Canyons, Craters & Painted Deserts

Day 1 – Welcome to Flagstaff!

We’ll set out from our departure points this morning for the high-country mountains of Northern Arizona. After several rest stops and a stop for lunch on your own, we’ll arrive in Flagstaff, Arizona this evening. At 7,000 feet elevation, Flagstaff has a spectacular setting in the shadow of the San Francisco Peaks and amongst the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the world! We’ll enjoy a five-night stay at the Little America Hotel, a full-service, AAA Four Diamond hotel surrounded by lawns and a tranquil pine forest. This elegant resort features large, upscale guest rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and imported marble. Enjoy the balance of the evening at leisure with dinner on your own at the hotels’ Silver Pine Restaurant.

Day 2 – Sedona

After an included breakfast at the hotel, we’ll travel south to Sedona, Arizona, the picturesque town nestled amongst striking red-rock formations in Arizona’s Verde Valley. Regularly described as one of America’s most beautiful places, Sedona’s spectacular landscape has long attracted spiritual seekers, artists and healers. After several photo stops, we’ll enjoy time at leisure at the Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, filled with 40 specialty shops and art galleries. Enjoy time at leisure this afternoon exploring Uptown Sedona, home to numerous galleries, boutiques and restaurants. Or, take advantage of an optional Red Rocks Jeep Excursion for an additional $195 per person including gratuities and fees (payable with your tour payment; limited space available). This thrilling, two-hour, four-wheeling adventure with a certified, interpretive driver-guide is aboard an open-air, custom-built Jeep Wrangler designed to safely climb over Sedona’s famous red rocks. All the while, you’ll be amongst stunning towering rock spires and unique geological formations surrounded by juniper and cypress. We return to Flagstaff and will enjoy an included dinner at a locals’ favorite. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 3 – Flagstaff, Sunset Crater & Wupatki National Monuments

Following an included breakfast, a local guide will join us onboard the motorcoach as we explore several sites around Flagstaff where Apollo astronauts trained. We’ll visit Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, where the astronauts tested space suits, rovers and instruments. We’ll learn about the dramatic series of eruptions here 900 years ago and see their aftermath for yourself on a short walk along the Lava Flow Trail. We’ll continue to Wupatki National Monument, where the rock walls of 800-year-old pueblos dot a desert landscape where there was a bustling center of trade and culture in the early 1100s. We’ll visit Lowell Observatory, the National Historic Landmark that was founded in 1894. Not only was Pluto discovered here in 1930, but the Apollo astronauts studied the moon through the telescopes here. Transportation is provided back to Lowell Observatory tonight for those guests that would like to stargaze at Lowell’s Open Deck Observatory (weather permitting). (Breakfast)

Day 4 – Grand Canyon by Rail

After an included breakfast, we’ll travel to Williams, Arizona – a Route 66 town steeped in nostalgia. Enjoy time to explore the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, designed to resemble the century-old train depot that housed the original Fray Marcos Hotel. After an Old West shootout we’ll board the historic Grand Canyon Railway, featuring authentically-restored Pullman Coaches. Oversized reclining seats, extra-large windows and refreshments served onboard in our first-class car provide for a memorable experience. Sit back, relax and gaze out the window in search of prairie dogs, deer and antelope grazing the wooded flatlands. As we travel by train through the beautiful northern Arizona countryside into Grand Canyon National Park, the terrain dramatically shifts from high desert to prairie and then to pine. Upon arrival at Grand Canyon’s authentic 1910 depot, you’ll find yourself gazing at the most awesome landscape that no postcard could ever do justice. Eons of time are represented in the many colors of earth uncovered by millions of years of erosion by the Colorado River. At 277 miles long, 18 miles wide and one mile deep, it’s easy to see why the Grand Canyon is one of the seven wonders of the natural world! Enjoy ample time at leisure on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim to explore the eateries, galleries and gift shops within Grand Canyon Village and admire the Canyon’s amazing gorges, buttes and colorful rocks. We’ll return to Williams by train and then reboard our motorcoach for our return to Flagstaff. (Breakfast)

Day 5 – Meteor Crater, Petrified Forest National Park

Following an included breakfast, we’ll be joined by a local guide as we travel east to Meteor Crater – the world’s best-preserved meteorite impact site. Measuring 1 mile across and 550 feet deep, this creator was created 50,000 years ago by a meteorite the size of a large house striking Earth at 28,000 miles per hour! We’ll continue east to Winslow, Arizona where we’ll be “standing on the corner” just as the Eagles described in their 1972 hit song, “Take it Easy.” We’ll continue to La Posada Hotel, the legendary hotel that opened in 1930 as one of the jewels in the glittering string of railway hotels and restaurants along the Santa Fe Railroad – built and operated by Fred Harvey. We’ll enjoy an included lunch in the hotel’s Turquoise Room, known as the finest restaurant in the Four Corners region. Continuing east, we’ll enter Arizona’s Painted Desert – a broad region of rocky badlands and colorful rocks in every hue – from deep lavenders and rich grays to reds, oranges and even pinks. We’ll visit Petrified Forest National Park, home to historic structures, archeological sites and one of the largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood in the world. We’ll return to Flagstaff and enjoy an included dinner at a locals’ favorite. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6 – Route 66, Journey Home

After an included breakfast, we’ll travel to Kingman and visit the Arizona Route 66 Museum located in Kingman’s Historic Powerhouse. The museum features brilliant murals, photos and life-size dioramas as well as a number of interactive exhibits, including a gas station, a motel, and a diner which collectively provide a taste of what it was like to travel on Route 66 in the 1950s and 60s. Enjoy lunch on your own at a Route 66 diner displaying vintage Americana and serving up classic American comfort food. We return to our drop-off points this evening with great memories exploring Arizona’s canyons, craters and painted deserts. (Breakfast)

While we make every effort to operate our tours as outlined in the itinerary, we ask for your patience, understanding and flexibility and to retain a sense of adventure while traveling with us. Situations may arise that necessitate changes to the itinerary. Should we need to adjust the itinerary either prior to or while on tour, these changes will be communicated to you and only done when absolutely necessary.