Die Westküste der USA mit dem Mietwagen erkunden

About the destination: San Francisco is a major, lively and cosmopolitan city in California. In San Francisco, history and modernity combine to give visitors an unforgettable experience. From Mission Dolores, the city's first stone building or the city’s legendary cable cars to the high-tech Financial District. A trip to San Francisco is bound to leave you with incredible memories. A boat trip is a great way to explore the “City by the Bay.” Explore Fisherman's Wharf, full of shops, galleries and restaurant offering delicious seafood. Stroll down the Golden Gate and admire the views over the bay and the Pacific Ocean, visit the various maritime museums, and , of course, no visit to San Francisco is complete without an excursion to Alcatraz, the island prison that once held some of the country’s most notorious criminals, such as Al Capone. If it’s a more relaxed environment you’re after, pass through the stately architecture and flowing lagoon of the Palace of Fine Arts. The Transamerica Pyramid has become the city's most famous landmark. The 260 metre high pyramid structure is situated in the heart of the Financial District. Located between three hills, San Francisco's Chinatown is the largest Chinese settlement outside Asia with pagodas, colourful bunting, decorated balconies and Chinese characters combining with the sounds and exotic aromas of this fascinating area. The Painted Ladies are charming Victorian wooden houses situated on the fringe of Alamo Square and the Haas-Lilienthal House is a well-maintained jewel of a bygone era. San Francisco thrives on variety and has a contagious energy. This city is magical and everyone should come here at least once.

About the destination: Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of 6,225 ft (1,897 m), it straddles the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America.[3] Its depth is 1,645 ft (501 m), making it the second deepest in the United States after Crater Lake (1,945 ft (593 m)).[1] Additionally, Lake Tahoe is the sixth largest lake by volume in the United States at 122,160,280 acre·ft (150,682,490 dam3), behind the five Great Lakes. The lake was formed about 2 million years ago and is a part of the Lake Tahoe Basin with the modern lake being shaped during the ice ages. It is known for the clarity of its water and the panorama of surrounding mountains on all sides.[4] The area surrounding the lake is also referred to as Lake Tahoe, or simply Tahoe. More than 75% of the lake's watershed is national forest land, comprising the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit of the United States Forest Service. Lake Tahoe is a major tourist attraction in both Nevada and California. It is home to a number of ski resorts, summer outdoor recreation, and tourist attractions. Snow and skiing are a significant part of the area's economy and reputation.[5][6] Mountain and lake scenery are attractions throughout the year. The Nevada side also includes large casinos. Highways provide year-round access to the area.

About the destination: Yosemite National Park is an UNESCO World Heritage Site that is located in the Sierra Nevada mountains in east-central California. The majestic sights of Yosemite National Park delight and inspire visitors of all generations. Take a quick tour of some of our popular attractions, amazing natural features, and the plants and animals that make the park their home.

About the destination: Death Valley National Park is located primarily in the Southern California Desert. Death Valley is a beautiful area with unique desert wonders. Sand dunes, salt flats, mountains, and the lowest lake in North America make for some of the most spectacular scenery in the Southwest. Death Valley is a harsh landscape, with high mountain peaks and deep valleys, sand dunes like those in the Sahara, oases where date-palms grow, water below sea level, and a rich flora, especially noticeable in the spring when the wildflowers come to life.

About the destination: Las Vegas is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nevada. Nicknamed the Entertainment Capital of the World or Sin City, it is situated in the Mojave Desert and is surrounded by dry mountains. Las Vegas is famous worldwide for its consolidated casino–hotels and associated entertainment. The city houses many mega-hotel complexes decorated with lavish care and attention to detail creating a fantasy-like environment. All hotels have a unique style, there are special sights everywhere, and every hotel has its own casino. Most of the hotel casinos are in the city's downtown area, along The Las Vegas Strip. The Strip is a world of its own. Where else can you go to visit Egypt, New York, Venice, Disneyland, Hollywood, and much more all on one street? The fact is that all the action that Las Vegas is famous for is happening on this one and only street. Bellagio could be considered unofficial centre of the Strip, one of the reasons being the free displays of musical fountains which go off at every half an hour with different choreography accompanied by different music. Bellagio is one of the more stylish venues with a superb flower garden and for those with gourmet inclinations, it offers arguably one of the best buffets in town. The Venetian is another point where one might linger longer due to its fabulous attempt of recreating Venice in the desert. The main square of Venice is filled with gondolas ply the waters channels and opera singers entertain their captive audience on board. The opposite end of the Strip is closest to the airport starting with the funny rendition of Egypt with its Luxor casino despite the fact that there are no pyramids in Luxor, but everything is possible in Las Vegas.

