DESTINATIONS ESCORTED TOURS | THE US
miss DON’T
E Los Angeles: Its most iconic spot is the Hollywood sign. You can see it from as far away as Hollywood Boulevard, but the best way is to get up close, and as an add-on to itineraries starting and finishing in , TrekAmerica offers the Los Angeles: Hollywood Sign Small Group Tour in Luxury Van. From £25, the one-hour tour departs from the famous TCL Chinese Theater on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and takes you behind the white letters that overlook the city.
E San Francisco: No trip is complete without a visit to Alcatraz Island. Most famously a prison, the island was also an American Civil War fort, and is well-known as the site of a civil rights movement during its occupation by Native Americans after the prison was closed. Do Something Different offers the Alcatraz island tour and a hop-on hop- off Big Bus ticket for £90.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The group in Las Vegas; Vernal Falls, Yosemite National Park; Hollywood sign; Bellagio hotel fountains, Las Vegas PICTURES: Shutterstock
on the history of each of the best-known hotels and casinos. Of course, most groups of 20 to 30-year-olds will want to experience what Vegas is best known for – a great night out. TrekAmerica’s tour includes a party bus that takes the group to famous sights such as the Bellagio fountains and Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, allowing the group to let their hair down with a few (or more than a few) drinks. After that, everyone is free to roam for the rest of the night and the following day, which means everyone in the group – who will all have different priorities – can do what they want, be it gambling in the casinos, a zipline over Fremont Street, activities such as shooting or axe-throwing, or shopping.
PARK LIFE The second night may not be quite as raucous with an early start and 10-hour drive to follow as the tour makes its way back to California and Yosemite National Park. The last hour or so of that drive is another example of breathtaking scenery, but with jagged rocks poking out of lush green hills rather than the desert, showing the range of landscapes across the southwest US. Camping is just outside the national park boundaries, so it was just a short drive the following
62 14 NOVEMBER 2019
morning for a full day exploring Yosemite. There are walks of varying degrees of difficulty, and must-sees such as the Tunnel View and Bridalveil Falls. The most dramatic is Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America at 739 metres, including the upper and lower sections. It’s a sight to behold and easy to view after a short walk from the visitor centre. For active types, there are plenty more strenuous hikes.
We tackled the moderate three-mile Mist Walk to Vernal Falls, which takes walkers through a scattering of snow and back to sunny rock faces with views of Nevada Falls. There are troublesome spots, but by this point the group was close enough to lend each other a hand in tricky spots. A full day is needed in Yosemite and having a guide to help you decide what to prioritise means you’ll plan it well and make the most of the day. After the final night of camping it was on to San
Francisco – another long drive, but worth the mileage as the tour ends at the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Another landmark that needs no introduction, it’s the perfect spot to say farewell after a walk across the near-two-mile bridge that connects different sides of the Bay Area. Some of the group were set to continue on in San Francisco while others headed home, but one thing we all shared was the series of unique experiences that had brought us here.
TW
travelweekly.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
