Well, in third place I voted for Rome, which I covered recently on the Classic Cities of Italy tour. However, Rome was most certainly not built in a day,so it's unlikely that a first time visitor could cover everything in day and there's so much of it which I have yet to see... Thanks to the good fortune of a late return flight home, I was able to squeeze in the Vatican Museum with the Sistine Chapel, which I believe are now available as part of an optional excursion on the new Rome city break. Well worth spending a little time at, in spite of the crowds. Must go back sometime to venture inside the Colosseum and maybe visit the Capitolan Museum...
In second place, I voted for Inspirational China, a country which I have aspired to visit for quite some time, and look set on achieving later this year. It's all the fault of that remake of "The Karate Kid" which was mostly filmed in Beijing, which seems to be on television frequently...
My personal winner though has to be America's Golden West, which I have been fortunate to have done twice with JY. I love San Francisco with its three historic Cable Car lines, plus their lesser known counterparts - the equally fascinating and colourful fleet of classic Streetcars (trams) which run along the side of the Bay (the Embarcadero to be precise). Keep your eyes open, and you might just spot a "Boat" tram all the way from Blackpool, as the "F" line also hosts trams from Milan and Melbourne to complement the domestic fleet. This marvellous city has been the location of so many fims, such as "Dirty Harry", "Escape from Alcatraz", "The Rock", "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" amongst others. It's almost like being on a movie set, and that's before you get to Los Angeles!
My favourite aspect of LA, is the visit to Long Beach. Many visitors are aware of The Queen Mary, but fewer are aware of the Cold War era Soviet Foxtrot class submarine moored next to her. (This could be perfectly complemented by an onboard visit to the USS Pampanito submarine in San Francisco). Long Beach is also home to the impressive "Aquarium of the Pacific", where memories of the antics of the playful Californian Sea Otters will stay with me for life - they seem to love showing off for the public! (This is just one of several aquariums you could visit on this road trip).
On the journey out of Long Beach, watch the coastline for that icon of California - surfers!
En route to Las Vegas, there is a one night stopover at Palm Springs. Rumours that this is the retirement capital of the US seem completely unfounded. Having experienced a night out or two in Palm Springs (where you are spoilt for choice in restaurants), I can confidently say that the locals out for the evening are a youthful crowd, but without the rowdiness we unfortunately come across in the UK. Indeed, the greatest misdemeanour I witnessed was the tendency for young males (usually as part of a family group) to look up the skirt of a giant statue of Marilyn Monroe. On the advice of my Tour Manager, I am told that they are disappointed!!!
Finally, on to Las Vegas. Do take time to explore the Hotel-Casinos, as there are many attractions within. I was particularly impressed by the Autos Collection within "The Quad" (formerly "The Imperial Palace"), which is the World's biggest classic car showroom. I made a beeline for this from the Stratosphere and made the journey by using the City Monorail - and the Sahara Station which serves the Stratosphere is a brisk fifteen minute walk away. I also enjoyed the Bellagio Fountains and Fremont Street Experience on the LV by Night tour - bigger and brighter than the Blackpool Illuminations, plus live music at the latter! One little tip - when exploring LV by day, buy bottled water from the street vendors who hang out around the walkways which cross over The Strip. It's cheaper to buy from these guys than it is to purchase water from a casino!
