Day1 LOS ANGELES-MESQUITE/ST. GEORGE

In the morning sunshine we leave the hubbub of the city to begin a 5-day adventure. The bus rolls northward along Freeway 15, skirts the forests of San Bernardino, and enters the Mojave Desert, the largest in North America. Here one comes upon an unusual scene of stunted, austere Joshua trees dotting a barren landscape that stretches to the horizon. At dusk, we arrive in Mesquite/St. George where we take lodgings for the night.

Hotel: Shuttle Lodge Inn, St. George or Similar

Day2 LAKE POWELL-BRYCE CANYOAN-SALT LAKE CITY

In the morning, we visit the Glen Canyon dam on the Colorado River, a big water conservancy project that has brought benefits to a million residents of Arizona. You can take a cruise on the lake at your own expense. The 1,960-mile lake shore comprises 96 canyons of breathtaking beauty. We then turn into Redstone Canyon where phantasmagoric rocks line the highway, some looking like castles or like the heads of figurines. There is even one like a saltshaker on the top of a mountain. A trip through the canyon is like visiting a geological museum. Passing under a stone arch, we come to Bryce Canyon, 8,000 elevations. Tens thousands of multi-colored rock pillars that have weathered millions of years reach upward like the skyscrapers of Manhattan or like graceful young maidens. From a distance, the canyon resembles a marvelous open-air amphitheater filled with a bewildering array of figures from ancient legends. A stroll through these wonders of nature in the bright sunshine does one a world of good, and even if it somewhat taxes our energies we long-time city dwellers will not regret the effort, over night in Salt Lake City, the state capital of Utah.

Hotel: Microtel Inn, Salt Lake City, UT or Similar

Day3 JACKSON HOLE-GRAND TETON-YELLOWSTONE

In the morning pass a big lake with a saline content seven times that of seawater. On the way we see vast prairies and herds of cattle and sheep. After lunch, we arArive at Jackson, a typical little Western city. This hometown of "Harrison Ford"is redolent of the legendary patina of (The Raiders of the Lost Ark) in which he played a part. This town of some four thousand residents is filled with specialty stores. You must not miss the ad-lib Western shootout shows in Deer Horn Park, on the street of town center. We then drive along Snake Canyon into Grand Teton National Park. A lofty peak covered with never-melting ice caps rises from the Jackson canyon to a elevation of 13,000 feet, making Mount Fuji pale by comparison and giving one the feeling that "all other mountains look miniscule after one has seen this highest of peaks." Little wonder that Paramount film studios use this peak as the theme of their film title. However, as magnificent as this peak is, it seems less impressive than elegant Jackson Lake. Ripples lit up by bright sunshine caress the mirror-like lake surface, highlighting the fairyland quality of the scenery. Later, we drive into Yellowstone Park. Along the way we see herds of American buffalo and elk waiting to take pictures with you in what can only be described as a wild animal paradise. We spend the night in Yellowstone National Park.

Hotel: Yellowstone Country Inn or Similar

Day4 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK-POCATELLO

We spend the whole day touring Yellowstone, the world's first national park. Here you get to see mountain peaks covered the year round with ice and snow, several extensive plateau lakes, a great many charming streams for trout fishing, and a canyon so large it dwarfs the two waterfalls in it. Yellowstone has an astonishing history of geological maAyhem and is still one of the world's most seismically active regions. Romantic crystalline lakes and magnificent canyons, thundering waterfalls, mysterious forests and colorful hot springs, the Fishing Bridge that stands amid lakes and mountains, rumbling volcanoes, and other spectacles are all to be found in an ancient volcanic region one fourth the size of Taiwan. In this region, which is also the biggest wildlife preserve in the United States, we see trout straining upstream in clear rivulets and lush prairies with bison and deer grazing on them. This is also the home of black bears, Grizzly bears, moose, and a variety of rare waterfowl. At noon, we pass over the watershed of the American continent and reach a warm springs region at the northern tip of the park. The petrified trees, carbonized rocks, and nameless little creeks and brooks meandering through the forest combine to create a fairyland atmosphere. Leaving the park, we head for Pocatello.

Hotel: Ramada Inn, Pocatello or Similar

Day5 POCATELLO-SALT LAKE CITY-HOMETOWN

We go to Salt Lake City, the state capital of Utah, also the holy city of the Mormon religion. The city owes it construction to the efforts of followers of the Mormon faith. Their spirit of devotion played a key part in building such a modern industrialized city on a barren stretch of land surrounded with deserts and salty waters. We visit the Mormon Church in the center of the city, the Utah State Capitol, the Eagle Gate , the congress building. The fun tour will be ended with complimentary transfer-out to Salt Lake City airport.
PLEASE ARRANGE YOUR FLIGHT DEPARTING SLC AFTER 1:30PM.