THE GRAND TREK

FLEXIBLE ITINERARY

• Day: 1-2 Los Angeles, Pacific Coast & Monterey

We begin our six week adventure with a quick tour of Hollywood before leaving Los Angeles and skirting the awesome Pacific shoreline for two days. The Pacific Highway snakes north beside the heaving ocean swell as head to Monterrey to splash the cash or stroll the coast around this seriously scenic peninsula.
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 3-4 San Francisco

San Francisco is next, "Everybody's Favourite City". Enjoy a full day to explore the city with plenty of time for shopping in China Town & Union Square, sightseeing and a stroll over the Golden Gate Bridge. Maybe take a cruise on the bay for an unforgettable sunset, then go bar hopping 'til the tiny hours. Mission, Marina or Haight-Ashbury Districts usually check the right boxes.
Accommodation: 2 en-route hotel nights paid locally

• Day: 5-6 Yosemite National Park

Heading through Central California we take a scenic drive into the Yosemite National Park region and a chance to hike or bike through the extraordinary landscape of glacier-carved granite monoliths and spectacular waterfalls. Hike to Yosemite Falls, one of North America's highest, and capture El Capitan's great granite profile on camera. Keep your eyes peeled for the chance to view the park's abundant wildlife.
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 7-8 Lake Tahoe & Idaho/Nevada

Set sail at Lake Tahoe on an optional sunset cruise or play the house in one of the flash casinos - though a gentle pedal boat ride, scenic parasailing or an energising jet-ski, may just as easily push your buttons. Now your posse heads across a heap more widescreen scenery as you edge westward through Idaho & Nevada.
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 9-10 Jackson

Feel the old frontier spirit alive and kicking in the truly western town of Jackson, Wyoming. Fresh from conquering the Snake River rapids, one of America's last great untamed rivers, on an optional whitewater rafting trip, corral your posse into the nearest watering hole. Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is a fine tip, with saddles for stools and trophy cow horns above the counter.
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 11-12 Yellowstone National Park

Pitch up in the world's first National Park, Yellowstone. This is a superb wilderness of spouting geysers, waterfalls and simmering mud pools. A-grade American stars grace the trails - keep your eyes peeled for this abundant wildlife. Large herds of bison and elk roam the park and if you're lucky, you may even see bear or wolf.
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 13 Cody

Next, it's Wild Wyoming, the heart of cowboy country, This is what Cody is all about. From its cowboy roots to its summer rodeos, shake a leg and try some two-step as the buckin' bronco rears its massive head!
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 14 Sioux Indian Lands

Yep, we're talking Mount Rushmore and the uniquely sculptured faces of our four greatest Presidents Close by, another rock-carved epic is shaping up: the Crazy Horse monument, a nod to the famed Lakota Indian war leader, very impressive!
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 15-16 Badlands National Park & South Dakota

Never mind the "bad lands", touching down here feels like a moon landing. Low-slung buttes, chiselled spires and saw-tooth ridges have a bizarre lunar quality as you swap some photos. Resident coyotes may utter the occasional howl as you settle back for some shut-eye under canvas.
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 17-18 Chicago

Our next stop is Chicago - the "Windy City", home to some of the greatest blues music in America. Soar up Willis Tower for dizzying views over the Windy City. Trawl the upmarket malls of Magnificent Mile and grab a slice of Chicago's deep-dish pizza before peddling on the included famous "Bobby's Bike Hike" tour.
Accommodation: 2 en-route hotel nights paid locally

• Day: 19 Ohio

Ask a "Buckeye" to tell you all about their state nut or how cool they think Cedar Point Amusement Park's rollercoasters are! Ride the Millenium Force - the greatest roller coaster in the world!
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 20 Niagara Falls

From the edge of Lake Ontario, the sensation of crashing water is stupendous, the noise immense, at America's greatest national attractions, Niagara Falls. Wait 'til you're down on the water aboard 'Maid of the Mist', where the cascades pound, churn and foam right before your eyes. That's what you call a front row seat!
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 21-22 New York Area

Explore the sights and sounds of New York City. Splurge along Fifth Ave, hit the top of the Empire State Building, or soak up the trendy, laidback vibe of Greenwich Village
Accommodation: 2 hotel nights included

