Odysseys Unlimited - Issue 4, 2019

NATIONAL PARKS OF THE SOUTHWEST

Following a guided tour, we have ample time on our own to savor the grandeur of the Grand Canyon.

Day 1: Depart for Phoenix, Arizona We depart today for Phoenix, Arizona. As guests’ arrival times may vary, we have the day at leisure to explore Arizona’s capital city as we wish. This afternoon we check in at our hotel, where we enjoy a welcome briefing and dinner together. D

Day 2: Phoenix/Sedona/Grand Canyon We leave Phoenix today, bound for the Grand Canyon. First, though, we’re headed to Sedona, one of the most striking spots in the American Southwest. Famed for its range of towering red sandstone formations, Sedona ranks as a popular destination for artists, filmmakers, photographers, hikers, and mountain bikers. We have time for lunch on our own and to do some exploring before we encounter this dazzling landscape in style, as we take a Pink Jeep tour for an exciting offroad excursion. Winding over dirt roads, we enjoy stunning panoramic views and learn about the region’s cultural and geological history. We also visit the Honanki Heritage Site, a 700-year-old Sinaguan cliff dwelling.

Then we continue on to the Grand Canyon and our nearby hotel, where we dine together tonight. B,D

Day 3: Grand Canyon It’s a day to remember as we visit one of the country’s most famous natural landmarks: the Grand Canyon. Considered a wonder of the natural world, this UNESCO site stretches nearly

300 miles through and 10 miles across the Arizona desert. We see truly awe-inspiring vistas: banded layers of rock rise to plateaus and bluffs thousands of feet overhead, while the mighty Colorado River rushes one mile below. On our guided tour, we learn about the canyon’s geological history, and also about human history here: it dates back some 10,000 years and includes native peoples, explorers, miners, entrepreneurs, conservationists, and of course, visitors – who today number some six million annually. Then we have time for lunch on our own and an afternoon at leisure to appreciate the magnitude and beauty of the six-million-year-old canyon as we wish. After this bucket-list attraction, we return to our hotel; dinner tonight is on our own. B

Day 4: Grand Canyon/Page/Antelope Canyon/ Lake Powell Today we travel to Page, Arizona, gateway to the imposing Glen Canyon Dam and its reservoir, Lake Powell. After reaching Page early this afternoon, we have lunch on our own then visit the winding – and spectacular – Upper Antelope Canyon. We travel onto Navajo land to reach this slot canyon, known to local tribes as “the place where water runs through rocks” – and one of the most photographed slot canyons in the world. Our tour through this stunning passageway reveals red-orange walls of “flowing” rock rising to heights of nearly

10 days from $3,295 total price land only

It’s a land of scenes epic in scope, from the immense Grand Canyon and the sinuous Colorado to the sandstone spires of Bryce and the red-rock cliffs and chasms of Zion. It’s the Southwest, which our small group celebrates at favorite national parks and preserves, America’s “best idea” (Wallace Stegner).

Your Small Group Tour Highlights

Spectacular Southwest scenery • Immersive experiences in three national parks • Open-air Jeep tour of Sedona’s red-rock landscape • World-renowned Grand Canyon • Lake Powell stay • Motorized rafting excursion on Colorado River • ”Flowing” rock walls of Antelope Canyon • Guided hikes in national parks • Natural hoodoo rock formations of Bryce Canyon NP • Zion NP’s diverse landscapes and wildlife

Day Itinerary Hotel Rating

1 Depart for Pointe Hilton Tapatio Sup. First Phoenix Cliffs Resort Class 2-3 Tusayan Best Western Premier First Class Grand Canyon Squire Inn 4 Page Lake Powell Resort First Class 5-6 Bryce Best Western Bryce First Class Canyon City Canyon Grand Hotel 7-8 Springdale Hampton Inn & First Class Suites Springdale 9 Las Vegas Westin Las Vegas Deluxe 10 Depart Las Vegas