OTR 2026

After a flight that gives us spectacular views shortly before landing, we touch down in Las Vegas at 3:30 p.m., with the Sphere already watching us through the window. We collect the car and settle into our room.

After the long flight, a shower is exactly what we need to recover. Then we head out to discover Las Vegas: a two-hour walk along the Strip awaits us in the warm, dry evening air. It feels like another world, filled with lights, music, enormous hotels and an incredible variety of colourful people that turns every corner into a show.

For dinner we choose a hearty barbecue. Afterwards we ride the High Roller, a real surprise: for a moment it almost feels like flying in a helicopter, suspended about 170 metres above the city with a breathtaking night view. Naturally, we also try our luck at roulette to embrace the full Las Vegas spirit.

We leave Las Vegas and head for Hoover Dam.

At the dam, the great white line on the rock walls immediately catches our attention. It marks the former level of Lake Mead, which was far higher when the dam was completed in 1936. Today the water has dropped dramatically, and the line makes the scale of the retreat strikingly clear.

We cannot resist trying the famous experiment: when water is poured from the edge, the powerful updraft pushes it upwards instead of letting it fall. A genuinely surprising sight!

After lunch we cross Moapa Valley and reach Valley of Fire State Park, following the scenic Mouse’s Tank Road. ‘Fire’ does not refer only to the vivid colour of the rocks: the heat is truly infernal!

We continue to Coral Pink Sand Dunes, where the dunes’ pink hues create a completely different landscape. Finally we reach Kanab, where we spend the night.

After a good breakfast in Kanab, we drive towards Bryce Canyon along spectacular Red Canyon Road, where the red formations seem to preview the scenery ahead.

Inside the park we explore the Rim Trail and Queens Garden Trail, surrounded by towering hoodoos in extraordinary shapes. The perspective and colours change with every step, from deep red and orange to delicate pink: a unique landscape that seems to belong to another planet.

After breakfast we head north, stopping in Panguitch, a small town with authentic Old West charm and characteristic red-brick houses.

We also pass through Mona. Inevitably, its name makes us laugh in Italian, so perhaps it is better not to linger too long!

In the afternoon we reach Great Salt Lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats, an immense, perfectly flat white salt plain famous for its legendary speed trials.

In the evening we explore downtown Salt Lake City, but discover too late that Temple Square and the great Salt Lake Temple are closed. A pity, as it would have been one of the most interesting stops.

We spend the morning at Hill Aerospace Museum, where a veteran in his nineties guides us through much of the collection of historic aircraft and military memorabilia. The planes are fascinating feats of technology and engineering, though seeing them up close also prompts reflection on the dramatic history connected with them.

In the afternoon we drive to Antelope Island. It is a wonderful surprise: only a short distance from the city, yet completely secluded, silent and peaceful in the waters of Great Salt Lake. We follow Buffalo Point Trail among grazing bison and beautiful lake views.

We make a brief detour into Idaho, just long enough to add another magnet to the collection, then continue to Afton for lunch. Here we enjoy what will unquestionably be the best pizza of the entire trip!

In the afternoon we continue to Jackson, Wyoming, a picture-postcard town with wooden signs and elk-antler arches at the entrance to the square. We visit Mormon Row, the Chapel of the Transfiguration and T.A. Moulton Barn, surrounded by the Grand Teton peaks and dozens of curious squirrels.

In the evening we stroll through Jackson, which proves every bit as charming and atmospheric as expected.

We leave Jackson full of excitement because Yellowstone has finally arrived! We enter the park knowing that snow had fallen only days earlier. Armed with bear spray, we decide to test it—against the wind and probably the wrong way—and immediately understand why it is called repellent!

After lunch we explore Upper Geyser Basin and Old Faithful, the famous geyser as punctual as a clock, then admire the extraordinary colours of Grand Prismatic Spring. We also visit Lower Geyser Basin among steam, hot pools, bison, elk and squirrels. The encounter we most hope for, however, still eludes us.

After breakfast we return to the park and reach Mammoth Hot Springs, with its spectacular white travertine terraces resembling petrified waterfalls. We then walk Beaver Pond Trail, immersed in nature and still searching for the big encounter. Other hikers say they have just seen it, but once again we are out of luck.

After lunch we continue to Norris Geyser Basin, among geysers, steam and almost surreal scenery. Wildlife is plentiful again—squirrels, bison, elk and mule deer—but the most eagerly awaited protagonist still refuses to appear.

We head into the park towards Canyon Village and follow the South Rim Trail through the spectacular Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The trail offers magnificent views of vividly coloured walls and powerful waterfalls, one of Yellowstone’s most iconic landscapes.

We continue to the northern shore of Yellowstone Lake for lunch, surrounded by the peace of the water and unspoilt nature.

In the afternoon we drive through Hayden Valley among seemingly endless herds of bison. We also stop at LeHardy Rapids, where the Yellowstone River rushes over the rocks.

There are many sightings along the way but initially no major surprises. Then two special encounters arrive: a beautiful red fox and, at last, our first bear. An unforgettable emotion and the perfect ending to an already extraordinary day.

