Day 1
FLIGHT TO PHOENIX • SEDONA:
Our
flight today will take us to Arizona's
capital, Phoenix. Our motorcoach meets
us here and transports us to our first
overnight, Sedona. As we approach
this beautiful town, known worldwide
for the beauty of the red rocks, we can
easily see why it's one of Hollywood's
favorite movie locations.
Day 2
OAK CREEK CANYON • GRAND
CANYON • DINNER:
Leaving Sedona,
we travel north quickly ascending the
2,000 foot gorge of Oak Creek Canyon.
At the overlook, Native American vendors
will display authentic turquoise jewelry
or pottery for purchase. We continue to
the South Rim of Grand Canyon National
Park and are awed by its vastness and
the Colorado River winding almost a
mile below. We take the park shuttle
buses along the West Rim Road making
stops at several overlooks and look
across to the North Rim, about 10 miles
away. We overnight just outside the park.
Dinner is included tonight. (D)
Day 3
LAKE POWELL • BOAT CRUISE
• DINNER:
We see more Grand
Canyon as we exit via the east entrance
and head to Page, Arizona. We have a
tranquil cruise on Lake Powell which
was formed by harnessing the Colorado
River at the Glen Canyon Dam National
Park. We continue to enjoy this dramatic
landscape during our included dinner
at the Lake Powell Lodge. (D)
Day 4
UTAH • ZION CANYON • DINNER:
Some of the most enormous rock
formations are found at Zion National
Park. To get there we travel through the
mile-long Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel
before descending a series of switchbacks
on our way to the Visitors Center.
Here we'll board a tram for our tour into
the canyon where we find ourselves
surrounded by massive rock formations.
These formations, described as temples,
cathedrals and thrones, rise to great
heights, the highest reaching 8,726 feet.
We head east to Bryce Canyon, our
overnight destination. Dinner is included
tonight. (D)
Day 5
BRYCE CANYON • GRAND
STAIRCASE ESCALANTE NATIONAL
MONUMENT • DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST
• CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK •
GREEN RIVER:
Towering rocks worn to
odd sculptured shapes and multicolored
limestone may not sound beautiful, but
once you see them in Bryce Canyon,
you'll agree - there isn't a canyon anywhere
in the world more beautiful. But
Bryce, although termed a canyon, is
actually a series of breaks in 12 large
amphitheaters. Our route today takes
us along Highway 12, one of Utah's most
beautiful scenic byways. It takes us
through the Grand Staircase Escalante
which is a series of great geological
steps of alternating cliffs, slopes and
terraces ascending more than 6,000-
feet. This masterpiece of geological
and biological diversity, designated a
National Monument in 1996, was one of
the last mapped areas of the continental
US. We'll continue through the towering
Ponderosa Pines in the Dixie National
Forest. Afternoon finds us visiting ancient
petroglyphs in Capitol Reef National
Park, so named because the rocks
formed a natural barrier to pioneer
travel, and the white sandstone domes
resemble the dome of the US Capitol
Building. Our overnight is in the Green
River area.
Day 6
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK • FOUR
CORNERS • COLORADO • CORTEZ:
Be prepared to be amazed this morning.
At Arches National Park we see a natural
landscape of giant stone arches, pinnacles,
spires, fins, and “windows” that was
once the bed of an ancient sea. Over
time, erosion laid bare the skeletal
structure of the earth, making this area
a spectacular outdoor museum. The Four
Corners is a unique place. It's the only
place in America where you can stand in
four states at the same time. Located
within the Navajo Indian Reservation,
this is the exact place where Arizona,
Utah, Colorado and New Mexico come
together. Today has been a feast for
our eyes as we've seen countless vistas
and natural formations. It's a short drive
to Cortez, Colorado, and our overnight.
Day 7
MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK •
NEW MEXICO • TAOS • RIO GRANDE
RIVER GORGE BRIDGE • DINNER:
Mesa
Verde, sure to be one of the highlights
of our tour, awaits us today. Mesa Verde,
Spanish for “green table,” is a large
plateau towering 2,000 feet above the
surrounding valleys, and is famous for
the well-preserved, pre-Columbian cliff
dwellings in the shallow alcoves of its
many canyon walls. We'll stop to explore
these dwellings before making our way
to New Mexico, “the land of enchantment.”
On a high plateau flanked by
mountains is where we find Taos, the
home of many artists and writers. Our
overnight will be Taos, and tonight's
dinner is included. (D)
Day 8
SANTA FE • ALBUQUERQUE •
SANDIA PEAK TRAMWAY • OLD
TOWN • DINNER:
We head south to
Santa Fe, New Mexico's capital city. It's
the oldest capital in the US, and dates
back to the year 1607. We'll tour this
lovely city, and have free time at The
Plaza for shopping and sightseeing.
This afternoon we take a ride on the
Sandia Peak Tramway three miles up
the west slope of Sandia Mountain.
Next, we stop at Old Town. The original
settlement, it still retains a lovely Spanish
flavor with many interesting shops and
is a popular tourist shopping area. An
included dinner awaits us tonight. (D)
Day 9
FLIGHT HOME:
This morning we're
transported to the Albuquerque
airport for our flight back to North
Carolina.