An unforgettable Honeymoon across the United States of America

Tour of California (parks and city), Arizona, Utah and Nevada. Step in New York on the way back.

We supported a travel agency because the trip was also our wedding list, but with a little 'goodwill, we can organize themselves.

Transportation
Air (Lufthansa) for Italy-US-Italy and United Airlines for domestic travel
Car (Hertz) for the tour (about 4000 km). Useful or at least the Never Lost a navigator

Telephony
Italian parks do not take cell phones! We realized we park in the first: they are covered only by local actors with which the Italians do not have roaming. Anyway we had bought the phone cards in Italy Columbus, for international calls (to landline) are outstanding!

Parks
Revenue to the parks all cost around $ 20, but there is also an annual card that costs $ 80 and gives free access to all national parks (not on Indian reservations, such as Monument Valley). Still on the parks, we have them virtually "through" car, but there is also the possibility of organizing walks or rides (some on donkeys) and the like depends on the will and the time you did!
Entrance of the park rangers always provide the map of the park newspaper (some is also available in Italian).

Clothing
Plan better to wear an onion, because the weather is quite changeable, and in any case, the parks are often high above sea level, and then in the evening / night is cold weather (even the Grand Canyon is around 2000 meters, Bryce comes to 3000 Yosemite and more). Also show San Francisco is almost always foggy and windy, then it should provide a sweater or even a fleece.

To spend less:
1. book via the internet and without agency (mainly hotels and car)
2. select all motel (we had some upper-middle class hotel)
3. Always eat in quiet places (us some dinner a little 'over the average there are granted)
4. buy a few souvenirs (and this is the hardest thing!)

Language skills
In general is not a journey that takes you to talk to many people (unless precisely setbacks) usually speaks for check-in and out of the hotel, entrance parks / museums, restaurants ...
Americans are still nice and helpful
The tours are available in several languages, including Italian

And that is the saying of my grandmother: "tongue in your mouth, you go to Rome" ... in his time (born in 1912!) the difficulty was to go to Rome, but the sense is that if you want, anywhere you go!

 

Travel

When traveling in the U.S. (or even goes through), please be aware that the first stop in U.S. territory requires compulsory formalities immagrazione (including recognition of checked baggage).
Consider a coincidence is not too close to the next.

San Diego

The town is much smaller and new compared to other cities, but a trip to Seaport Village make quite a good mood and has a beautiful seafront promenade. For those interested in military affairs, there is a museum on the U.S. aircraft carrier Midway.
Also to the Gaslamp District (better at night: there are many locals).
Little Italy is much better than New York!
For the sea, missed Coronaro Island (where they filmed "Some Like It Hot") and La Jolla (there are also sea lions).
We also had several friends recommended the aquarium, but we have not had time to see him.

Santa Monica and Venice Beach

The Santa Monica Pier is truly missed, with the Ferris wheel, fun and a lot of Bubba Gump Shrimp. But it is also excellent for shopping.

Venice is beautiful to walk along the beach, where you see really Baywatch (including turrets and yellow vans), but also the outdoor gyms, the souvenir shops, and sundries as well as characters more or less picturesque ...

Los Angeles

Going Los Angeles hotel, we stop on Rodeo Drive in the footsteps of Pretty Woman and actually find that famous one is a bit of a long residential street.

For the rest, Los Angeles is a collection of micro-worlds, each different and charming in its own way ... Beverly Hills and Hollywood are a must, but do not disdaining even a visit to the original setting or new skyscrapers.

We turn the board a minibus with a guide in Mexico (David) who speaks Italian very well and it illustrates several points that otherwise would not have noticed or found (as the home of the fictional TV series Charmed or Empire State Building, used for the movie King Kong).

Also visit Universal Studios in reality more an amusement park, but there are some very famous movie sets (we are on the loose Desperate Housewifes, but there's War of the Worlds, Jaws, and others).

