Things to Do in United States in January

A full-day expedition from the neon glow of Las Vegas into the raw, monumental silence of the Grand Canyon. You will feel the rumble of the coach crossing the Mojave. You will see the stark white bathtub ring of mineral deposits on the black rock walls of Lake Mead at Hoover Dam. A grilled lunch comes with smoky tang. Then you stand at the canyon's rim. The sheer scale of eroded red and ochre rock layers plunging into shadow can leave you breathless. The optional Skywalk puts you on glass. You hear only wind. You look straight down a vertical mile into the Colorado River's ancient gorge.

This combination pairs the grim, echoing cellblocks of Alcatraz Island with the liberating flexibility of a double-decker bus tour across San Francisco. On the island, you will hear the recorded clang of steel doors. You will hear chilling stories of former inmates. The cold bay wind whips across the exercise yard. The view of the city skyline from Alcatraz is startling. The place was designed to make that view seem forever out of reach. The hop-on hop-off tour lets you warm up. You cruise past the pastel Victorians of Alamo Square. You smell salt air on the Embarcadero. You feel the rumble as the bus climbs the city's famous hills.

Held in the Graceland Chapel just across from Elvis Presley's mansion in Memphis, this experience is a burst of sequined joy. You will hear the King's ballads or rock and roll classics. You exchange vows under the glow of a neon guitar. You see the well-known stained-glass image of Elvis. You feel the thick pile of the red carpet underfoot. The package includes a bouquet, a recorded ceremony, and a limousine ride. It is steeped in playful, over-the-top spirit.

This guided tour from Las Vegas traverses the high desert plateau to two of Utah's most spectacular national parks. In Zion, you will walk the paved Riverside Walk. You hear the constant rush of the Virgin River. You see the towering, sandstone walls glow with warm, pinkish hue in the low winter sun. At Bryce Canyon, you stand at Sunset Point. You view a silent forest of crimson hoodoos, those strange, spire-like rock formations, dusted with snow. The thin, cold air makes the colors seem impossibly vivid.

This walking tour through the Miami Beach Architectural District is a journey through a preserved slice of the 1930s and '40s. You will see the sleek, curved lines of ocean liner-inspired buildings. You feel the smooth terrazzo floors underfoot in lobbies. You gaze up at restored neon signs that cast pink and blue glow on the sidewalks as dusk falls. The guide's stories transport you to an era of glamour and reinvention. The humid salt air mixes with the scent of blooming jasmine from good spots in courtyards.

A similar but extended version of the Grand Canyon day trip, this tour includes both breakfast and lunch, often featuring hearty, American fare like scrambled eggs and grilled chicken. The journey follows the same path past the Hoover Dam. You can see the art deco bronze statues guarding the intake towers. The Skywalk option is available. The extra meal provides more flexibility and fuel for a long day in the dry, cool air of the Arizona desert. You listen to the guide's tales of geology and pioneer history.