Still thrilled by the previous day’s bear, we wake before dawn to reach Lamar Valley at the best time for wildlife. After a quick breakfast in Cooke City we return to the park full of energy, and the decision pays off: bears, thousands of bison and coyotes. Lamar Valley truly deserves its nickname, the ‘Serengeti of America’.

In the afternoon we travel east to Cody, a wonderful town where a ghost town and an evening rodeo bring a triumphant day to a close.

We leave Cody for a long driving day towards Sheridan, crossing the Bighorn Mountains and spotting a few moose in the distance. Our final destination is Devil’s Tower, but first we stop at Prairie Dog Town. The tower is imposing and evocative, made famous by ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’; two magnificent bald eagles accompany us along Tower Trail. We reach Rapid City in the evening, tired but elated.

From Rapid City we visit nearby Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park. A long stretch through remote prairie follows, with pronghorns, horses and a beautiful hawk during an unintended 50-kilometre detour on an unpaved road. We briefly cross into Nebraska for another magnet before continuing to Cheyenne.

After breakfast we leave Cheyenne for Rocky Mountain National Park. Unfortunately, having set out too late and without a reservation, we discover that entry slots are sold out and cannot reach the heart of the park.

We change plans and head to Nederland, where we walk the Tungsten Mountain and Kinnickinnick Loop at Mud Lake. We then follow scenic Boulder Canyon between towering rock walls, forests and views of the creek.

Late in the afternoon we climb Flagstaff Mountain and stop at Lost Gulch Overlook, one of the area’s finest viewpoints. The panorama opens across mountains and valleys before we descend towards Boulder.

We end the day exploring Boulder, a young, lively city surrounded by nature and often praised for its quality of life. After many days of American food, we choose an Italian restaurant. The carbonara is not quite how we make it at home, but it is good all the same!

We leave Boulder for the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a spectacular natural arena set among gigantic red sandstone formations. We arrive during a morning Yoga on the Rocks session, a popular event that can draw around 2,500 participants.

The atmosphere is remarkable, and from the highest point of the amphitheatre we enjoy a beautiful view towards Denver, still partly wrapped in morning haze.

After the visit we stop at Denver airport to say goodbye to one member of our group. Now travelling as two, we reach the city centre and spend the remaining hours of the day there.

We finish with a pleasant dinner in central Denver among illuminated streets and buildings, a quieter ending after so many intense days.

With our group reduced from three to two, we set off with fewer suitcases in the car—quite unlike something we encounter on the motorway, which is certainly difficult to overlook! See the photo below.

We reach Garden of the Gods and walk the Perkins Central Garden Trail among spectacular red sandstone spires, with snow-covered Pikes Peak in the background.

The afternoon brings the real surprise: Great Sand Dunes National Park, an incredible desert at roughly 2,400 metres above sea level. North America’s tallest dunes rise before snow-capped mountains, creating a unique and almost surreal landscape.

In the evening we continue to lively, welcoming Alamosa, where we end the day.

We leave Alamosa for Twin Lakes, a former mining village overlooking two crystal-clear glacial lakes beneath the Sawatch Mountains.

From here we climb to Independence Pass, a spectacular alpine pass accessible by car. At 12,095 feet, or 3,687 metres, it is one of the highest paved passes in the United States and is surrounded by magnificent scenery.

We continue towards Aspen, first stopping at Grotto Trail, a short walk through rocks, waterfalls and curious natural cavities.

We reach Aspen for lunch and a stroll through its elegant centre. Among boutiques, refined cafés and pedestrian streets, we stay longer than expected for coffee, treats and some deserved relaxation while watching the city’s lively social scene.

In the evening we leave luxurious Aspen for far more affordable Carbondale, where we spend the night.

We leave Carbondale for Moab, passing through pretty Palisade, known for its orchards, vineyards and local produce.

We continue to Colorado National Monument, a lesser-known but spectacular destination. Deep canyons, vast red-rock walls and erosion-carved pinnacles accompany us along the scenic road.

In the afternoon we enter Utah and follow the magnificent UT-128 to Moab. Every bend reveals another panorama worthy of a photograph.

During the drive the sky darkens beneath unusual-looking clouds. Only in Moab do we understand that they are not clouds at all: the smell reveals smoke from distant wildfires. Even 200 or 300 kilometres away in a straight line, the smoke is both visible and unmistakable.

The whole day is devoted to Moab. Having visited Canyonlands and Arches on our previous trip, we choose an alternative route, although wildfire smoke still covers the sky and veils the sun. We begin with the spectacular Corona Arch Trail.

In the afternoon we head towards The Needles. Unfortunately I lost the photographs because of a phone problem, so one archive image stands in for them. In the evening we join a sunset trip on the Colorado River, where Native stories are projected onto the surrounding red cliffs with powerful beams of light—a sound-and-light show that turns the canyon into a living narrative.

Sadly, the journey is almost over. We lengthen the final drive to complete the loop because we cannot miss the Area 51 region. After the Extraterrestrial Highway we reach Las Vegas for our last night and one final visit to the roulette table, which wins me 250 dollars to take home—so I will have to return to the USA to spend them!

Sadly, this is the final day. After breakfast near Fremont Street, it is time to close the suitcases, return the car and take one final picture of Sin City. There is inevitably a tear, but we know this will not be our last journey through the United States.