Southwest

located in Arizona and its amazing scenery easily lives up to the hype. The spectacular sandstone formations in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, which straddles Utah and Colorado, have provided the backdrop to numerous cowboy films.

After Alaska and California, Utah has the third most national parks of any state in the USA, including beautiful Zion National Park, the distinctive Bryce Canyon National Park and rugged Canyonlands National Park. Utah s ski resorts are considered some of the best in the country, while the annual Sundance Film Festival is the biggest independent movie festival in the United States.

Heady Nevada has transformed from a state settled by silver miners to one that runs on the gold of Las Vegas casinos. Enjoy the excitement of Sin City try your luck at the poker table, party at one of the city s countless bars or nightclubs, or get married by an Elvis impersonator at a 24 hour wedding chapel As they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas at least until you upload the photos to Facebook.

Don t forget to take in New Mexico as you get your kicks on Route 66. A cultural melting pot with large Hispanic and Native American populations, this quirky and captivating state is worth exploring. Carlsbad Cavern National Park has more than 100 caves, with something for cave explorers of all levels of experience and fitness.