Arizona & Grand Canyon National Park

Imagine an exciting western adventure that takes you to those wide, open spaces you have always wanted to see! This is a great time of the year to go west. The crowds are gone and the weather is still nice. Includes 3 nights in Phoenix, 2 nights in Las Vegas, and 2 nights in Grand Canyon.

Day 1 – Casey Jones Village – Little Rock, Arkansas – We travel through Kentucky and Tennessee with an included lunch at Casey Jones Village in Jackson, Tennessee along the way. Our first overnight will be in Little Rock.

Day 2 – Dallas City Tour – After an included breakfast, we depart for Dallas, Texas. This afternoon, we have included a city tour of Dallas with a local guide. We’ll learn about the things that have made “Big D” so famous – oil, the tengallon hat, Neiman Marcus, and H.L. Hunt. We overnight in the Dallas area.

Day 3 – Fort Worth Stockyards – Big Spring, Texas – After an included breakfast, we visit the historic Stockyards Station District in Fort Worth. Once the largest livestock marketing center in the Southwest, this complex includes galleries, restaurants, and shops in many of the original structures. We’ll have a guided tour of the Stockyards Station, then have time for lunch on our own and shopping. Walk the wooden covered sidewalks where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once walked and watch a longhorn cattle drive down the street. We overnight in Big Spring, Texas.

Day 4 – El Paso, Texas – After an included breakfast, we observe the bigness of the Lone Star State and the influences the land has had on ranchers and early settlers. We arrive in historic El Paso late this afternoon and take a city tour of this western Texas “cow town.” We overnight in El Paso.

Day 5 – O.K. Corral – Tucson, Arizona – After an included breakfast, we depart Texas, crossing New Mexico into Arizona. Later this afternoon, we stop at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, the historic site where the famous gunfight involving Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday took place. We overnight in Tucson.

Day 6 – Saguaro National Park– Old Scottsdale – Museum of the West – Phoenix, Arizona – After an included breakfast, we visit Saguaro National Park, a forest of stately saguaro cactus standing like sentinels, guarding the desert floor. The huge saguaro cactus grows only in the Sonora Desert and can grow as tall as 30 to 40 feet. After lunch on our own and exploring in Old Scottsdale, we visit Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. We’ll learn about the history and culture of the American West, as we explore this collection of art and artifacts. Afterwards, we check into our hotel in Phoenix for a three-night stay.

Day 7 – Phoenix City Tour – After an included breakfast, a local guide will step on board our coach and provide a city tour of Phoenix. at our today. We will see a blend of rugged Old West and the sophisticated atmosphere of the New West. This afternoon will be at leisure to bask in the sun, do your laundry, or relax at the hotel. Dinner is included this evening. Overnight same hotel.

Day 8 – Sedona, Arizona – After an included breakfast, we’re off to the resort town of Sedona, one of the West’s most impressive little towns. The red rock formations surrounding this area are spectacular! We will have time for lunch on own, exploring, and browsing the many western and specialty shops. The rest of the evening will be at your leisure Overnight same hotel.

Day 9 – Las Vegas, Nevada – After an included breakfast, we head to the dazzling neon lights of Las Vegas. A ride after dark will allow us to see the famous strip in all its glittering glory. We overnight two nights in Las Vegas.

Day 10 – Leisure Day in Las Vegas – Today is at leisure to do whatever most appeals to you. Sleep late, then lounge by the pool, explore some of the magnificent hotels along the strip, go shopping, or schedule an optional show. Overnight same hotel.

Day 11 – Grand Canyon National Park – Today we travel east through canyon country, making our way to Grand Canyon National Park. While in the park, we will ride along the rim of the canyon, observing the magnificence of this amazing natural wonder created by the Colorado River. We overnight two nights in Grand Canyon, Arizona.

Day 12 – Leisure Day in Grand Canyon – Today will be free to explore and pursue your own interests in this fabulous national park. Don’t forget to watch the sun set over the canyon. Overnight same hotel.

Day 13 – Petrified Forest National Park – Painted Desert – Albuquerque, New Mexico – A great day of touring lies ahead as we travel through the Painted Desert to visit the unusual Petrified Forest National Park in northwestern Arizona. The many petrified logs we will see are extremely beautiful, having unexpectedly bright colors. We overnight in Albuquerque.

Day 14 – Old Town Plaza – Amarillo, Texas – After an included breakfast, we stop at Albuquerque’s historic Old Town Plaza. The Old Town Plaza offers a variety of arts, crafts, and delicacies in more than 150 shops and restaurants housed in adobe buildings. This afternoon we cross the plains of Texas as we make our way to Amarillo, the capital of the oil and gas industry of the Texas Panhandle region. We overnight in Amarillo.

Day 15 – Oklahoma City Bombing National Memorial – Springfield, Missouri – After an included breakfast, we drive across Oklahoma, with a stop to view the Oklahoma City Bombing National Memorial. We overnight in Springfield, Missouri.

Day 16 – Home – After an included breakfast, we depart our hotel and head for home with memories to share with family and friends. Meals: 11B, 1L, 1D