The Far West often brings to mind images of anarchy and chaotic violence, as exaggerated in western films. However, the process of European expansion from the east coast to the west was not only a story of conquest and survival, but also of perseverance, resistance, and cultural assimilation with native tribes. It was a process that transformed European settlers into a new people, the Americans, and led to the radical changes that spread across the United States. The introduction of new technology, such as firearms, railroads, roads, new towns, ranches, and mines, forever altered the conditions and habits of everyone involved. This led to the reduction or even elimination of old civilizations and gave rise to the new great power that, in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence, became self-sufficient from Britain and gradually dominated the world. The United States' national economy was the largest in the world by the 1870s and remained so until recently when it was surpassed by China.
The Far West, despite its modernization, remains a remarkable place with vast canyons, incredible geological formations, deserts, giant trees, rock paintings, and petroglyphs of proto-Indians thousands of years old, and the remains of pre-Columbian civilizations, such as the Anasazi, Navajo, and others.
This trip aims to introduce you to some of the most important National Parks in the states we pass through, including Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, and California. We believe that you never truly know a place until you have walked it, until you are in the heart of the destination. With this philosophy in mind, we take time in each park for short or long walks, essentially starting each day's program where we park the car.
The trip will be limited to small groups, with a maximum of 8 to 12 people. We will begin in Phoenix and move north to the famous Yellowstone National Park before heading southwest to Las Vegas. After crossing Death Valley, we will arrive at the giant sequoia forests of Yosemite and then continue to San Francisco.