Classic West and Californian Coast

Los Angeles – the land of Hollywood, Disneyland and Universal Studios, where life is as carefree as can be. With its ever-shining sun, palms in the breeze, movie stars with their fancy houses in Beverly Hills, wonderful museums, futuristic buildings, and surfing spots, Los Angeles truly makes for an unforgettable destination.

In the route between Los Angeles and Laughlin, you pass through Palm Springs, famous for its luxury resorts, golf courses, and mild climate, and Joshua Tree National Park, with its desert landscape dominated by the tree from which the park takes its name (a variety of yucca). Standing at the southernmost tip of Nevada, Laughlin is a well-known gambling city in the USA, the biggest after Las Vegas and Reno. It boasts a dozen huge casinos, parading along the Colorado riverbank.

Get your kicks on iconic Route 66, through Seligman and Kingman. You will soon find yourself in the Kaibab National Forest, a large forest thick with blackjack pines, Douglas firs, aspen and juniper bordering on the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is the most famous and most spectacular example of river erosion - an inconceivable abyss formed by the wear of the Colorado River. The Canyon is 1,500 m deep, 450 km long and 16 km wide. Its layers disclose the geological history of the last 2 billion years and its rocks change color according to the time of the day - your first glimpse of this majestic landscape will leave you speecheless. The Grand Canyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a truly unforgettable sight.

Your destination today is Monument Valley, a 3-hour trip across a great variety of natural landscapes, from ponderosa pine forests to the desert. Desert View Drive is a scenic route to the east of Grand Canyon Village, which follows the south rim for 25 miles (40 km) out to the Desert View Watchtower and East Entrance. Along the way you find a number of viewpoints; Grand View, Moran, Lipan, Navajo Point and Desert View should not be missed. You should also stop at the Little Colorado River Gorge lookout to enjoy the view of the deep canyon.You leave Route 64 and turn left on Route 89 at Cameron, where you can find one of the Southwest's truly historic trading posts. You have just entered the largest Indian Reservation in the US, the Navajo Indian Reservation that extends into New Mexico and Utah and is home to about 200,000 Navajos. 25 km from Cameron turn right on Route 160 to go towards Monument Valley via Tuba City and Kayenta. A few miles after the turn a single handmade sign on the left side of the road leads you to some pretty cool 200-million year old dinosaur tracks, guarded by a Navajo representative. Back on Route 160, you drive through Tuba City and Kayenta, where you can refuel. From Kayenta it' 20 more miles to Monument Valley. You'll need $20 in cash to pay for park entry. Monument Valley is arguably the most famous landscape of the American West – and possibly the most breathtaking one. The red sandstone crests, jutting out from the desert, were the iconic setting of numberless blockbusters – above all “Stagecoach” (1939). The park stretches over the land of the Navajo Nation, between Utah and Arizona.

State Route 98, the Navajo Mountain Scenic Road, is a 58-mile route that stretches across part of the vast Navajo Reservation. The road takes its name from Navajo Mountain, a peak that is sacred to several tribes including the Navajo, Hopi and Paiute. The road begins at U.S. 160 a few miles northeast of Cow Springs and makes its way across desert grasslands punctuated with sandstone formations and views of Navajo Mountain. Along the way, sheep and horses graze lazily under bright blue sky. Vegetation is sparse but many of these plants play a significant role in Navajo culture. Yucca plant roots are used to make shampoo and the fruits are boiled and eaten. Other plants are used as dye for wool or to make medicinal teas. At approximately mile 18, the road continues past the Shonto Plateau and the turnoff to Navajo Mountain. A pullout provides scenic views of Navajo Mountain and the surrounding area. From here, the road curves west with more beautiful views of windswept bluff and red sandstone formations. The small community of Kaibito is located just off the road and has a small general store. The final section of the road heads northwest toward the town of Page and breathtaking Lake Powell but don't rush the journey. This scenic route feels like a step back in time and captures the incredible stark beauty of Navajo country. Before arriving at Page you should make a stop at Horseshoe Bend, just 5 miles south of downtown Page. The outlook at Horseshoe Bend is easily reached on a gently graded 2.5-km trail from a free parking lot. The path is mostly sand over hard-packed dirt. Bring water. Lake Powell was formed when the Glen Canyon Dam was erected on the Colorado river. The reservoir, surrounded by an immense desert, makes for a striking landscape – its turquoise water clashing with soaring cliffs made of red sandstone.

For your drive to Bryce Canyon today you can choose two different routes: the quicker Route 89 that crosses the Colorado River by the Glen Canyon Dam Bridge. Or you can follow the longer Route 89A, the Fredonia-Vermillion Cliffs Scenic Byway, crossing the Colorado River on the Marble Canyon bridge (take a walk on the bridge that affords a spectacular view of the water 470 feet below), passing through the stunning Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and the all American village of Fredonia. Along the way look out for the endangered California condor! Route 89A ends in Kanab and from here you follow RT 89 for about 60 miles before turning right into RT 12. Stop in Kanab to refuel and get some refreshments. Kanab was nicknamed “Little Hollywood” thanks to all the Western movies made here in the 50’s. You can also stop at Mount Carmel Junction for a slice of Ho-made pie at Thunderbird Restaurant (try the strawberry rhubarb) and at Orderville at the Orderville Mine Rock Shop, right off US-89, with a great selection of indigenous minerals, stones and gems. Just before you get to Bryce, you can make another stop at Red Canyon, for a taste of the scenic beauty that awaits you. Bryce Canyon is, in fact, not a canyon: it’s a breathtaking natural amphitheatre full of spires and arches and pinnacles, jutting out in dazzling colours against the sky, moulded by the rain and frost in bizarre shapes to create a unique mountainscape.

