| Tour Itinerary |
Day 1
FLIGHT TO PHOENIX • SEDONA •
DINNER:
We depart from the Charlotte-
Douglas International Airport this
morning on our flight to Phoenix, Arizona.
Upon arriving in Phoenix, we’re met by
our deluxe motorcoach and begin our
journey. The sights along the way will be
breathtaking! Watch for the awe-inspiring
red rock formations as we make our
way north to the beautiful town of Sedona,
where we’ll spend our first night. Sedona
is located in the high southwestern
desert at the southern end of Oak Creek
Canyon. In addition to being a popular
site location for western films and commercials,
it is also a center for contemporary
and traditional arts. Dinner is included
this evening. (D)
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Day 2
OAK CREEK CANYON • GRAND CANYON:
From Sedona, we travel through
Oak Creek Canyon making picture stops
along the way and shopping with some
of the Indian vendors. We travel through
Flagstaff and the Kaibab National Forest
to the Grand Canyon. We travel through
spectacular red cliffs, stands of aspen,
cedar and oak, and abundant wildflowers
to reach the South Rim, which is 7000
feet above sea level. Here, the canyon
is a flat mile to the bottom. One of the
most spectacular examples of erosion
anywhere in the world, Grand Canyon is
unmatched in the incomparable vistas it
offers to visitors on the rim. Enjoy the sights
of this natural wonder with its exceptional
views and photo opportunities!
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Day 3
NAVAJO NATION INDIAN RESERVATION
• MONUMENT VALLEY • MOAB
• RED CLIFF COWBOY GRILL:
We leave
the Grand Canyon this morning traveling
through the heart of Navajo Indian
country. We pass through Monument
Valley. This area provides perhaps the
most enduring and definitive images
of the American West. The isolated red
mesas and buttes surrounded by empty,
sandy desert have been filmed and
photographed countless times over the
years for movies, advertisements & holiday
brochures. Because of this, the area
may seem quite familiar. Our accommodations
are in Moab for two nights. Tonight
we enjoy a delicious western-style
dinner with magnificent views of the Colorado
River and the red rock cliffs. (D)
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Day 4
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK • CANYONLANDS
NATIONAL PARK:
Today we
visit one of the jewels of the southwest,
Arches National Park, a rugged area
containing the largest number of natural
stone arches in the country. The arches
were formed by the weathering of openings
in vertical slabs of sandstone. This
timeless, natural grouping of giant stone
arches, pinnacles, spires, fins and windows
was once the bed of an ancient
sea. The power of erosion has laid bare
the skeletal structure of the earth at this
fascinating location. Canyonlands National
Park is the largest national park in
Utah. We witness breathtaking views divided
by massive canyons of the Green
and Colorado Rivers. We're back at the
hotel for a relaxing evening enjoying our
beautiful surroundings.
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Day 5
CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK •
GRAND STAIRCASE - ESCALANTE NATIONAL
MONUMENT • DINNER:
We drive
through the San Rafael Desert to Capitol
Reef National Park. Here we see narrow
canyons, ridges, arches, spires and
domes. The monument is so named because
of the resemblance of the many
whitish sandstone domes to the US Capitol
building; the “Reef” refers to the high
uplifted ridge running north-south along
the fold which presented a considerable
barrier to early settlers. Our scenic drive
continues through the Grand Staircase-
Escalante National Monument, which
covers 1.7 million mostly roadless acres
and was established in September, 1996,
by presidential decree. We overnight
near Bryce Canyon, with dinner included. (D)
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Day 6
BRYCE CANYON • ZION CANYON
• LAS VEGAS:
Today we tour Bryce
Canyon National Park, which includes
some of the earth’s most colorful rock
formations, fantastic wind and water
sculpted “hoodoos” tinted by various oxides
which give red, yellow, brown and
lavender hues. After our tour and ample
time for picture-taking, we proceed to
Zion National Park and the amazing Zion
Canyon. Desert terrain and huge, sculpted
rock formations coexist with waterfalls
and hanging gardens in this spectacular
gorge carved through strangely colored
sandstone, shale and limestone. Later
we depart for fabulous Las Vegas, the
“fun capital” of the world, for a two night
stay. After our arrival, you are free to take
in the dazzling action, live shows and
top-name entertainment.
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Day 7
LAS VEGAS • FREE DAY • OPTIONAL
TOUR TO HOOVER DAM:
Nevada’s
largest city, Las Vegas, is a razzle-dazzle
city of lights, hotels, night clubs, and
casinos. Today is free for you to do as
you wish. Take in some of the shows with
headline entertainers or just try to see as
many of the spectacular Casino-Hotel
sights for which this city is noted as possible.
You may choose to take an optional
tour with us to Hoover Dam. (Cost: $55
per person) After 60 years it still stands as
a world-renowned structure and is rated
as one of America’s Seven Modern Civil
Engineering Wonders.
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Day 8
LAS VEGAS • HOME:
Our vacation
of wonders, both natural and manmade,
comes to an end today. Our
flight leaves from Las Vegas and arrives
back in Charlotte this afternoon.
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