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Worldwide Escorted Bus Tours & River Cruises
Enchanted Southwest
See spectacular scenery, unique sandstone formations, majestic mountains, and more on this wonderful Southwest vacation to Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. Start your trip in Scottsdale and travel to Tucson for a tour of this colorful city. Visit Tombstone—the most authentic Western town left in the U.S.—and cross into New Mexico for Las Cruces. Visit White Sands National Monument, one of the world’s greatest natural wonders with the world’s largest gypsum sand dune. Next up: walking tours of Albuquerque’s Old Town and Santa Fe. Stop in Taos before crossing into Colorado for an overnight in Durango, a Wild West town founded during the Gold Rush. Stand in awe in Mesa Verde National Park, where you see the ruins of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years—from 600 AD to 1300 AD. Today, the park protects over 4,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. Then head to Utah for Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park and enjoy a 4-wheel drive tour of this area—with its stunning striking spires, mesas, and sandstone buttes. Even more stunning natural beauty awaits you at Grand Canyon National Park. Marvel at breathtaking views as you wander along the canyon rim. For a thrill of a lifetime, take an optional flightseeing ride over the Grand Canyon. Then travel south through cactus-studded scenery to Sedona and see the massive red-rock formations that make Sedona infamous. Your Southwest vacation through Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah ends back in Scottsdale. If you want to see amazing and breathtaking scenery in some of the west’s most gorgeous national parks, don’t miss this tour. You’re sure to return from this vacation with plenty of photos and memories—a trip of a lifetime!
Highlights:
Saguaro National Park, White Sands National Monument, Taos, Durango, Mesa Verde National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Sedona.
Itinerary:
| Day #1 |
SCOTTSDALE. Welcome to Arizona, the Grand Canyon State. Enjoy time at leisure to relax or to do some independent exploring. Your Tour Director is on hand this evening to answer any questions. |
| Day #2 |
SCOTTSDALE–TUCSON. Travel to Tucson, known for its mild climate and colorful heritage. Your city tour includes a visit to the historic neighborhood of El Encanto Estates, the University of Arizona, downtown, and the MISSION SAN XAVIER DEL BAC, known as the “White Dove of the Desert.” Built over 200 years ago, this church is one of the finest examples of Spanish Mission architecture in the U.S. Tonight, relax and enjoy your desert surroundings. (B) |
| Day #3 |
TUCSON. Visit the giants of the desert at SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK, where you’ll enjoy a breathtaking view of thousands of saguaro cacti. Found only in the Sonoran Desert, these cacti can live to be 150 years old and grow as high as 45 feet tall. Next, admire the diverse flora and fauna on our visit to the acclaimed ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM. More than 300 species of live animals and 1,200 species of plants indigenous to this area are exhibited in natural habitats. (B) |
| Day #4 |
TUCSON–TOMBSTONE–LAS CRUCES. Take a step back in time and visit Tombstone, “The Town Too Tough to Die.” It creates images of gunfights and dusty streets that Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Johnny Ringo, Ike Clanton, and a host of other Western legends walked over 125 years ago. This is the most authentic Western town left in the United States! Watch the gunslingers battle it out on Main Street, enjoy entertainment in the local saloon, or perhaps find yourself an authentic cowboy hat and boots. Later, we cross into the “Land of Enchantment,” New Mexico. We arrive in the late afternoon in Las Cruces, at the foot of the Organ Mountains. (B) |
| Day #5 |
LAS CRUCES–WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT–ALBUQUERQUE. This morning we visit WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT, one of the world’s great natural wonders. Here, great wave-like dunes of sand have engulfed 275-square miles of desert and created the world’s largest gypsum sand dune. In the late afternoon, arrive in Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city. Framed by stunning mountains and with a captivating mix of Mexican, Spanish, and native Indian cultures, this vibrant city bursts with fascinating landmarks. This evening, relax or perhaps enjoy an optional outing to towering Sandia Peak, which involves a thrilling cable car ride. (B) |
