Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado


Las V Best of the West


The USA has amazing cities to explore, but beyond the gateways there is a wealth of opportunities. Ella Buchan looks at combining Las Vegas, Utah and Colorado


The journey from Las Vegas to Colorado stretches from a dizzying man-made playground to some of the world’s most spectacular scenery. There are national parks studded with natural rock sculptures, dramatic mountain peaks casting shadows on glacial lakes, and vibrant cities with bags of culture and charm. USAirtours, which offers a


fly-drive package on the route, predicts multi-centre holidays to the western USA will be hugely popular in 2018. National sales manager Diane


Court says: “What’s not to love about fine dining in Las Vegas and superb entertainment


day and night, combined with outdoor adventure found across national parks and the natural beauty of Colorado and Utah?” From the dazzling lights of


The Strip to the dizzying beauty of the Rocky Mountains, these destinations showcase the USA at its biggest and best.


LAS VEGAS Extravagant, dazzling and fun,


Vegas has reinvented itself and is now America’s undisputed capital of entertainment, with great accommodation and dining experiences. Its historic downtown has


been revitalised over the past decade, bringing a buzz back


to Fremont Street. Former Rat Pack hangout the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino reopened this year after a stylish renovation. Cultural highlights nearby include the Neon Boneyard – a quirky open-air museum of restored neon signs – and the fascinating Mob Museum, which next year launches a Prohibition History Experience. After browsing bootlegging artefacts and visiting a working distillery, patrons can raise a glass in the museum’s new speakeasy. Vegas never stays still for long,


with two huge launches set for 2018. The Monte Carlo Resort and Casino is being rebranded to create two distinct hotel


experiences: a Las Vegas version of Sydell’s widely acclaimed NoMad Hotel, and the launch of the luxury Park MGM hotel. The 17,500-seat Sands Concert Hall will open its doors behind the Palazzo and Venetian. Gordon Ramsay, meanwhile, will open his fifth Vegas restaurant this winter. Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace will immerse diners in the fiery world of the popular TV show. With huge shopping complex Wynn Plaza opening early next year, followed in the spring by the newly chic Flamingo hotel, which is undergoing a $90 million renovation, Vegas is set to become even more exciting.


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