Depart with Southwest Tours on a grand adventure to California and the Pacific Coast!

Tour Length: 18 days
Departure Date:  March 3 - 20, 2011

DAY 1:  The Group Travel Leader magazine says that of all 50 states, California is the most popular state destination.  Today we begin our tour, anticipating that we will see California for ourselves very soon.  Overnight - North Platte, NE

DAY 2:  Scenic landscapes surround us as we continue west into Colorado.  Overnight - Fruita, CO  (B)

DAY 3:  Crossing into Utah, we find one of its many wonders, Arches National Park, home to one of the largest concentrations of natural sandstone arches in the world.  Overnight - Beaver, UT (B)

DAY 4:  Our destination today is  Las Vegas, entertainment capital of the world.  We can explore this exciting city on our free afternoon.  An option tonight is the Fremont Street Experience sound and light show downtown.  Overnight - Las Vegas, NV (B)

DAY 5:  California, here we come!  Our first view of the Golden State is the Mojave Desert, but after lunch we will be in the avocado capital of the world.  Our McManigle Grove Tour includes a guided walk through a working grove of avocado, grapefruit, lemons, guava and cherimoya.  We continue to the coast for our two night stay.  Overnight - San Diego, CA

DAY 6:  This morning we visit one of the largest zoos in the world, the San Diego Zoo.  Included in our admission are a round-trip Skyfari tram ride, the Children’s Zoo and all animal shows and exhibits.  We enjoy sightseeing by water this afternoon on our San Diego Harbor Cruise.  Highlights include the largest Navy fleet in the continental U.S., busy shipyards, the Coronado Bay Bridge and harbor activity.  Overnight - San Diego, CA (B)

DAY 7:  This morning we honor the legend of the USS Midway as we tour the longest-serving aircraft carrier in U.S. Navy history, a 47-year odyssey that spanned the end of WWII and the liberation of Kuwait in 1991.  From San Diego we head north, stopping to visit Mission San Juan Capistrano.  Known as the Jewel of the Missions, it was dedicated in the 1700’s and is used daily.  Overnight - Buena Park, CA  (B)

DAY 8:  We start our day with a Crystal Cathedral Guided Tour.  A must on any California vacation schedule is a visit to Disneyland, sure to be one of our highlights.  Overnight - Buena Park, CA  (B)

DAY 9:  Hollywood legends have left footprints and/or handprints for us to see this morning at Grauman’s Chinese Theater.  We go behind the scenes at the world’s busiest motion picture and television studio on our Warner Brothers Studios VIP Tour.  We continue on to Simi Valley, CA, home of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.  The largest and most elaborate of all the Presidential Libraries and Museums, it includes memorabilia from his life, a retired Air Force One and President Reagan’s burial site.  Overnight - Ventura, CA (B)