DAY 1 UK/Denver
Fly to Denver for a two-night stay in the ‘Mile High City’, set on the edge of the Rocky Mountains. Our accommodation is at the 3-star plus Cherry Creek Hotel.
DAY 2 Denver
Once the mining capital of Colorado epitomising the Wild West lifestyle, Denver is now a dynamic modern city. We discover it on this morning’s tour, which takes in the US Mint and Larimer Street with its preserved Victorian buildings. At the gold-domed State Capitol Building be sure to pause on the 13th step; it’s exactly one mile above sea level and offers a magnificent view across to the Rocky Mountains. We’ll also drive past Molly Brown’s house, survivor of the Titanic; then on to Dinosaur Ridge, one of Colorado’s most unusual museums, to see tracks and fossils of the great lizards. We then head for the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a naturally formed outdoor venue. Continue onto Lookout Mountain before returning to your hotel, visiting the grave of Buffalo Bill en route.
DAY 3 California Zephyr
Early this morning we board Amtrak’s California Zephyr, one of the classic trains of America, for a journey through the spectacular Colorado Rockies to Salt Lake City. Relax and take in the view through the wide panoramic windows as we cross the Continental Divide and trace the course of the Colorado River, passing through majestic mountain scenery. We arrive in Salt Lake City and transfer to the 4-star Marriott Hotel around midnight, which will be our base for the next two nights.
DAY 4 Salt Lake City
Carved out of a desert of salt flats, the bed of what was once an inland sea, Salt Lake City was founded by the Mormons and remains the spiritual capital of the Church of Jesus Christand Latter-day Saints. We’ll see the Temple Square surrounded by its 15-foot-high wall; the Tabernacle, where the celebrated Mormon Choir performs; Liberty Park; and the Great Salt Lake itself.
DAY 5 Bryce Canyon
Today we prepare ourselves for the incredible spectacle of Bryce Canyon, where desert winds have fashioned the multi-coloured sandstone into a natural sculpture park of amazing rock formations. Towering pinnacles, banks of what could almost be organ pipes and bizarre ‘hoodoos’, towers of rock eroded to leave their tops balancing precariously above, are coloured in a palette of ochre, red, orange and yellow, subtly changing as the sun passes overhead. Our base for the next two nights is the Shilo Inns in Kanab.
DAY 6 Zion National Park
In ancient Hebrew, Zion means a place of refuge or sanctuary and you’ll soon understand just how apt the name is. Encompassing 229 protected square miles, the cathedral-like cliffs and stark canyons of Zion soar thousands of feet into the desert sky, framing dense forests, hanging gardens and waterfalls plunging into rock pools below. Take a walk along the gentle Gateway to the Narrows Trail, where the Virgin River floods the canyon floor – it’s an unmissable experience.
DAY 7 Glen Canyon Dam & Flagstaff
We drive south today, passing the Vermilion Cliffs, a multi-hued rock escarpment extending some 40 miles, en route to Glen Canyon Dam on the borders of Arizona and Utah. Construction of the dam began in 1956 and although it was completed ten years later, it took some 17 years for the lake it created, Lake Powell, to fill completely. Today the sparkling blue waters framed by red cliffs are a haven for boating and watersports enthusiasts and, as we’ll see on an optional boat ride across thelake, a popular location for holiday houseboats. Our accommodation for the next two nights is La Quinta Inn & Suites in Flagstaff.
DAY 8 The Grand Canyon
No matter how many times you’ve seen it in pictures, the reality of the Grand Canyon is truly spellbinding. Some 277 miles long, an average of nine miles wide and over one mile deep, statistics alone make it worth a visit. But facts and figures don’t capture its natural beauty – the everchanging colours of the ancient walls, its fantastic rock formations, naturally carved pyramids, soaring towers and the Colorado River snaking its way across the canyon floor far below. Contemplate the scene from the rim or take an exhilarating optional helicopter ride for an eagle’s-eye view.
DAY 9 Monument Valley
Entering Navajo Reservation country, our first glimpse of Monument Valley may well be familiar, as the eroded table-top mountains rising sheer from the desert and silhouetted against a huge sky have been used as the memorable backdrop for many a cowboy blockbuster. The red buttes and spires, the final remnants of the sandstone layer that once covered the entire area, have become an iconic symbol of the American West. Be sure to take the optional jeep safari led by a Navajo guide into the heart of the valley; it’s an amazing trip. We stay overnight at the Holiday Inn Express in Cortez.
DAY 10 Mesa Verde National Park
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mesa Verde National Park is home to more than 4,000 Indian dwellings. Believed to have been carved by the Anasazi tribe between AD 450 and 1300, when the area was abandoned, the houses and communities are hewn from the cliff faces or built atop the mesas themselves and give us a fascinating insight into the life of these early inhabitants. There’s a true taste of the Old West for the next two nights as we stay in Durango at the authentic Victorian Strater Hotel, which has been welcoming guests since 1887.
DAY 11 Durango & Silverton
We take a ride back in time today aboard the Durango and Silverton steam-hauled Narrow Gauge Railroad, built in 1882. It’s a fabulous journey through the San Juan National Forest up to the former silver and gold mining town of Silverton, at an altitude of 9,300 feet in the San Juan Mountains. We have time to explore this quaint town with its Victorian main street and backdrop of mountain peaks.
DAY 12 Colorado Springs
Today we discover more of the Rocky Mountain landscapes as we follow one of the most scenic yet little used routes through Wolf Creek Pass to Colorado Springs. The road cuts through craggy forested mountains, skirting the trail that took the early Western pioneers two to three weeks to cross on foot. Two nights’ accommodation awaits us at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
DAY 13 Pikes Peak
Relax and enjoy Colorado Springs or take an exciting optional journey on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the highest train in the United States. The train climbs to the 14,110-foot-high summitof Pikes Peak, passing through forests of pine and larch and by mountain streams and cascading waterfalls, affording spectacular views at every turn.
DAYS 14 & 15 Colorado Springs/UK
Today we make a stop at Castle Rock Outlet Mall en route to Denver airport for the overnight flight to London. Please note: This tour travels to altitudes of over 10,500 feet and as a result some people may experience mild altitude sickness. Please see page 80 for more information.