• Day: 23-24 Washington DC

We head out of the New York area onto Washington DC, the perfect introduction to the social, cultural and political history of the United States. Explore the best of America's Capitol - from the Smithsonian Museum to the Lincoln Memorial on the guided tour. During the day the city is awash with greenery so once you're done with sightseeing, go people watching in the parks. Why not take advantage of the great nightlife in Georgetown!
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 25-26 Virginia & Tennessee

You'll need no second invitation to appreciate the grand views of the rolling green slopes of the Appalachian mountains in Virginia. In Tennessee, choose to don a lifejacket, grip a paddle and bounce along a churning stretch of white water an optional rafting trip. Pure adrenalin!
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 27 Alabama/Mississippi

Next, travel into the 'Deep South' to Alabama and Mississippi for a taste of true southern hospitality. License plates proclaim you're in the 'Heart of Dixie', as the radio pumps out a
hatful of country tunes to back this up.
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 28-29 New Orleans

Beyond Mississippi we hit Louisiana, home of the Big Easy & Bourbon Street. Now we're talking all that jazz! We head into the enchanting French Quarter of New Orleans and hear the real deal at Preservation Hall, echoing with chirpy trumpet and smooth sax. Sample a Hurricane at Pat O'Brien's! New Orleans has more than just food, drink and music to offer. Do the Huckleberry Finn thing as you chug along the Mississippi River.
Accommodation: 2 nights en-route hotel paid locally

• Day: 30 Louisiana/Texas

Look for gators on our optional Louisiana swamp tour through the mysterious bayous of Cajun country (a must do!). The Lone Star bids you a big-hearted welcome for four nights in the mighty Texas.
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 31-32 San Antonio

Don your Davy Crockett hat and check out the Alamo, symbol of Texan pride and independence from Mexico. Or stroll the Paseo del Rio. If your Spanish is shaky, that's the cobbled 'river walk', bursting with greenery, cafés and boutiques.
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 33-34 Texas & Carlsbad Caverns National Park

The biggest state of the continental USA is also home to plenty of Mexican-American cuisine, "Tex-Mex", including spicy fajitas and tacos could be on the menu tonight. Do you know your stalactite from your stalagmite? Carlsbad Caverns boasts over 100 limestone caves sporting glinting minerals and telling names like the Hall of the White Giant and Green Lake Room.
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 35 Arizona / Roswell, New Mexico

After a visit to the famous Roswell's UFO Museum, pitch your tents together and chew the fat long into the night. What are those lights in the sky?
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 36 Monument Valley

Venturing into the desert southwest, we hit the iconic Monument Valley used in Hollywood scenes from Westerns to 2001: A Space Odyssey and everything in between. Get jeep-bound and flit between towering buttes and massive mesas. This is sacred Navajo land; take home their secrets, legends and the odd handcrafted keepsake. Tonight, experience a stunning sunset overlooking the valley.
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 37-38 Grand Canyon National Park

No trip west is complete without a stop at the Grand Canyon and we have a full day tomorrow to experience the grandeur of Earth's natural wonder. Pack your best boots and don't forget your camera for a sunrise/sunset hike along the rim. For the more ambitious take the long hike down Bright Angel Trail to Plateau Point, or choose the "bird's eye" view on a scenic flight. Watching the sinking sun paint it amber, maroon and red, its breathtaking immensity still blows you away.
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 39-40 Lake Powell & Zion National Park

Swim the deep blue waters of Lake Powell, formerly the great Glenn Canyon, or just sit back on the shore and soak up the powerful rays of this beautiful and surreal man-made desert oasis. Then onwards to Zion National Park. Explore the hidden canyons or maybe hike to Angels Landing. Okay, so getting up there can be devilish at times, but the famous trail puts Zion on a 360-degree display of this magnificent national park
Accommodation: Camping included

• Day: 41-42 Las Vegas

With a sudden burst of neon, Vegas is right in your face - the greatest show on earth. Watch out though - some dub this place 'Lost Wages'! Why not cruise "The Strip" in a super-stretch limo, indulge in an all-you-can eat buffet, take in a show or just watch the amazing crowds, neon signs and attractions that many hotel casinos have to offer. And if that's not enough, take a helicopter flight back down The Strip or just gamble the night away in one of the world class casinos.
Accommodation: 2 en-route hotel nights paid locally

• Day: 43 Los Angeles

Top it all off with a journey across the desert and some California sun as you roll into the larger than life LA scene. Hangin' out at the beach is a fine way to finish off your cool road trip!

Tour ends at approx 17:00 hrs in Los Angeles on day 42.

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