Vail 2 Los Angeles Trip

Eight day sightseeing/camping tours from Vail, Colorado visiting the South West including, Arches National Park, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Natural Bridges National Monument and more!

2008 Calendar of Tours

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This trip takes place at the end of the Colorado ski season (April)

The Alternative Tour

Vail Road Trip 9 nights, 10 days $510.00

At California Dreamin' we designed a Road Trip specifically for the Vail area ski resort employees. Our goal was to set up a camping tour through the American South West which Vail area employees could both enjoy and afford while going to Los Angeles at the same time. What we came up with was an action packed ten day adventure which visits the major highlights of the South West desert country and ends in LA.

Moab: Arches & Canyonlands (2 Nights)

Your trip will begin with an early morning pick up at one of our convenient meeting points (see pickup locations below). From Vail we will cross over to the West side of the Rockies as we head for Moab, Utah where we'll spend our first two nights. From Moab we'll visit Arches National Park and see ancient Indian Petroglyphs among other activities. Here you will also have a chance to do one of the following activities, go white water rafting down the Colorado or go mountain biking on one of Moab's world famous bike trails. One of our favorite adventures in Moab is to take an off road jeep trip into Canyonlands National Park. Often we meet up with some of our pals from Vail for these trips. (these optional activities are not included in the price of the trip). If we don't make the off road trip then we will got to Canyonlands via famous "Dead Horse Point" for a spectacular view which is often confused with the Grand Canyon itself. The historic town of Moab which caters to the outdoor adventurer has much to offer itself, with it's warm weather and great attractions from pubs to restaurants, shopping and much more, a good time is easy to find when visiting Moab.

Capitol Reef National Park (Day Visit):

Leaving Moab we embark on one of America's most scenic drives through Capitol Reef National Park, and through the magnificent Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, as well as many other breath taking landscapes. Have your camera ready for this drive. Arriving at Capitol Reef we will find an obscure and little known national park but that is a major part of it's attraction. Within the boundaries of the park are multicolored cliffs, narrow canyons, ridges, arches, spires and domes. The Reef is a small paradise in the middle of a vast desert due to the presence of the Fremont River. Within the park are many historical landmarks from the Mormon settlers and original Indian inhabitants. This includes the village of Fruita, so named because of the fruit trees planted by the Mormon settlers. In the fall you can pick apples and other fruit even inside the campground but what you won't find here are the crowds which plague many of the other parks during most of the summer months.

Bryce Canyon National Park (Day Visit):

From Capitol Reef we come to one of the most anticipated stops of our tours, Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce will only be a day visit but you will have a chance to take a hike down into the fantastic shapes of one of the most unusual canyons on earth. Bryce Canyon is not actually one canyon, but rather several small amphitheater like formations eroded into the edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. The erosion has created thousands of strange rock formations called "Hoodoos". Hoodoos come in many shades of brilliant colors including, orange pink, white, yellow and red. They are formed from the erosional forces of water and wind but mostly water. Generally they will have a harder layer of rock on top which is what makes this strange erosion process work.

Zion Canyon National Park (2 Nights)

Not far from the Bryce in the South Western corner of Utah is Zion Canyon National Park. Zion Canyon with it's shear walls composed of multi colored sandstone is the heart of this spectacular national park. The color of the canyon walls vary from shades of red to orange to yellow and even white. Though the walls of the canyon are shear and rise to over 2,000 feet above the valley floor, the heights are not inaccessible. There are several spectacular trails which thread their precarious way to the top of each rim. The floor of the canyon is a desert oasis which is what prompted the Mormon settlers to name this place Zion. The Virgin River cuts it's course through the center of the flat valley and provides much needed water for a multitude of plant and animal life in this hot, desert environment. It also provides several much appreciated swimming holes for visitors to this desert paradise.

Monument Valley / San Juan River (1 Night):

Monument Valley is perhaps one of the most well known images of the American West. Countless movies have been filmed here many by famous western director John Ford. There is fascinating a museum dedicated to the history of the film making industry located in the historic buildings of Goulding's Lodge. The real attraction though are the soaring mesas which populate this barren desert landscape. Near Monument Valley we will be staying at Sand Island Campground on the San Juan River, just outside of Bluff Utah. Besides being a scenic riverside campground, Sand Island also provides the camper with a close up look at some of the most remarkable Indian Petroglyphs to be found in the area and best of all, swimming in the river makes this campground a real treat. Near by is a set of little known but impressive cliff dwellings which take a little effort to get to because it's off the beaten path so the tourist hordes are absent here as they are in our campground.

