Spirit of the Desert: The National Parks of the Southwest 2021
Overview
Highlights
- Stunning landscapes so arresting that they’ll live forever in your mind’s eye… impossible red rock arches opening before you like grand entryways
- offering a sense of endless possibility… canyons and immense cliffs
- seemingly carved by a giant to form an island in the sky… fanciful hoodoos come alive while gods and legends linger everywhere… how the human spirit is cheered and fortified by the spirit of the desert.On the ground or by air
- explore Arches
- Canyonlands
- Capitol Reef
- Bryce Canyon
- Zion and Grand Canyon national parks. Fly over the remote reaches of Capitol Reef and see the Grand Canyon from the air en route to Las Vegas. Spend two nights on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim for a fresh
- “new” perspective of the park
- enjoyed by fewer than 10% of park visitors. Attend special talks and lectures by local experts from Ken Burns's documentary
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Trip includes
- TAUCK EXCLUSIVE – Filmed vignettes by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan share their own personal stories and tell the stories of those who shaped the creation & preservation of the six national parks TAUCK EXCLUSIVE - Local experts associated with Ken Burns's documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, give special talks and lectures On the ground or by air, explore Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion and Grand Canyon national parks – more than any other Tauck trip Two Flightseeing Adventures! Fly over the extraordinary remote reaches of the Capitol Reef National Park and see the Grand Canyon from the air en route to Las Vegas
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Itinerary
Rise early for a memorable journey to Arches National Park. You won’t believe your eyes – over 2,000 arches comprise the world’s largest concentration of natural sandstone arches. National park status didn’t come easily... first dec...
Join your Tauck Director for a different type of exploring – a scenic float trip along the Colorado River* where rock towers, colors and light reflect upon the water like mirror images. A lecture by a local Navajo connects you to th...
Enjoy some free time this morning – go on an optional Dawn Patrol or visit the Film Museum at the Lodge (both on your own). For the past 70 years, many of the most famous western movies were filmed in and around Moab – learn about t...
Another independent Dawn Patrol is available this morning – a hike along the rim of Bryce Canyon to catch the shocking array of colors illuminated by the first rays of light on the hoodoos below. More of a series of horseshoe “amphi...
“I was so impressed by the red cliffs and wilderness surroundings of Zion Canyon that I determined we should... have it made a national park.” The words of conservationist Horace Albright set the stage for the expansion of national ...
A film vignette by Dayton Duncan tells the story of Grand Canyon National Park, and how it exemplified the struggle that often occurred when creating a new national park. Leave Zion, and en route to Grand Canyon National Park get a ...
An independent Dawn Patrol takes in the fantastic North Rim – and remember, sunrise comes pretty early! Naturalist John Muir remarked: “The dawn, as in all the pure, dry desert country is ineffably beautiful; and when the first leve...
A final Dawn Patrol takes in the spectacular sunrise, at your own pace, from the North Rim of the canyon. The last of our vignettes features reflections by Ken Burns about our own private memories of the national parks – these memor...
MEALS : B
PORTOFCALL : Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
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The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
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In 1882, Herman Tauck arrived in New York City from Germany in search of the American dream. His determination and values were passed on to his son, Arthur Tauck, who would realize that dream. With ingenuity and an innovative spirit, Arthur started Tauck Motor Tours, a travel company that would give birth to a new industry. The first tour, through the back roads of New England, was created by this 27-year-old in 1925. It embodied the same successful formula used by Tauck today: do the right thing. Craft a life-enriching travel experience; provide it at a single all-inclusive price; ensure there is great value for money; and rely on recommendations of satisfied customers to build a following and grow the business.
Two elements that did change over the next 90+ years – and three generations of Taucks – were the scope of destinations served and the variety of modes of travel used. Today Tauck delivers life-enriching travel experiences to every corner of the globe, incorporating small cruise ships, premium riverboats, trains, helicopters and more. What started as a New England motor coach tour company has truly evolved into an extraordinary global travel company. The fourth generation of Taucks is now involved in the company. While remarkable in any business, this seamless continuity across generations speaks to shared vision and values.
Throughout its history, the concept of “family” at Tauck has gone far beyond those sharing the surname to include hundreds of valued employees, and hundreds of thousands of loyal guests. The story of Tauck is the story of a unique American family company celebrating a passion for travel – a story that will continue to inspire generations to come.
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