Road-trip America Westbound

Day 1: New York

Welcome to the USA! 

Days 2-3: Washington DC

There will be an important welcome meeting at 8am this morning. Meet in the hotel reception/lobby. We'll be collecting your insurance details, kitty and next of kin information at this meeting so please ensure you have all details on hand to provide to your leader. Head south to Washington DC, stopping to visit Philadelphia along the way. The journey will cover 400 km and, depending on the busy east coast traffic, can take anywhere from 4-5 hours, including a lunch stop. 

Day 4: Appalachian Mountains

Journey into the breathtaking scenery of the Appalachian Mountains, also called the Blue Ridge Mountains (500 km, approx 5.5 hrs). We'll camp for one night en route to Nashville. 

Day 5: Nashville

Continue on to Nashville (600 km, approx 6 hrs). Known as 'Music City', most of Nashville's attractions revolve around country music. Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, which contains Elvis' golden Cadillac. Another point of interest is Music Row, where more than 50 record studios and approximately 200 music publishing houses are located. 

Day 6: Memphis

Head south to Memphis (approx 3.5 hrs). Memphis is the home of the Blues. In the evening, you can head down to Beale Street's traditional blues clubs. For those with an interest in history, there's the National Civil Rights Museum at the former Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Pay a visit to Graceland - Elvis Presley's home and his tomb. 

Days 7-8: New Orleans

Head 650 km across the state of Mississippi to New Orleans - the 'Big Easy' (approx 7 hrs with a lunch stop). Most of the action in New Orleans takes place in the French Quarter, where Bourbon Street's many jazz clubs come alive at night. 

Day 9: Houston

It's quite a journey from Louisiana to Houston, Texas (nearly 700 km, approx 7 hrs). Houston is the largest city in Texas and home of the NASA Kennedy Space Center. Visit the NASA Kennedy Space Center for an insight into mankind's adventures in space. It features a multitude of permanent exhibits, attractions and theatres. 

Day 10: San Antonio

Drive with the truckers along Highway 10 to San Antonio (430 km, approx 4.5 hrs). A little piece of Mexico in the US, San Antonio is the home of the Alamo, an original reconstructed Spanish-Mexican fort from the 18th century. You can stroll along the famous River Walk and get to know the city's many canals and backstreets by night. 

Day 11: Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Driving across Texas, enter the deserts of New Mexico on our way to Carlsbad Caverns (745 km, approx 9 hrs including our lunch break). One of the largest caverns in the world, Carlsbad Cavern is still only partially explored. Hike deep into the 8.2 acre 'Big Room' and beyond. In the evening, take a seat outside the park to witness the overwhelming sight of a bat flight - thousands of bats swarming out of the caverns. This is seasonal, as the bats migrate south in October for the winter, and is best viewed in July/August. 

Day 12: Santa Fe

Continue the journey north to Santa Fe (470 km, approx 6.5 hrs). The capital of New Mexico, Santa Fe, is the oldest capital city in the US. You can visit the town plaza surrounded by pueblo architecture, view the south-western art and décor at local museums or enjoy a drink and take in Santa Fe's quaint atmosphere. 

Day 13: Mesa Verde National Park

Drive to Aztec Ruins National Monument. Famous for its sandstone pueblo, Aztec Ruins National Monument was built around the 11th century and contains almost 500 rooms. Take a self-guided 800 m walk through rooms built centuries ago, where you can discover skilful stone masonry remarkably preserving the original walls. Continue on to Mesa Verde National Park. Total driving distance is about 430 km (approx 6.5 hrs). 

Day 14: Monument Valley

After a ride through fascinating desert regions, we reach Monument Valley (200 km). The backdrop for countless westerns, Monument Valley is part of the biggest Indian reservation in the US and home to more than 200,000 Indians of the Navajo Tribe. Monument Valley is so-named for the giant sandstone formations scattered across the desert. The angle of the sun means that the landscape is constantly changing colour and it's near impossible to take a bad photo. 

Days 15-16: Grand Canyon

Drive from Monument Valley to the Grand Canyon (260 km, approx 3 hrs), stopping at Native American trading posts on the way. The Grand Canyon is one of the world's seven wonders! It's 450 km long, 6-30 km wide and 1600 m deep. Marvel at this immense canyon on a rim walk or, for those that are feeling more active, a short hike into the canyon will help stretch those legs out. For a bird's-eye view, there's an option to take a helicopter ride over this breathtaking landscape. 

Days 17-18: Las Vegas

Drive on from the Grand Canyon and cross the western deserts of Arizona to Las Vegas (450 km, approx 5 hrs). Along the way, drive a section of the famous Route 66 and stop in the nostalgic township of Seligman. Las Vegas is the gambling capital of the world, but there's plenty to do along the Strip for gamblers and non-gamblers alike - there's the casinos and shows, of course, plus shops, amusement rides, dance clubs and great value 'all you can eat' buffets. 

Day 19: Sierra Nevada

This is a long driving day covering more than 550 km through Death Valley and across the Eastern Sierra. One of the hottest deserts on the planet, temperatures in Death Valley rise to record-breaking levels (up to 56C in summer). Death Valley National Park includes a wealth of geological phenomena: large sand dune formations, sculpted rocks, isolated valleys and volcanic craters. The canyon and mountain walls change colour with the changing sunlight. Elevations fluctuate from 85 m below sea level near Badwater Point (the lowest point in the United States) to 3756 m above sea level at Telescope Peak. Stop at the visitor centre and, heat permitting, take a walk on the stunning salt flats. 

Day 20-21: Yosemite National Park

Drive 300 km to the west, travelling over the Tioga Pass into the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Our destination is Yosemite National Park. One of the most famous parks in the USA, Yosemite National Park's colossal granite cliffs, cascading waterfalls and redwood trees attract visitors from all over the world. 

Days 22: San Francisco

Leave Yosemite behind and drive 240 km (about 3.5 hrs) west towards San Francisco - the 'City by the Bay'. San Francisco is a chilled out city with a vibrant, multicultural heart. You can catch a tram to visit the waterfront, feast like a king in Chinatown or peruse zany artwork in SoMa.