U S A

Arizona

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Welcome to the Grand Canyon State!

One of the Seven Wonders of the World exists here among our lush desert landscapes, crystal-clear waters and breathtaking mountain peaks. From small communities to one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, Arizona offers travelers unique experiences packed with hospitality, adventure, and stunning sights.

California

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The coastline of California extends from the soft sandy tropical beaches of San Diego near the Mexican border to the rugged northern coasts near Oregon. In the southern part of the state, warm Pacific waters and that famous California surf attract many tourists to its palm shaded beaches. As you go further north, the coastline becomes more scenic, but the waters are cooler and sandy beaches are scarcer. In northern California, hiking along rocky cliffs and visiting secluded beaches to see seals, sea otters or whales are more popular than swimming.

The coastal mountains stretch along the western fringe of the entire state. These low volcanic peaks form a protective barrier shielding the inner lands from the full force of the Pacific Ocean weather. In some places, the ridges are a few miles inland with flat coastal steps where cities like Los Angeles and San Diego are built. At Big Sur just south of Monterey, the mountains plunge right into the ocean to form spectacular coastal scenery. A gap in the mountains near San Francisco allows the Pacific Ocean to flow into a large protected bay behind the coastal range.

Chicago

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Chicago has the lot: itinerant artists babbling Beat, Polish aunties stuffing sausage, African-American mothers organising the block, blue-collar guys bad-mouthing the Bears, a crooner singing the blues on the South Side. It's a city that wears its American heart proudly on its sleeve.

This diverse mix has built a city with an unrivalled tradition of jazz and blues, an astonishing architecture, an appetite for hearty food, award-winning newspapers, universities full of Nobel laureates and some of the most die-hard sports fans you'll ever meet.

Florida

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Called the "Sunshine State," Florida is known for its balmy, sunny weather and beautiful beaches. Ponce de Leon, in search of the elusive fountain of youth, was the first European to explore Florida. St. Augustine, founded by the Spanish in 1565, is the oldest permanent European settlement in the continental United States. Statehood for Florida came in 1845. Florida's state flower is the orange blossom, which is particularly fitting because oranges are a main export of the state. Because of its shape and location, a long peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Florida attracts millions of visitors each year to its many seaside resort areas. Its capital is Tallahassee.

Las Vegas

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Las Vegas is all about glamour for its own sake, over-the-top hustle and flash as means and end. It's crowds of people in polyester pantsuits, big hair and gold chains, staring at neon signs and spinning cherries like deer hypnotised by headlights.

Not that Vegas doesn't have a serious side - billions are at stake on the tables and at the megaresorts. But you're given enough distractions to ignore it, until you lose. If you tire of the ding-ding-ding of the slot machines, the surrounding area has some of the Southwest's most beautiful scenery.

New York

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They don't come any bigger than the Big Apple - king of the hill, top of the heap, New York, New York. It's got its fair share of the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses, but it also has world-class museums, big statues, even bigger buildings, outrageous excess, and a whole lot of whooo-wheee!

New York is a densely packed mass of humanity and all this living on top of one another makes the New Yorker a special kind of person. It's hard to put a finger on what makes the place buzz so hard, but the city's hyperactive rush keeps drawing more and more people
to it.

Texas

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TEXAS CITY, a part of the Mainland Texas Gulf Coast area since before the turn of the century, has a colorful, interesting story to tell.

The city has survived one of the worst man-made disasters that ever happened in America, the explosions of the S.S. Grandcamp and S.S. High Flyer in 1947; five major hurricanes; two depressions; and two world wars in which it played a significant part.

It's history includes Indians, the pirate Jean LaFitte, the First Aero Squadron of the U.S. Army, the exciting early oil boom days, and the growth of one of our nation's great industrial complexes. Texas City has a lot to offer.

Los Angeles

Starlit and moonstruck, LA beguiles scores of curious tourists, hopeful starlets and wannabe rock gods every day. But there's a lot more to it than the siren call of fame and fortune. It's a thriving, multilayered city filled with world-class everything: museums, music, food, architecture, gardens.

Although often gridlocked by traffic, LA moves to a rhythm all of its own. A vortex of creative energy spawns a never-ending stream of movies, inventions and trends. Hollywood and Disneyland are givens, but LA's hidden enclaves have a surprising subtlety and flavour which flout the stereotypes.