From the magnificent backdrop of red rocks and coniferous forests of Bryce, you descend into the Nevada desert and arrive in the expanse of lights and golden skyscrapers of Las Vegas. When you are about 90 km from Las Vegas, if you have time, you could consider taking exit 93 from Interstate I-15 to Valley of Fire State Park (entrance fee $10 per car, subject to change without notice), a detour of about 70 km to one of the most photogenic places in the Southwest, a stunning landscape dominated by the red color of petrified dunes, cliffs, and oddly shaped rocks. Las Vegas is beyond words. It shines like a diamond the middle of the desert, dazzling with its extravagant luxury hotels, bustling with all sorts of shows and revelry. A place – but can such a place even exist? – without equal in the whole world.

Just 125 miles and the change of scenery couldn’t be more striking: from the man-made oasis of Las Vegas to Death Valley, land of extremes. Just out of the city a short diversion passes Red Rock Canyon, featuring huge sandstone cliffs and colorful eroded rocks, that you can oly see entering the Park by RT 159. You can stop at Pahrump for fuel and refreshments. Not too far away are the clear springs and streams of Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Death Valley takes you back to what Earth looked like millions of years ago. In the summer the weather is especially scorching, reflecting on the names of the places in the area: Funeral Mountains, Furnace Creek, Dante's View, Coffin Peak, Devil's Golf Course.

Yosemite National Park, nested amidst the Sierra Nevada mountains, is one of the most famous national parks in the world. The altitude of its peaks ranges from 600 to 4,000 m. The park boasts more than 4 million visits per year. It is divided in four areas: Yosemite Valley – the area that draws more visitors – , with its granite Half Dome, the sheer rock formation of El Capitan, and the famous waterfalls; Wavona, the park’s historic core; Mariposa Grove, close to the southern entrance, with the giant sequoia cluster of Mariposa, and the Grizzly Giant, one of the largest trees in the world; and Tuolumne Meadow, in the hidden heart of the park, a favourite destination, brimming with paths, lakes, forests and granite massifs. The park is criss-crossed by the Tioga Road, the only way to cross the Sierra Nevada (Tioga Pass, more than 3,000 m) and to go in and out of Nevada.

Blue as a topaz and circled by majestic peaks, this High Sierra gem straddling the California-Nevada border is a bucket-list staple, a place where the air is “very pure and fine...it is the same the angels breathe,” according to author Mark Twain. Lakefront towns dot the shoreline, each with their own appeal. Winter and springtime snow lets you carve it up at world-class alpine resorts. Summer brings out the water toys—sailboats, stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, and almost anything that floats. Fall paints the hills with golden aspen leaves. Lake Tahoe lays claim to some of the country’s top alpine resorts. On the north shore, Squaw Valley, Northstar California, and Alpine, the sister mountain to Squaw, are top draws, especially on powder days. On Tahoe’s south shore, Heavenly—one of the world’s biggest ski resorts—offers jaw-dropper lake views from runs as wide and bump free as freeways. Heavenly has also bumped up the fun even if you don’t ski or board, with on-mountain zip lines, tube runs, scenic gondola rides, and a party-like atmosphere on and off the mountain. Tahoe is also home to lower-key resorts—Boreal, Donner Ski Ranch, Homewood, Sierra at Tahoe, Soda Springs, Sugar Bowl, Tahoe Donner. You can also head out on groomed cross-country and snowshoe trails at Royal Gorge or Kirkwood. For a real treat, get your mush on with a sled dog ride near Squaw Valley, Kirkwood, or in Hope Valley, just south of Lake Tahoe. In summer, many of these same resorts—especially Northstar, Heavenly, and Squaw, offer summertime fun such as mountain biking, hiking, and scenic tram or gondola rides—a great way to get high up in the mountains without a lot of effort.

San Francisco’s iconic streets twist up and down its many hills and scenic bridges connecting it to the mainland – chief among which the red Golden Gate. San Francisco is a charming, multi-faceted city, regarded as a liberal, enlightened oasis in a rather conservative America.

There are several beautiful seaside locations along the way, such as Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz and Capitola Beach. The centerpiece of Monterey is its magnificent harbor, Monterey Bay. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary provides homes for seals, sea lions, dolphins, otters, and many more marine species. To learn about these denizens of the sea you can't miss the Monterey Bay Aquarium: to avoid the big lines at the main gate, buy your tickets online and get in by the Advance Ticket Holder entrance, which, as you're facing the building, is down an alley about one hundred feet to the right of the main entrance. Monterey County is known for its wines: stop by the Cannery Row tasting room for A Taste of Monterey, which serves wines from a number of different area wineries and has a breathtaking view of Monterey Bay. Don't miss Old Monterey. This historic district isn't just there for looks; it's still a thriving downtown. Many of the historic adobes are now home to fabulous restaurants and bars.

From the charming town of Ventura, between Santa Barbara and Malibu, you can take day trips to Channel Islands National Park. In the winter months, from December to April, it is possible to spot gray whales, while in the summer you can see humpback whales and blue whales. It is also possible to camp overnight on the islands.

Enter Disneyland: a magical, timeless kingdom where you can set sail with the pirates, explore a jungle, meet the Princesses from the fairy tales, dive to the bottom of the sea aboard a submarine, and even reach the stars on a space shuttle! Established in 1955, Disneyland was created by the genius of Walt Disney. It is divided into eight areas: Main Street, U.S.A., Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Mickey's Toontown, Frontierland, Critter Country, New Orleans Square, and Adventureland. Disneyland also features a Disney California Adventure Park: 7 exciting areas that will cast you into the most iconic Disney and Pixar adventure realms. Amidst the must-do attractions: Monsters, Cars, The Little Mermaid, Soarin’ over California, and California Screamin’ – the most breathtaking roller-coaster!.