Among other things, Los Angeles, obviously the Walk of Fame (the one with the stars and the names of the actors), the Kodak Theatre (the Oscars) and the Chinese Theater (the famous handprints)

From Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon (South Rim)

This is a really long stage (almost 800 kilometers) and in fact we start in the morning and arrive at sunset.

We paused "lunch" in Needles, a small village right on the legendary Route 66 (dirty but delicious hamburgers).
And then also to Williams, a small town (still on Route 66) that seems to stop a century ago: there are only doors style "saloon".

To visit the park, we'll spend tomorrow.

From the Grand Canyon to the Monument Valley

In the morning the disappointments: the night before due time, the Canyon is completely covered by fog and you see absolutely nothing worse than to Lodi in winter!!

But luckily it opens and we see the incredible work of the Colorado River. I like most of Monument Valley, but the magic of colors and cliffs is nothing short of breathtaking.

Turning car or on foot is pretty easy to spot deer, squirrels, raptors and other animals, "savages".

From the Monument Valley (Navajo Indian Reserve) to the Bryce Canyon.

Navajo territory is not observed daylight saving time, so there may be "differences" of time. The Indians do not appreciate being photographed (to steal the soul), but a fee of 5-10 dollars ...

The entrance to the park is not included in your subscription annual American National Park.

If you are lucky enough to book in the only hotel inside the reserve, I think the spectacle of sunrise or sunset is particularly spectacular (we unfortunately were out of the park).

However, for those who want to feel like in a western by Sergio Leone, Monument Valley is the right place along a dirt (red as fire!) You can admire beautiful landscapes of stone eroded by wind and natural sculptures.
In the spring, then you get to see some flowers in the desert (how they grow, they know their only !!!). For me, the most beautiful park!!

The dirt path is feasible (with a little 'attention and so calmly) machines also "normal" provided that it has rained or is raining, in which case it is better to rely on local guides and their 4x4.

From Bryce Canyon to Las Vegas

Bryce Canyon is in Utah, where the time zone changes, compared to California, Nevada, Arizona (one hour ahead)!

Bryce is actually an amphitheater of pinnacles born from the work of water and wind .... Much smaller crop and the Grand Canyon (and least known / reported) maintains a particular charm! We had not planned, but we have recommended many people we trusted and we were delighted!

The road that connects Bryce to Las Vegas through the Zion National Park (and you must pay the entry even if it is in transit). However, a beautiful view on a new type of landscape: more tortuous, with great contrasts between the red rock and green vegetation.

The arrival in Las Vegas is shocking, for traffic, light, music, confusion ...

We wanted to do the "sboroni" and stay at the Bellagio, but go back to change: according to the hotel just in time to sleep and shower, not worth it (something different if we were to also enjoy the benefits of wellness, swimming pools, etc.). Interestingly, the Bellagio buffet, which offers meals for all the formula 'All you can eat "fixed price (breakfast I think $ 13 per person).

Do not miss the spectacle of the Bellagio fountains which is held every quarter hour from dusk onwards (we have been lucky enough to find the background Bocelli: thrilling!)

Each hotel also offers the chance to "marry" I know that some Italians do and some do benefit promises to bring even the 5th or 10th wedding anniversary ... We have not even informed.

Las Vegas

During the day is much quieter, but also in May is a hot Executioner: becomes inevitable "inside-out" to get some 'chilling search for water bottles.

What advise to see? difficult ... Surely we Italians impresses the Venice Grand Canal with the reproduction and gondoliers singing Volare and O sole mio ... But there are also reproductions of Luxor, New York .... Or megastores of M & M's, theme bars (from Harley Davidson to Topical Forest) ...

Better not leave the main road (Strip), because the rest of Las Vegas is very badly positioned.

From Las Vegas to the Death Valley

Perhaps the shortest stage in terms of miles, but it is also warmer, so before leaving Las Vegas is well obtains water for passengers but also for the car, in case of failure (in supermarkets 7 / 11 sell classic gallons going just fine). I had also brought bags Polase (low blood pressure) and I must say that we used!

