Scottsdale
Nicknamed "The West's most Western Town," Scottsdale, Arizona, is a bustling city of just over 220,000 people. Bordering the city of Phoenix, Scottsdale is known for its golfing and spa resorts and its beautiful desert landscape. Besides the world-class resorts, downtown Scottsdale has numerous buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of its Old Town where the Old West meets the New West.
Grand Canyon
Discover one of the world's natural wonders, the iconic Grand Canyon. Behold its amazing, colorful and ever-changing views. The canyon 's towering cliffs plunge an average of 5,249 feet to the turbulent Colorado River below. The beautiful layers of colorful rock reveal the earth 's history spanning a stunning 1.75 billion years. Scientists studied the canyon 's layers, along with fossils and sediment, to map the world 's evolution. The U.S. government began to explore and chart the area in the early 1800s and it was officially named a national park in 1919.
Lake Powell
Created in 1963 when the Glen Canyon Dam was built on the Canyon River, sits the second-largest man-made lake in America: Lake Powell. With depths of 3700', it is a playground for house-boating activities and water sports. Set against a backdrop of red rocks, Lake Powell offers landmarks such as Rainbow Bridge, Cathedral Canyon and Hole in the Rock.
Zion
Zion is a National Park located in the southwestern U.S. near Springdale, Utah. The park was established on November 19th, 1919. A main feature of the 229 square mile park is Zion Canyon which is 15 miles long and half a mile deep. Hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding and nature walks are all popular activities in the park.
Bryce Canyon National Park
A small national park in southwestern Utah, Bryce Canyon is named after the Mormon Pioneer Ebenezer Bryce, and became a national park in 1928. Known for its unique geology, consisting of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters, slot canyons, windows, fins, and spires called "hoodoos", Bryce is a virtual stone forest tinted with colors too numerous and subtle to name.
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is the capital and most populous city in the state of Utah. Salt Lake was settled in 1847 by Brigham Young and his followers of the Mormon Church. The city is known as the center for the LDS or Mormon Church. The city has a strong outdoor recreation tourist industry, mostly focused on skiing, and was the host of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole, originally called Jackson 's Hole, is a valley located in Wyoming. The word “Hole” derives from language used by early trappers or mountain men who primarily entered the valley from the north and east and had to descend along relatively steep slopes, giving the sensation of entering a hole. These low-lying valleys are surrounded by mountains and contain rivers and streams which were good habitat for beaver and other fur-bearing animals.
Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks
Grand Teton National Park is a U.S. national park in the Rocky Mountains in northwestern Wyoming. Grand Teton was established on February 26th, 1919. The park is approximately 310,000 acres in size. The park is named for Grand Teton, the tallest mountain in the Teton Range at 13,775 feet high. Primarily located in the state of Wyoming, the park also extends into Montana and Idaho. Yellowstone is said to be the first national park in the world. The park is famous for its wildlife and geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, which is one of the most popular features of the park. Yellowstone comprises an area of 3,468.4 square miles featuring lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges.
Old Faithful
Old Faithful is a geyser located in Yellowstone National Park in the state of Wyoming. It is one of the most predicable geographical features on Earth, erupting almost every 63 minutes. When the geyser erupts it can shoot anywhere from 3,700 to 8,400 gallons of boiling water to a height of 106 to 185 feet lasting from 1.5 to 5 minutes.
Sheridan
Sheridan is a city in Sheridan County, Wyoming. Sheridan is a boom or bust town, having been supported by the oil, gas and coal exploration of the surrounding area. Sheridan now markets itself as a tourist destination where people can come to experience the 'old ' West and the 'new ' West. The town is a popular destination for people visiting the Black Hills or Yellowstone National Park.
Bighorn Mountains
The Bighorn Mountains are a mountain range in northern Wyoming and southern Montana. They form a northwest trending spur stretching from the Rocky Mountains extending approximately 200 miles northward on the Great Plains. The highest peaks within the Bighorns are located in Wyoming in Bighorn National Forest. The two tallest peaks in the forest, Cloud Peak and Black Tooth Mountain, rise over 13,000 feet in height.
Crazy Horse Memorial
Crazy Horse Memorial, the world 's largest mountain sculpture now in progress, is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The nine-story-high face of Crazy Horse, a visionary leader committed to preserving the traditions and values of the Lakota way of life, was completed in 1998 when work shifted to the 22-story-high massive horse 's head. The work was begun in 1948 by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski at the request of Native Americans. Korczak determined that the memorial would be more than just a sculpture…it would be a humanitarian project telling present and future generations the story of Native American peoples by collecting and preserving outstanding examples of Indian culture and heritage. Visitors to the memorial can view the progress of the sculpture as well as tour an Indian museum, cultural center, the sculptor 's studio and orientation center. Although Korczak died in 1982, his wife, Ruth, and their family continue the project working with the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation.
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota. Mt. Rushmore features 60-foot sculptures of the heads of four U.S. Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The faces were sculpted between 1934 and 1939. Mt. Rushmore attracts more than 2 million people annually.
Experience the grandeur of the American West as you explore five fantastic national parks on this exciting journey. In Arizona, contemplate the vast beauty of the Grand Canyon, and in Yellowstone, relish iconic sights like Old Faithful and Yellowstone Lake. Marvel at the magnitude and color of Zion 's cliffs and the hoodoos and spires at Bryce Canyon. Enjoy 2-night stays in Springdale, Utah (Zion) and Jackson Hole. Drive through the incredible Bighorn Mountains and the great Sioux Nations Territory before seeing Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument. Meet a local Lakota Native American at dinner and learn about their fascinating way of life, past and present. Gain new appreciation of the great outdoors on this journey that takes you from the Grand Canyon to Mount Rushmore National Memorial and everywhere in between.
