THE US SECOND-TIME STATES DESTINATIONS T


he US has some staple destinations that have long


proved popular with visitors – California, New York, Florida and the big historic cities pull in a steady flow of Brits every year. But there are 50 states in the Union – 23 of which are accessible by direct flights from the UK – and some don’t get the attention they deserve. Well, maybe it’s time to rectify that by heading to some of the harder-to-reach states. Here are our top picks.


w NEW MEXICO Highlights: Strongly Hispanic and strongly Native American, New Mexico has a cultural twist to its natural highlights – which include the mountains and canyon carved by the Rio Grande in the north, and the dazzling dunescapes of the White Sands National Monument in the south. Taos is home to the Taos


Pueblo, where the traditional way of living has been maintained for hundreds of years, and quirkily handsome capital Santa Fe is crammed with art galleries. Up-and-coming: Breaking Bad turned the focus on Albuquerque, a classic Route 66 stop-off. But it’s also home to the Sandia Peak Tramway, an audacious cable car heading to a 10,378-foot-high mountain station, and the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum. This looks at hot-air ballooning in one of the sport’s hotspots. Getting there: American Airlines connections from Dallas and Phoenix are usually the quickest way to get to Albuquerque. Book it: Collette runs a six-day New Mexico tour in October, based around the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Prices start at £1,599. gocollette.com


Dominated by national parks, Wyoming is arguably the west at its most beautiful


w WYOMING Highlights: Sparsely populated and dominated by national parks, Wyoming is arguably the west at its most beautiful. Yellowstone is the big draw here, and it’s the variety that makes it special. Grandstanding set-pieces such as Yellowstone Falls and the Old Faithful geyser come with plenty of backcountry hiking, plus splendid moose, bison and bear watching in the Lamar Valley. Up-and-coming: Grand Teton


National Park to the south of Yellowstone is arguably even better for wildlife spotting, and comes with photogenic mountain views and river rafting. Just outside is the Jackson Hole ski resort – daunting for novices, but with excellent snow reliability. Getting there: Delta flies to Salt Lake City, which isn’t far from the southern part of Wyoming. Otherwise, connect from Chicago or Denver with United to Jackson Hole airport. Book it: Specialist operator Wildlife Worldwide offers a nature-themed holiday in Wyoming’s National Parks, including a visit to the National Elk Refuge and wolf tracking in Yellowstone. Its seven-day Yellowstone Ultimate Wolf & Wildlife Safari winter trip costs from £4,895, excluding international flights. wildlifeworldwide.com


New Mexico


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