Things to Do in United States in January

This tour leaves the neon-lit frenzy of the Las Vegas Strip for the desert's silence, going to the Grand Canyon's South Rim. Feel the cool, thin air at the canyon's edge. Look across a geologic chasm painted in layers of rust, ochre, and deep violet. An optional stop lets you walk the glass Skywalk over the abyss. The route typically includes the monolithic, art deco face of Hoover Dam. You can hear the deep hum of turbines from the walkway above the Colorado River.

This pairs the isolation of Alcatraz Island with a double-decker bus tour across San Francisco. On the island, you will hear the echoing clang of cell doors and the crash of bay waves. Then, contrast it with the salty breeze and cable car bells from the open-top bus. The audio tour inside the prison's damp, concrete cellblock features voices of former inmates and guards.

Held in a chapel on the Graceland campus in Memphis, this ceremony wraps you in the gilded, red-velvet opulence of Elvis Presley's personal aesthetic. You will hear the King's ballads or rockabilly hits as you exchange vows under a stained-glass guitar. The scent of fresh flowers fills the air. Packages often include a limousine arrival and a professional photographer.

This guided expedition from Jackson Hole or West Yellowstone goes into the snow-muffled, geothermal heart of Yellowstone National Park. You will see bison moving like dark shadows through steaming meadows. Hear the hiss and gurgle of Old Faithful's eruption against the quiet. The mineral-rich waters of Grand Prismatic Spring appear more vivid in the winter cold. Their steaming blues and oranges cut through the frosty air, while the smell of sulfur hangs near the boardwalks.

This tour navigates the high plateau country of southern Utah. It connects the intimate corridors of Zion Canyon, where you can hear the Virgin River rushing over stones, with the wind-sculpted amphitheater of Bryce Canyon. In Bryce, the January sun casts sharp, long shadows across a forest of crimson and orange hoodoos. Their intricate shapes are dusted with snow, and the cold, pine-scented air is startlingly clear.

A more complete version of the classic Grand Canyon tour, this includes both breakfast and lunch. It minimizes stops and maximizes time at the viewpoints. You will feel the vibration of the helicopter or coach leaving the city. Watch the Mojave Desert blur past. Then, taste a provided meal while absorbing the silent vista of the canyon under the pale winter sun. An option lets you step onto the transparent Skywalk.