Family Adventure Holiday In The Usa

Overnight Standard Hotel

This morning we take a tour of the famous Vegas Strip. Las Vegas is an enigma, a city in the desert, full of glitz and panache, which has become the showbiz Mecca of America. At the turn of the last century it didn’t even exist, but today it is home to over a million people and boasts 14 of the 15 largest hotels in the world. It is a modern day El Dorado, where Egyptian Pyramids and Arthurian Castles, share the desert haze with Venice, Paris and the New York skyline. If travel is to experience, then Las Vegas will not fail to impress – travellers who have not visited this city may be aloof about the prospect, but once there, it does not cease to amaze. From the bizarre to the tacky, there is always something to grab your attention. In front of the Mirage hotel you can witness a live volcano eruption while at the next corner furious pirates fight for their liberty at the Treasure Island. There is also the magical water light show at the Bellagio, the recreation of Venice at the Venetian or you can even climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower . Still the most breathtaking view over the city is from the top of the 350m Stratosphere Tower, the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States.

Overnight Standard Hotel

Today we head for Zion NP, the first natural gem on our tour through the High Plains. Desert terrain and huge, sculpted hanging gardens create an oasis in the desert. Established as a national park in 1919, Zion spreads across 147,000 acres and contains eight geologic formations. Its original inhabitants were the Anasazi, who mysteriously seemed to disappear sometime around the 13th century. They were followed by the Paiutes who named the area ‘Loogoon’ (arrow quiver), holding it in awe and believing it to be inhabited by spirits, so much so that they refused to enter the canyon at night. The Mormons were the first white men to enter the canyon and it was them who christened the place Zion. As its name suggests it is a place of peace and refuge, but not only for the visitor. The park is a sanctuary for all manner of flora and fauna, from roadrunners, golden eagles and mountain lions, to cottonwood, cactus and desert phlox. After we set up camp we will have some free time to visit the visitor centre or do some short walks.

Overnight Simple Camping Included meals: Lunch, Dinner

Today we have the possibility for some more great hiking. A rather wet experience is the hike in the knee-deep Virgin River, boxed in by 730m high canyon walls in the Zion Narrows (weather permitting), where we will encounter water-sculpted sandstone arches, grottos and cathedral-like fluted walls. Or you may choose to climb up to Angels Landing, which is not a hike for the faint of heart as it involves steep drop-offs! Of course there are easier walks, such as to the Emerald pools, so there is something for everybody to explore in this fantastic natural playground.

Overnight Simple Camping Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we drive to Bryce Canyon. There is little that you will have ever seen before that can truly prepare you for your first sight of this amazing canyon and plenty of camera film will be required. Named after a Mormon settler by the name of Ebenezer Bryce, who memorably declared it ‘a hell of a place to lose a cow’, Bryce Canyon is a multihued amphitheatre of sculpted rocks -or “Hoodoos”- which resemble petrified animals or historic figures. Erosion has created these amazing formations out of 225 million to 250 million year old rocks and it is easy to understand why the Paiute Indians called this place the ‘Valley of the Standing Man’. Be warned though, at 2700m, Bryce Canyon can be cold at night. We will have the opportunity of some optional walks in the canyon itself. As well as the amazing spectacle of its geological formations, the canyon is also home to a diverse array of wildlife, from small mammals, such as the rare Utah prairie dog, to birds and foxes, as well as the occasional mountain lion and black bear. Tonight we have the unique experience of camping in teepee style tents.

Overnight Simple Camping Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Swimming available

This morning for those who wish an early start and a short walk you will have the chance to see Bryce at its best - sunrise with its red, orange and golden hues of the sandstone providing a tapestry of warm colours. Today we continue to our lodge in Boulder. This afternoon, there is time for optional horseback riding, fly fishing or hikes to view petroglyphs and waterfalls.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast we drive to Capitol Reef where we view some petroglyphs and take a short hike to Hickman Bridge. We will then drive to the biggest Indian reservation in the country, the Navajo Reservation, which was founded in 1888 to provide a protected region for the Navajo people. Monument Valley lies within this vast area and has featured as a backdrop to many ‘Westerns’ and other Hollywood productions, including “Back to the Future III”, “Thelma and Louise” and “Wild Wild West”. This is the classic ‘wild west’ landscape. However, familiarity does not prepare you for this amazing spectacle. Pinnacles and towers rocket skywards from the desert floor and the warm embrace of sunset colours alters the landscape’s appearance daily. Explore the valley in jeeps with a Navajo guide. In the evening we can enjoy Native American follore stories, music and dancing around the campfire before we retire to our traditional Hogan for a night like no other!

Overnight Basic Camping Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we drive to the Navajo National Monument then take a short hike to the Betatakin Ruins viewpoint. Then we drive to Lake Powell. At a length of 300km (and a shoreline length of an incredible 3150km – longer than the western coast of the United States), Lake Powell is one of the most scenic lakes in the world. Part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and named after the one-armed civil war veteran John Wesley Powell, who first recorded his travel through the area, the lake is the second largest manmade lake in the U.S., after Lake Mead, with a surface area of 161,390 acres and a depth of almost 200 meters (when the lake is full). It is one of the most surreal landscapes imaginable, with more than 96 major canyons, tranquil blue waters and red sandstone buttes. From here we will visit Antelope Canyon by jeep - a beautiful, peach gold coloured, sandstone slot canyon formed by the force of flash floods coming from the plains above.During our stay here, you will have time to do several optional activities available - rent a boat on the lake or you may wish to do one of the many short hikes in the area

Overnight Simple Camping Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Leaving Monument Valley behind we head to the Grand Canyon today. On route we will have a short stop at the Cameron Trading post where we will have the chance to shop for some Native American arts and crafts of this region. On arrival you will be amazed at the extension of the Canyon - it extends east to west for some 450km, from the western boundary of the Navajo Reservation to the vicinity of Lake Mead and the Nevada border. The Canyon is 1750m deep (as deep as the highest of the Rocky Mountains are tall), and averages 16km in width. This afternoon you will have enough time to take a short rim walk before sun down.

Overnight Simple Camping Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is left free for your own exploration of the Canyon. For the fit it is possible to walk a short distance into the Canyon, or for those feeling slightly less energetic, a leisurely stroll along the canyon rim may be more to your liking (both unescorted). Alternatively you may wish to view the canyon from high above on a helicopter flight (optional). Whatever you decide, the Canyon is one of the most amazing natural spectacles anywhere on the planet and sunsets at the Grand Canyon are something to be savoured and an experience that will long remain in your memory. In the evening you may wish to end the day with an IMAX movie presentation about the history of the canyon (optional).

Overnight Simple Camping Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

This morning we leave the Grand Canyon behind heading back to the bright lights of Vegas. Travelling along Historic Route 66 where an estimated 210,000 people migrated to California along this road to escape the despair of the Dust Bowl during the Depression years. The architecture along this ghost road gives an insight into the early days of Route 66 and is rich in Americana.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch