Highlights

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Whatever you want, U S Tours will be happy to structure tour prices to match your needs.  Just let us know!

Itinerary

The mornings can be cold in December, so it is recommended to bring warm clothing that you can layer as needed.

Day 1 – Thursday – Albuquerque, NM – Today, you arrive in Albuquerque, NM. Check into your local hotel for the evening. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (D)

Day 2 – Friday – Acoma Pueblo Sky City Cultural Center w/lunch – Gallup, NM – Gallup Cultural Center – Red Rock Balloon Rally – Evening Glow in the Rocks

This morning, depart for the Acoma Pueblo Sky City Cultural Center, the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. The Pueblo is nestled atop a sheer-walled, 367-foot sandstone bluff in a valley studded with sacred, towering monoliths. Today, many Acoma people still live in Sky City and nearby villages. Acoma Pueblo pottery is widely acclaimed for its beauty and quality craftsmanship. Enjoy a guided tour of the Pueblo followed by an included lunch.

Next, head to Gallup, NM.  The afternoon features a visit to the Gallup Cultural Center. The museum’s exhibits convey the message that Indian cultures are complex diverse, steeped in tradition and very much alive. The museum also highlights points in Gallup’s history related to the trains, coal mining, and the Gallup-Intertribal Indian Ceremonial. The museum also hosts a collection of items and history related to the Navajo Code Talkers during World War II.

Check into your Gallup hotel for the night. Dinner is included at a local restaurant.

The evening features the Red Rock Balloon Rally, one of the largest balloon events in the United States and held annually since 1981. You will witness the Glow in the Rocks where balloons fire their burners and light up the sandstone bluffs. You will be able to get up close and even talk to some of the balloonists one on one as they fire up the burners.  There will also be Native American Dance Performances (as Gallup is near the Navajo reservation, and the pueblos of Zuni, Laguna and Acoma). (B,L,D)

Day 3 – Saturday – Morning Mass Ascension – Painted Desert – Winslow, AZ – Meteor Crater & Barrington Space Museum – Williams, AZ – Grand Canyon Railway Hotel

It’s an early morning today. Travel a short distance to the Fire Rock Casino for an included breakfast. The room has access to an outdoor area where you can watch and take pictures of the Mass Ascension as more than 200 balloons from all over the world rise together in a harmonious lift off. Balloons of all shapes and colors drift through beautiful canyons and over formations carved by wind and rain thousands of years ago.

After the morning show, depart Gallup and stop at the Painted Desert Visitor Center in Petrified Forest National Park.  Enjoy beautiful views of the Painted Desert, museum exhibits and history of the area.

Next, travel to Winslow, AZ located on Route 66. You will have time for lunch on own here. The town gained fame through songs and cultural references. Winslow is also known for its rich history, including Native American culture, railroad history and Route 66 nostalgia. One of the main attractions is the “Standin’ on the Corner Park”, which features a statue of Jackson Browne standing on a corner, as well as murals and other work depicting the famous song “Take it Easy” by the Eagles.

This afternoon, visit the Meteor Crater & Barrington Space Museum. Fifty thousand years ago, a giant fireball streaked across the North American sky. It struck the Earth in northern Arizona, exploding with a force 150 times greater than the atomic bomb! Start with the Feature Film: IMPACT! The Mystery of Meteor Crater, a movie covering the history and geology of this impact, how meteors are formed and what causes them to go off course and head toward earth. You will then join an expert guide and walk to the rim of the crater to learn about its history with extraordinary views and legendary stories.

End the day in Williams, AZ where you enjoy an overnight stay at Grand Canyon Hotel. Experience the luxury of a bygone era. Designed to resemble the century-old train depot that housed the original Fray Marcos Hotel, the lodging offers a picturesque Western setting before embarking for the Grand Canyon. Dinner is on your own this evening. (B)

Day 4 – Sunday – Grand Canyon Railway – Grand Canyon Guided Tour – Maswik Lodge

An exciting day begins with a big breakfast buffet at the Depot Cafe across from the hotel and train station. After breakfast if you hear a ruckus in the streets, you might want to investigate. You’re a long way from home and this is the Wild West.  It may be coincidental, but every morning at 9:00 it seems there are ornery cowboys and gunfights in the street (might be something in breakfast), and they keep Marshall Will B. Justice busy maintaining law and order.

Once the 9:00 Wild West Show is over, you board the train for a 9:30am departure. You have First Class Seats with plenty of leg room that recline and offer a great view through picture windows. You will see strolling musicians, enjoy free coffee, juice, fruit and pastries in your air-conditioned streamliner railcar. This vintage rail journey takes 2 hours, offers kaleidoscopic views of the San Francisco Peaks while rolling through wildflower filled valleys, dense pine forests, high desert plains and canyons.

Arriving in Grand Canyon National Park, you are greeted with the sight of one of three log-cabin-style train stations left in America. From the station your luggage is moved to your hotel, and you’ll find a tour bus waiting for an afternoon sightseeing tour.  In a few minutes you will be walking along the pine-forested ledges of your first Grand Canyon viewpoint. Here you’ll spend a few minutes just trying to process the sight in front of you as your guide points out a few of the distant features, and geological details. Then you will learn about the trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and wildlife of the Canyon.

Enjoy some free time in Grand Canyon Village. There are many historical buildings, national landmarks, and local businesses. Be sure to include some of the must-see sights to make your visit to Grand Canyon a more memorable one. The district comprises the historic center of Grand Canyon Village and includes numerous park structures, many of which are National Historic Landmarks

Later this afternoon, you check-in at Maswik Lodge for the night. It is a modern facility spread over several acres of Ponderosa Pine Forest and is located just 1/4 mile from the canyon rim and the Grand Canyon Village. Dinner is included this evening at the Lodge. (B,D)

Day 5 – Monday – Arizona Route 66 Museum – Las Vegas

This morning, say goodbye to the Grand Canyon as you make your way to Kingman, AZ and the Arizona Route 66 Museum. In the Historic Powerhouse, this museum depicts the evolution of travel along the 35^th parallel that became Route 66.

Brilliant murals, photos and life-size dioramas capture the various groups that traveled on what has come to be known as the Mother Road. Learn of settlers on their migration west and how this became the nation’s first federally funded wagon road. Feel the hardship and despair of the dust bowl refugees as they journeyed to a better life in the 30’s and how the road became Main Street America as the 50’s ushered in fun and excitement for Route 66 travelers.

This afternoon, cross over the Nevada Border and enter Las Vegas.  After checking into a downtown hotel for an overnight stay, the remainder of the evening is at your leisure to explore all that Las Vegas has to offer. Dinner will also be on your own. (B)

Day 6 – Tuesday – Depart for Home

This morning after breakfast, depart for home. (B)

Tour Map