The West USA is a lovely destination, not only for Europeans, but also for Americans who want to travel within their own country. It’s a mixture of city, entertainment, beaches and National Parks.
My personal experience in the West USA was making a loop from Los Angeles and back to Los Angeles with a guided bus tour. It was a tour of 11 days.
After spending one night in Los Angeles, the bus picked us up to meet our fellow passengers. It was an international company, which is always a nice opportunity to meet new people with different cultures.
On our way to our premier stop, Phoenix, we got our first impression on the real American West. This was only an introduction to get to one of our biggest highlights: the Grand Canyon. Probably one of the most famous National Parks of the West USA.
If you’re not afraid of flying, you should consider doing a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon. I can assure you there is nothing more SPECTACULARthan this! It’s hard putting this into words, but I’ll try.
Of course, you have to see the Grand Canyon on the ground also. You have the North Rim, South Rim and West Rim. Opinions on which one is more beautiful are very different.
After all of these impressive views, we saw Monument Valley, famous from the Marlboro ads. Also a lot of movies were made here.
Next day, on to another highlight, Bryce Canyon. And I prefer this Canyon, because it looks like a fairytale with the little towers and special shapes.
On our way to Las Vegas, we drove through Zion National Park, which is another great park with beautiful landscapes. Again, one to put on my list with favorites.
Las Vegas, you have to see it to believe it! Even if you do not love gambling, once in your lifetime you should see this city. There is no other city which is as luxurious as this one and build in a desert!
During the day, it’s totally different than at night. Hanging out at your luxurious hotel, going to nice places to eat, go for a swim AND gambling of course. At night, this city comes to live with all the lights! And you definitely have to see the water shows.
Check out my Las Vegas Travel Guide to have a peek at Las Vegas and the water show at the Bellagio. This was my favorite show!
Next day, on our way to Yosemite National Park we spent the night in a little town, called Mariposa. From here, we left to see the park. Again, beautiful nature, high cliffs, waterfalls… And here pictures say more than words.
Our tour through the West USA is coming to an end, but not before we’ve seen San Francisco and it’s big bridge!
San Francisco has a lot to offer: Fisherman’s Wharf, Worlds Crookedest street, the famous houses from the TV show Full House, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Check out my San Francisco Travel Guide for more information and pictures!
And don’t forget Sausalito, a little village on the other side of the bridge, with a great view over the skyline of San Francisco.
From San Francisco, along the coastline (17-Mile Drive), to our start point, LA city. Where we also did a little city tour to see the Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, …
After all of this, we wanted to relax a bit and so we did. Check out where in California !
This is just a short summary of what I’ve seen. This is a destination which you can expand even more. (Think Yellowstone, Arches, Canyonlands…) There’s so much to see at the West Coast. A lot of people rent a car, because it’s cheaper and you can see everything at your own pace. This is also an interesting way if you have children with you, because you can adjust your trip to them.
PRACTICAL TIPS for travelers to the USA.
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