| Day #6 |
ALBUQUERQUE–SANTA FE. Your sightseeing includes a walking tour of historic Old Town, with its 300-year-old Plaza, Spanish church, and fine museums. Afterward, travel to Santa Fe, New Mexico’s capital. Tucked beneath the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the city enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year and is praised for its art, culture, cuisine, and spas. Spend independent time exploring the shops in and around the Plaza and the jewelry and other arts and crafts sold outdoors by Native American vendors beneath the Palace of the Governors portal. |
| Day #7 |
SANTA FE. EXCURSION TO TAOS. Today, visit picturesque Taos, once home to frontiersman Kit Carson and novelist D.H. Lawrence. Visit TAOS PUEBLO, an ancient community continuously inhabited for 1,000 years and the only existing Native American community designated both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark. See the bridge across the mighty Rio Grande, which spans a magnificent 650-foot-deep gorge. Return to Santa Fe, where the rest of the day is free for independent activities. (CB) |
| Day #8 |
SANTA FE–DURANGO. Today’s journey continues into the Rocky Mountains of northern New Mexico and across the Colorado border to the town of Durango. Founded in 1880 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, this charming town was once run by gunslingers. Tonight, why not explore the historic downtown or stroll along the Animas River. (CB) |
| Day #9 |
DURANGO–MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK–KAYENTA. Our first stop this morning is MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This park offers a look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years. See some of the best preserved cliff dwellings in the United States. Continue to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, which preserves one of the most stunning landscapes on earth with its collection of striking spires, mesas, and sandstone buttes. Tonight, join our optional Navajo cookout followed by local Navajo entertainment. |
| Day #10 |
KAYENTA–MONUMENT VALLEY–GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK. This morning, catch a glimpse of the fascinating Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park on an exhilarating FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE TOUR of MONUMENT VALLEY, the setting for countless movies, including She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and Thelma & Louise. Straddling the Arizona border, this incredible place is instantly recognizable for its flat-topped mesas, rock spires, and sandstone buttes. At the amazing twin “Mitten” buttes, see the epic “Totem Pole” and other sights forever associated with the Wild West. Continue south and enter GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Experience breathtaking views, with plenty of time to wander along the Canyon Rim and take photos. We overnight inside the national park. |
| Day #11 |
GRAND CANYON–SEDONA–SCOTTSDALE. Before departing the Grand Canyon there is time for optional morning flightseeing over the Canyon—definitely the thrill of a lifetime! Then, travel through beautiful Oak Creek Canyon and on to Sedona in the heart of Red Rock Country. Enjoy time to browse the shops and galleries or take in the breathtaking beauty. We return this afternoon to Scottsdale. Join us tonight for our optional farewell dinner—the perfect ending to your southwest holiday! |
| Day #12 |
SCOTTSDALE. The trip ends today with guests departing on individual schedules. Transfers to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport are included. You can extend your vacation with extra nights and explore this desert oasis further with a variety of exciting optional activities. (B) |
Hotels:
Scottsdale Hospitality Suites (MF); Tucson The Hotel Arizona (MF); Las Cruces Drury Inn Las Cruces (MF); Albuquerque Best Western Rio Grande (ST); Santa Fe The Sage Inn (ST); Durango Holiday Inn Durango (F); Kayenta Holiday Inn Kayenta (ST); Grand Canyon N.P. Grand Canyon Lodges (NP)
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Pricing Options:
| Depart US | Land-Only |
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| 04/20/2011 | $1,489.00 | | 04/27/2011 | $1,539.00 | | 05/25/2011 | $1,539.00 | | 06/08/2011 | $1,539.00 | | 06/15/2011 | $1,539.00 | | 09/07/2011 | $1,539.00 | | 09/14/2011 | $1,539.00 | | 09/28/2011 | $1,539.00 | | 10/05/2011 | $1,539.00 | | 10/19/2011 | $1,489.00 |
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©2005 Flamingo Travel Group
All Rights Reserved
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