The Grand Canyon (2 Nights):

From Monument Valley we move on to one of the "Seven Natural Wonders of the World", the Grand Canyon. The Canyon is probably the most well known natural feature of the US, yet your first impression of the Canyon may not be exactly what you expect. From the rim of the Canyon the breath taking view is almost to large to take in. The best way to cure this overwhelming feeling is to take a hike down into the Canyon on the Kaibab Trail. The six mile round trip to Cedar Ridge and ultimately Skeleton Point takes you to an incredible view of the lower half of the Canyon and the Colorado River below. For Skeleton Point you feel part of this grandest of all canyons. One of the other major highlights of a Grand Canyon trip is a chance to see the sun rise and set from the rim of the canyon. People come from all over the world and wait in the cold predawn morning every day of the year just to see a sunrise here. Hiking the rim trail if you are not making the decent into the canyon is a great way to spend your day. Taking a scenic helicopter or airplane flight over the canyon as an optional activity, is the best way to get another perspective of the canyon.

Hoover Dam (Day Visit)

Lake Mead on the Arizona/Nevada border was formed when the Hoover Dam was built in the 1930's. (named after Dr. Elwood Mead, Reclamation Commissioner from 1924 to 1936). The original name was the Boulder Dam it was later renamed the Hoover Dam after the 31st president, Herbert Hoover. It was the construction of the dam and the arrival of thousands of workers which prompted the legalization of gambling in Nevada and the consequent growth of the city of Las Vegas which catered to the more decadent tastes of the men who built the dam. Now the Hoover Dam is one of the most well known man made landmarks and most highly visited in the West. Before the dam, this area of northwest Arizona was largely unvisited due to the harsh, irregular terrain and the extreme summer temperatures. Now, the lake forms the major component of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 1.5 million acres that extends quite far south and includes 25 miles of the Colorado River plus the smaller Lake Mohave.

Las Vegas (2 Nights Hotel Stay):

After camping in the desert and cooking in the great outdoors for the last three days it's now time to enjoy a night of luxury and decadence in the city which invented the word. It's party time in Vegas! We're going to put away the camping gear for the night and enjoy the comfort of a hotel and a famous Vegas buffet dinner. (Hotel included in the price of tour package. All rooms are shared, double occupancy. Meals in Vegas not included). Las Vegas has many attractions, casinos, nightclubs, great food, bunji jumping, roller coasters and more. Heck you may even want to get married at one of Las Vegas' famous wedding chapels. Sounds crazy? Well it wouldn't be the first time someone got married on one of our tours. Upon entering the city your guide will give you a driving tour, then check into your room, freshen up and go out to dinner at one of Vegas' many great buffets. After dinner it's time to hit the strip and party in the city which really never sleeps. From Vegas we move on to Los Angeles for a Hollywood tour and then the last stop on the trip he Backpacker's Paradise hotel/hostel.

(Meals in Vegas are not included in the price of your tour.)

Be sure to view What you need to know page before you book and log off.

Tour includes all camping, meals, hotel in Las Vegas, all park entrances and transportation

as well as all the top quality equipment to make camping easy and you comfortable.

Our convenient pick up locations.

Avon.......................................................6:30 AM Kayak Crossing

Vail........................................6:45 AM Vail Transportation Center

Vail............................................................7:15 AM Timber Ridge

Avon...........................................................7:30 AM Avon Center

Edwards..................................................................8:00 AM Shell

Wolcott.........................................................8:15 AM Wolcott Inn

Glenwood Springs..................................9:00 AM Hotel Colorado

START IN VAIL	Arrival in LA	PRICE
Saturday April 15, 2006	Monday April 24, 2006	$510.00

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2008 Calendar of Tours

Toll Free Phone Number

1(866) 440-4440

Work in the USA

Mike Svoboda Photography.

ROCKSTAR "The High Energy Drink for High Energy Travelers"

by Joseph A Toska

Last Revised on February06, 2006