The Great National Parks

At last I was returning to the States; the first time had been a great experience but this time I was going back with my wife and that made me even happier.

Our first stop, Las Vegas, appeared from the plane more sparkling than ever and woke us from the sleep that had overcome us after nearly 24 hours spent in various airports, but it was time to wake up and get behind the wheel of the rented car.

A few minutes of driving and here we are on the Strip, immersed in the lights of the craziest night in the world; we take a fleeting peek at the big hotels and decide to stay at the Holiday Inn.

The next morning we decide to visit this city of adult entertainment; since for my wife it's the first visit to Las Vegas we decide to start with the casinos that more than others remind us of our Italy (the Venetian and the Bellagio); in both cases what amazes most are the halls that faithfully recreate the most characteristic places of the two cities: inside the Venetian, St Mark's Square has been rebuilt with an adjoining canal where tourists can take a ride on gondolas brought here directly from Venice, while at the Bellagio there's a hall where thousands of floral arrangements frame an almost obsessive recreation of the little village on Lake Como.

Las Vegas is truly an intriguing and unusual place, but the reason that brought us here is its closeness to the great parks of the West and so it's from here that our adventure begins.

Our first stop is Bryce Canyon, a magical place with its spires and pinnacles of red sandstone soaring from deep canyons; we arrive at sunset and the spectacle of the colours changing from bright red to yellow is one of those that leave you breathless.

By now it's dark when we decide to stop at a motel just outside the park entrance; the climate is starting to turn cold (we're at almost three thousand metres of altitude) and hunger makes itself felt; we decide to go into a little restaurant where, in an old-West atmosphere, we eat grilled meat.

The next morning the cold is really biting but we have no time to worry about the cold, since the stretch of road that will lead us to Moab is one of the most beautiful scenic roads in the States; behind every bend the landscape changes radically and the stops to take photos are countless.

We reach Moab in the afternoon and decide to go into Arches National Park, which holds the greatest concentration of natural arches; we're in the area known as red rock country in the state of Utah, and from Moab you can also set off on boat trips into the intricate canyon system of Canyonlands National Park; we also find time to visit this little town and the next morning we set off south towards Mesa Verde.

The few miles separating Moab from Mesa Verde aren't rich in sights, so we reach the park very early and take the chance to explore it far and wide. Mesa Verde is an archaeological site documenting the ancient civilisations that populated these places; at the visitor centre you can book guided tours inside the dwellings and archaeological sites with a guide who explains the customs and habits of the ancient tribes.

After spending the night in a lodge inside the park, the next morning we set off for the next stop: the Grand Canyon.

On the approach road we pass through the Indian reservations, and although the scenery is out of a western film, these reservations remind us of the madness of men who exterminated millions of Indians and shut the survivors away in these arid and inhospitable places.

We pass through the gate of Grand Canyon National Park in the early afternoon and stop at the first viewpoint; this is my second time so I know what's in store, but for my wife, who had only seen the canyon in photographs, the sight of this wonder of nature revealing itself in all its majesty is one to set the heart racing, and she remains speechless for a few minutes.

We have plenty of time so we head to the airport area and decide to fly over the canyon by helicopter, and it's a thrilling experience to see the Grand Canyon show itself in all its beauty.

After watching the sunset from a rock sheer above the canyon we head for the lodge inside the park, and in the morning outside our room door we find some deer calmly grazing on the lawn.

The day starts well and will take us back towards Las Vegas, not before a short stop at Lake Powell, a splendid artificial lake formed by the Colorado River.

The last stop on the way to Vegas is the Hoover Dam, the immense dam that serves to light the city and to quench the enormous water demand used daily for the countless golf courses and gardens of Las Vegas.

We spend the last evening in the city and also find time to win a hundred dollars at the casino; the next morning, after handing back the car, we take a plane bound for Honolulu where a dear friend and her boyfriend are waiting for us.

Hawaii is a dream come true and the stay passes quickly; we find time to appreciate the beauty of the beaches and try a bit of surfing; the waves are inviting but it's not easy to stay standing on a board.

During our stay we visit a pineapple plantation and the volcanic rock beaches that are a feature of the island (along with the presence of many, perhaps too many, Japanese) but like all good things they end too quickly and so here we are again at the airport, destination San Francisco.

The city is definitely full of interest and we decide to take the characteristic cable cars to the port area from where, by boat, we go beneath the Golden Gate and then stop at the famous prison island of Alcatraz.

Another place not to be missed is Chinatown, one of the largest in America.

Unfortunately the time at our disposal isn't much and we leave San Francisco with the wish to return some day; for this year the trip ends in one of the most beautiful American cities and the journey home is less painful than usual.

Roby & Giuly