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Los Angeles
is a world center of business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, technology, and education. This sprawling metropolis offers legendary surfing beaches, great museums, and, of course, the film mecca of Hollywood. For much of the globe, the stereotypical perception of Los Angeles is one of a superficial city populated by movie stars, plastic surgeons and towering palms. But the City of Angels is much more than that. From its glorious natural surroundings and world-class tourist attractions to ethnic neighborhoods with their own unique character, Los Angeles is a wildly stimulating, very real city where fantasy just happens to be the signature export.
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Phoenix
is lying on the periphery of the Sonoran Desert, home of the native saguaro cactus, the Valley of the Sun's natural landscape can be harsh and unforgiving. Yet it's also hauntingly beautiful, with expanses of exotic desert vegetation, breathtaking mountains and bright rock mesas in shades of orange, red and yellow. Palm and citrus trees thrive on golf courses, fuchsia bougainvillea blooms on mailboxes and walls of pink oleander line the roads. You'll find a vivacious, lively arts scene in metropolitan Phoenix. Visit the Heard Museum for its renowned Native American exhibits or inspect masterpieces at the Phoenix Museum of Art. Enjoy a symphony or catch a Broadway show at the city's world-class venues.
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Henderson
was settled during World War II as a housing area for employees of a magnesium plant. The town since has expanded into Nevada's main industrial center, with many plants concerned principally with chemical and metal production. Henderson is the southwest terminus of scenic SR 147, which follows the spectacular Lake Mead shoreline from Hoover Dam to Overton Beach. The 35-mile-long River Mountains Loop Trail connects Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the Hoover Dam, Henderson and Boulder City. Hikers, bicyclists and horseback riders enjoy views of Lake Mead, Las Vegas and the River Mountains as well as wildlife such as bighorn sheep and desert tortoises.
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Miami
s appeal goes beyond sun-soaked beaches and a world-renowned climate. The young metropolis also has diverse neighborhoods and a cultural richness suggestive of older, more established American cities. Surprisingly, this popular destination may require some geographic orientation: Few realize that Miami located on the mainland, and Miami Beach are separate cities. The former, while still a vacation spot, is more business-oriented, with a skyline of imposing bank towers; the latter's casual environment is almost entirely geared to tourism and its silhouette lined with high-rise hotels and condominiums.
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Chicago
has Skyscrapers that stretch toward the heavens — four are more than a thousand feet tall — while shorter buildings loom large as unrivaled works of art as much as architecture. Lake Michigan, that sparkling inland sea, laps at the city's doorstep along 29 miles of shoreline adorned with spacious parks, marinas and public beaches. Venerable museums house treasures, both natural and manmade, in such profusion that even the most determined sightseers can't manage to see every painting, sculpture, fossil or living specimen on display. And even the most dedicated shoppers can't hope to browse all the glitzy boutiques, department stores and vertical malls along downtown's Magnificent Mile within a single visit.