About the destination: Formed at the point where the Colorado River breaks through the mountains of the American West, The Grand Canyon National Park is the most beautiful and well-known nature reserve in the USA, its 5000 square kilometres covering more than four different climatic zones and rising to 2200 metres above sea level creates an unforgettable setting. The Grand Canyon is also Indian Territory, the Navajo, Hopi and Havasuapi Indians still inhabit this region. There are Indian Reservation offering several activities and a collection of viewpoints overlooking the Grand Canyon and the stagnant waters of the Colorado River. The Colorado River created this natural masterpiece in less than ten million years with severe heat and extreme cold eroding the rock, followed by rainfall that drove it down into a mighty river. Up to 1600 metres deep and averaging 16 kilometres wide, the incredible dimensions of this huge abyss are difficult to comprehend, the descent into the canyon being like a journey into the Earth’s distant past. Described as one of the great natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon is truly awe-inspiring, and should be on everyone's travel list.

About the destination: San Diego, California, is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the United States and, arguably, one of the most beautiful. The whitewashed stucco buildings give a Mediterranean-style flavour to the architecture while the culture has a decidedly Mexican influence to it. Despite this foreign-country look and feel, the city of San Diego is uniquely American and a truly memorable place to visit. Mission Beach, one of the city’s most iconic spots, is perfect for surfing and relaxation. Balboa Park is one of the greatest urban parks of the world. With museums and gardens inside the park, you can spend days there. The grand houses of the Coronado district exude luxury and ate an historic national landmark. San Diego’s Old Town recreates traditional life from the past. Many fascinating buildings and artefacts bring the history alive in this area of the city. Everywhere there are blossoming flowers and spouting fountains and the magnificence of this colourful garden city makes it easy to forget the arid terrain of the nearby desert. With its many attractions and close proximity to Mexico, San Diego is an unforgettable city that's a very special kind of tourist metropolis.

About the destination: We are in Laguna Beach, a place where the rhythm of life seems to follow its own rules. The relaxed atmosphere of this city contrasts with the atmosphere full of sounds: the sharp and melancholy notes of a saxophone mingle with the almost shameless trill of the gulls that flit freely on the beach. This unusual combination of artistic flowering and natural beauty is possibly what attracts more than three million tourists each year visiting the beaches of Laguna Beach and its small center just a few blocks away. Before our eyes unfolds the outline of the coast that stretches indefinitely, as if giving a warm embrace to the calm waters of the Pacific Ocean; Here there are no big hotels that break with the uniformity of the luxurious Californian mansions and the elegant condominiums located in front of the sea. A walk through Main Beach Park, the main beach of the city, reminds us of the atmosphere of opulence and total relaxation that is lived in this place. Men and women of different ages play leisurely volleyball while others simply watch life from the staked benches in the vicinity. We crossed a small wooden pier to leave behind the coast and we entered the city; The rumors of the beach are transformed into urban bustle, without the atmosphere being tense by the change of sand to pavement under our feet. The cleanliness in this city is overwhelming. Not a single waste ruins the neatness of these avenues surrounded by palm trees. This way we reach Broadway Street, the widest street in the city, where all kinds of shops are located, from restaurants such as Romeo Cucina, known for its healthy food, to boutiques and exclusive beauty salons such as Blu Laguna Salon & Spa. The flow of cars passing through here is constant but not tumultuous. No horn interrupts the distant music of a saxophonist that reaches our ears. Following the recommendation of the locals we stop at the famous ice cream shop Dolce Gelato to mitigate the heat that prevails in the streets, and taste the specialty of the place: pistachio ice cream.

About the destination: Nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is a leading world centre of business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, and education. Los Angeles is architecturally diverse and its attractions are spread over a large area. Downtown is a thriving urban centre, a business district and home to the Grand Avenue cultural corridor. Everyone knows about Hollywood and you have got to visit the Hollywood sign, when in Los Angeles, as well as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where Hollywood celebrates its contribution to entertainment through these celebrity stars. Experience the colourful lifestyle of the West Coast on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. Here, you will find a festive atmosphere, eclectic entertainers and funky shops. By the scene at Santa Monica Beach, is the famous Pier with a perennial carnival like setting. Draws locals, as well as visitors from around the world. Located in Griffith Park on Mt. Hollywood is the Griffith Observatory. This great public observatory has state of the art facilities and excellent views of Los Angeles. If you are a shopping buff, you will love Rodeo Drive. A glamorous shopping District, Rodeo Drive is full of upscale and fashionable shops. Take a walk around Beverly Hills, you might even spot a celebrity in this neighbourhood. This city offers great weather, good shopping, lots of diversity, great cultural events, excellent dining, and friendly people. Los Angeles is cool, fake, stylized, vast and never boring.