In the park Death Valley places to see are different, but you do not enjoy them very much because you can not stay out of the car for so long. However, for sure Bad Water (the lowest) and Dante's View (the highest).

Someone also recommended the Crater, but we think it is not worth much (especially if you expect to find anything large or huge).
Others speak of the beautiful white sand dunes (there are, admittedly) from which to watch sunrise and sunset can be, but are not exactly close to the paved road, then we must consider the possibility of having to walk a bit ', even in the midst of brush ...

In the park we had the good fortune to Espying a coyote, but we lacked Bip Bip (the roadrunner) to hear in a cartoon.

From the Death Valley to the Yosemite National Park

For this piece, you see the time when you go, because the shortest route (which is still very short: the never say lost 6 hours) passing through the Tioga Pass, which is normally closed due to snow between November and April. We have found it open, but the lake was frozen, road-side there was snow and the thermometer was 13 ° C (hike, after the 41 ° C to Death Valley)!

This park is wonderful, but the falls are visible only in the spring (summer-autumn and winter are dry ice).

There are also giant sequoia, so you can then omit the Sequoia National Park.

In this park there are beautiful landscapes, over the falls: Mirror Lake, Half Dome and the Portal are among the most famous. And you can spot many animals beyond the classic deer and squirrels, here are also brown bears.

From the Yosemite National Park to San Francisco

exploit the morning still wander the park and discover that there is also a functioning system of rental bikes for those who do not feel like a trek, but even using the car.

Then we head to San Francisco, where we leave the car.

San Francisco

With its hills, is almost hard to get around on foot, so we opted for a pass for public transport (including the iconic cable cars, which are absolutely try!), So we get on and off at will.

Here we saw the Coit Tower (nice view), Pier 39 (mythical lions) and Fisherman's Wharf (with shops and restaurants).

In the afternoon we had to book a visit to Alcatraz (best book, especially the ferry leg.) The visit to the prison accompanied by an excellent audio guide service, also available in Italian.
Years later and despite the bad conditions, however, raises some concern.

Try the typical Chowder: a fish soup served in a mega-sandwich where the bread was removed. According to me is great!!

San Francisco

Day excursion to the city again.

See Lombard Street (crooked street in the world), the Golden Gate Bridge (beautiful: it's worth a nice walk over), pastry Ghilardelli (delicious chocolate), Golden Gate Park (do not it's worth) Haight Street (the neighborhood of the flower children) and Alamo Square (beautiful houses vittoriante).

Obviously we found a bad time: heavy fog and very cold, but are described as normal and basically gives a certain charm to the whole city.

From San Francisco to New York

The actual flight and time zone unfavorable mean that the day passes completely by air.
We get that it is almost evening, then we do a ride (Times Square is fabulous in the evening).

To hurt the wallet, but spoiled his throat and palate, we give ourselves a dinner by the famous Sparks ... The portfolio is very lightweight, but the meat quality and service is really good.

New York

The next day (the last of our beautiful trip) are devoted to New York (actually, then Manhattan), a very beautiful city, which must be lived and filmed and discovery.

I really expected more closed and oppressive, in fact I find it a huge city, with ample space and large organization. There are also many green areas, nicely equipped with chairs and tables available to all, without necessarily having to consume BARETTINI nearby.

For those who love the theater, you missed the show on Broadway. We chose the musical Chicago (Ambassador Theatre) and was a winning choice.

Very nice a visit to Central Park and climb the Empire State Building and the Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Center).

For the rest, what about ... You should turn!! The sights are many and well known. We have avoided the wonderful museums because we had little time and we preferred to watch the city and live it.

Obviously NY is also the city's shopping, from department stores Macy's, Century 21 Outlet, department store, to jewelers.

The biggest disappointment? The square in front of Rockefeller Center, where the winter ice rink is installed and set up the Christmas tree. If you see the "off season" is a narrow square, full of horrible awnings and umbrellas from the bar.