackson.
4. Go ‘flightseeing’ at the Grand Canyon where this natural phenomenon can be appreciated by air.
5. Be sure to visit Monument Valley Tribal Park, the setting for many famous movies, both past and present.
Our Top Tours