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Arrive at the airport, pick-up your rental car and proceed to the hotel. San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in the US. It’s a compact and approachable place, where downtown streets rise on impossible gradients to reveal stunning views of the city, the bay and beyond. San Francisco is culturally vibrant and ethnically diverse; as a result, it has evolved into the urban jewel of California’s coast. Very typical for this city are the cable cars and rows of elaborate redwood Victorian-Style houses. Curiously, it contains the biggest China Town outside China. This evening, explore Chinatown, along its streets, exotic ingredients are sold, silks and jade are tendered, and wonderful native food can be found at the many restaurants.
Accommodations:
(STD) Whitcomb Hotel or similar (2 nights).
(SUP) Pickwick Hotel or similar (2 nights).
Get to know this exiting city today. Visit the dramatic curves of Lombard Street, one of San Francisco’s most photographed sites. The beautifully landscaped, one-block descent from Hyde Street to Leavenworth Street, has given Lombard the title of “crookedest street in the world.” At the intersection of Hyde and Lombard, a cable car route provides spectacular views of Alcatraz, Angel Island, Coit Tower, Yerba Buena Island and the Bay Bridge. Stop by the Wharf which offers unobstructed views of infamous Alcatraz Island and consists of a long, coast-side row of seafood restaurants, street vendors and entertainers, souvenir stores, and beautiful ocean scenery. Spend some time in Golden Gate Park; it offers dozens of fun things to do. Top sights are the Conservatory of Flowers and the Japanese Tea Garden. Don’t miss the local resident buffalo herd. This evening, dine in one of San Francisco’s many distinctive neighborhoods; from Chinatown to the very Italian flavored North Beach, each offers its own distinctive culture and cuisine.
A morning drive will bring you to Monterey, an artisan city on the water famed for the abundance and diversity of its marine life. Here you will see Old Fisherman’s Wharf Cannery Row, an old sardine packing plant and many historic buildings depicting its Spanish past. Travel the famous 17-Mile Drive; this scenic road winds through the prestigious gated community of Pebble Beach in Carmel, past the Del Monte Forest, ocean-front mansions, secluded coves, pristine beaches, and esteemed golf courses. This drive is also home to natural attractions including the famous Lone Cypress tree, Fanshell Beach, and Seal Rock. Once in the area, visit the city of Carmel, voted as one of the most beautiful towns in California, and a Mecca for the performing and visual arts. In the afternoon, continues to Modesto for an overnight stay.
Accommodations:
(STD & SUP) Days Inn Modesto or similar (1 night).
Enjoy a scenic drive this morning as you head toward the country’s most famous National Park, Yosemite. Yosemite offers breathtaking views and a natural variety of plants and animals. Within the Park, Yosemite Valley’s seven square miles is the best known area. It encompasses Yosemite Falls, the famous El Captain and Half Dome granite monoliths, and foggy Bridalveil Falls. The overall scenery is spectacular, views of sheer granite walls, ice-sculptured domes, thundering waterfalls, alpine peaks, giant sequoia trees, glaciers, and flowered meadows are a common occurrence here. You might want to rent a bike for a short tour or hike one of the short trails. In the afternoon, continue to Bakersfield.
Accommodations:
(STD) Days Inn Bakersfield or similar (1 night).
(SUP) Clarion Bakersfield or similar (1 night).
Death Valley is a desert of streaming sand dunes, snow-capped mountains and multicolored rock layers. It is also one of the most arid places on earth and the hottest and driest of the National Parks within the United States with temperatures reaching 134°F (56.6°C) in the summer. Surprisingly, an average yearly rain-fall of 2 inches (5 cm) has proven sufficient for the over 900 species of plants and animals that thrive in this harsh environment. Stop at Father Crawley and Zabriskie Point for spectacular views of the Panamint Mountains and Sand Dunes and at Furnace Creek where you may want to choose to have a light lunch. The journey continues to the exiting city of Las Vegas. Las Vegas is the most dynamic and spectacular city on earth; it boasts the vast majority of the world’s largest hotels which attract thirty-seven million visitors each year who come to see the amazing spectacle that are the hotels themselves.
Accommodations:
(STD) Circus Circus Hotel & Casino or similar (2 nights).
(SUP) Tropicana Resort & Casino or similar (2 nights).
Today is yours to explore this electrifying city. Make sure not to miss the nightly fountain show at the Bellagio Hotel. Using a dramatic combination of music, water and light, the Bellagio delivers spectacular performances nightly with its majestic fountains. Take a trip up to the top of the Stratosphere hotel tower, the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. Enjoy dinner at the Top of the World, or simply admire the view from the observation deck. Visit any of the premier hotels including Caesars Palace, The Venetian and Paris for luxury shopping. If you’re searching for a bargain, drive to one of the outlet malls featuring designer names at discounted prices. Dining in Las Vegas is superior. World-renowned chefs have decided to make Vegas their kitchen and there is always a restaurant nearby to satisfy any palette. For a different side of Vegas, visit Fremont Street. This historic street features shops, restaurants and casinos. Above you hangs a canopy screen where more than 12 million lights put on a spectacular show.
Depart the glitz of Las Vegas and continue to Los Angeles for a two-night stay. Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the United States. Home to famous movie stars and the infamous landmark, the Hollywood sign; it is a city brimming with culture and happenings. This big metropolis has many regions with distinct flavors and communities. Take a stroll along the Walk of Fame and see the names of celebrities commemorated in pink stars along the sidewalk. Visit Mann’s Chinese Theater, the best-preserved of the movie palaces from Hollywood’s golden era, known for its celebrity hand and footprints in the forecourt, over 200 impressions are yours to discover.
Accommodations:
(STD) Figueroa Hotel or similar (2 nights).
(SUP) Millennium Biltmore Hotel or similar (2 nights).
Today is yours to explore the City of Angels. Visit the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Shop the famous Rodeo Drive, where luxury retail commands the street. Have lunch in Venice Beach, home to famous Muscle Beach, where the sand and surf are secondary to the lively scene of people that inhabit the sidewalk. Visit Santa Monica Pier, once known as the “finish line” of legendary Route 66. Santa Monica pier was built in 1916. It features an aquarium, an amusement park and the famous Hippodrome building, a mix of California, Byzantine and Moorish architecture that has been featured in many films. Or, make your way to Anaheim and visit the “Happiest place on earth.” Disneyland is home to your favorite characters like Mickey Mouse. Here you will find entertainment for the young and the young at heart. For a behind the scenes look at movie making, visit Universal Studios. Tour the sets and cast yourself in the thrilling rides shows and attractions that bring the movies to life. In the evening, enjoy Universal City Walk, filled with restaurants and nightclubs.
Depart to Los Angeles International Airport at leisure. Drop-off rental car.
Experience the very best of the Southwest as you travel through canyon country to the glamour of Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Begin your journey in San Francisco and head south to visit Monterey then onward to Yosemite, Death Valley, and Las Vegas. Conclude your visit in sunny Los Angeles.
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F And NH Families. Akershus Norway –
The hotels en route were perfect. A mix of rustic, like the one in San Francisco and pure luxury in Indian Wells. No problems what so ever with the bookings. All in all the arrangement was perfect. Thank you for a great experience.