WESTERN UNITED STATES
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WESTERN UNITED STATES
From purple mountains’ majesty to the rolling waves of the Pacific, the
wonders of the West are certainly beautiful to behold. Choose your own
adventure: explore the wilds of Alaska, relax on Hawaii’s white-sand
beaches, retrace the steps of Old West pioneers, or wind your way through
California’s enchanting wine country. Wherever your Western adventure
takes you, you are sure to discover some of the world’s most awe-inspiring
sights right here in your own backyard.
holidays &
festivals
January 1
January
March
July
August October
The Tournament of Roses Parade
California rings in the New Year with floats
decorated with tens of thousands of real
flowers—a delight for all the senses. Sundance Film Festival
More than 20,000 movie lovers and the industry’s
elite screen 125 feature-length films and 60 shorts.
North Lake Tahoe Snow Festival
The largest winter carnival in the West.
Festival of the American West
A time-warping adventure in Logan, Utah,
will transport you back to the days of cow
poking, bull roping and telling stories around
the campfire.
Santa Fe Opera
Features a brilliant series of shows in a superb
outdoor opera house.
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
Hundreds of colorful hot-air balloons light up
the sky at this unique American celebration.
BOOKS
- The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
- The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America, by Bill Bryson
- The Man Who Invented Las Vegas, by W.R. Wilkerson III
- National Geographic’s Guide to the National Parks of the United States
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VIDEOS
- From Here to Eternity (1953)
- North to Alaska (1960)
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
- A Walk in the Clouds (1995)
- Oceans Eleven (2001)
- Sideways (2005)
Local Tourism
web sites
Alaska.................................................................................................www.travelalaska.com
Arizona............................................................................................. www.arizonaguide.com
California..........................................................................................................gocalif.ca.gov
Colorado.................................................................................................. www.colorado.com
Hawaii................................................................................................... www.gohawaii.com
Idaho....................................................................................................... www.visitidaho.org
Montana..................................................................................................... www.visitmt.com
National Parks..................................................................................................www.nps.gov
Nevada..............................................................................................www.travelnevada.com
Oregon............................................................................................... www.traveloregon.com
USA Tourism Sites............................................................................... www.seeamerica.org
Utah...............................................................................................................www.utah.com
Washington........................................................................www.experiencewashington.com
weather
Weather in the western United States is a lesson in extremes—from Alaska’s chill to Arizona’s
heat and year-round comfort in California and Hawaii. What you decide to pack when you
travel to the West will depend largely on your destination. With wide-open spaces like these,
however, might we suggest bringing along a well-traveled pair of tennis shoes.
average
temperatures
January April July October
High Low
High Low
High Low
High Low
45˚ 10˚
59˚ 27˚
83˚ 49˚
66˚ 30˚
41˚ 19˚
72˚ 50˚
32˚ 17˚
1˚ -13˚
83˚ 69˚
87˚ 73˚
87˚ 72˚
80˚ 66˚
51˚ 24˚
82˚ 41˚
58˚ 23˚
26˚ 4˚
67˚ 53˚
75˚ 63˚
74˚ 59˚
66˚ 48˚
87˚ 50˚
109˚ 76˚ 90˚ 54˚
68˚ 36˚
Temperatures are in °F. For specific weather information, visit www.accuweather.com.
Denver, CO
Fairbanks, AK
Honolulu, HI
Jackson, WY
Los Angeles, CA
Phoenix, AZ
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DID YOU KNOW?
- Napa Valley boasts more than 200
wineries, including Stag’s Leap Winery,
famous for its 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon
that beat the French in a blind taste test
in Paris.
- Shrimp consumption in Las Vegas is more
than 60,000 pounds a day—that’s more
than the rest of the U.S. combined.
- Denver has the largest city park system in
the nation, with 205 parks within city
limits and 20,000 acres of parks in the
nearby mountains.
- Everyone knows that Los Angeles is the
entertainment capital of the world, but it
also boasts an eclectic mix of more than
300 fine-arts museums.
national park
spotlight
Arches National Park
Location: Near Moab, Utah
Established: November 12, 1971
Area: 76,359 acres
Highlights: A landscape seemingly taken from the pages of a Dr. Seuss book,
Arches offers a kaleidoscope of geological wonders—from sandstone arches to spires,
pinnacles and curiously balanced rocks. For an unforgettable cap to your day,
catch a spectacular sunset through the frame of the park’s famous Delicate Arch.
Denali National Park
Location: South Central Alaska
Established: February 26, 1917
Area: 6 million acres
Highlights: Covering an area larger than the state of Massachusetts and having only
one road to its name, Denali is wilderness at its best. View Mount McKinley, America’s
tallest peak, along with rushing rivers, flower-studded tundra and an incredible
assortment of wildlife at this Alaskan wonderland.
Grand Canyon National Park
Location: Northern Arizona
Established: February 26, 1919
Area: 1.2 million acres
Highlights: The sheer magnitude of this, the grandest canyon, is perhaps the most
overwhelming sensation you’ll receive from your visit. Billions of years of erosion
have created a geological history lesson told through the multifarious layers of rock.
Sunsets here set the canyon walls aflame with a crimson hue that will stay forever
burned in your memory.
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Grand Teton National Park
Location: Northwest Wyoming
Established: February 26, 1929
Area: 310,000 acres
Highlights: Amber waves of grain give way to the mountain majesty of this picturesque
range. Wyoming is the least populous state in the nation when it comes to human life,
but one of the most populous when it comes to wildlife. Keep your eyes peeled for the
park’s main residents—moose, buffalo, elk and pronghorn sheep.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Location: South Central Hawaii
Established: August 1, 1916
Area: 330,000 acres
Highlights: Two of the world’s most active volcanoes—Kilauea and Mauna Loa—are
on display at this exotic park. Lava-twisted landscapes are interspersed with lush
greenery. Periodic eruptions send fresh lava flows to meet the sea and create colossal
clouds of steam.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Location: North Central Colorado
Established: January 26, 1915
Area: 265,769 acres
Highlights: Drive the “Roof of the Rockies” along Trail Ridge Road, the highest
continuous paved road in the United States. This park boasts some of the world’s
tallest peaks—more than 78 of them exceed 12,000 feet. Alpine lakes throughout the
park reflect the beauty of these national treasures.
Yellowstone National Park
Location: Northwest Wyoming
Established: March 1, 1872
Area: 2.2 million acres
Highlights: As America’s first national park, Yellowstone is an incredible collection
of geological treasures. Beyond the obligatory—yet still wonderfully tantalizing—
Old Faithful, visitors will enjoy bubbling hot springs, majestic mountain vistas and
rushing rivers, not to mention bears, moose and an abundance of other wildlife.
Yosemite National Park
Location: Northeast California
Established: October 1, 1890
Area: 759,530 acres
Highlights: El Capitan towers over the park as a veritable mecca for rock-climbing
enthusiasts worldwide. But even if you come to Yosemite without your climbing gear,
simply witnessing the battle of man versus mountain is worth the journey. Enjoy lunch
in the glacier-cut Yosemite Valley surrounded by breathtaking craggy peaks. Or take a
hike along the park’s thousands of acres of rolling green meadows.
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