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Sat. LOS ANGELES. Check into your Los Angeles hotel. This evening your Cosmos tour director hosts a welcome reception -- the perfect occasion to get acquainted with your traveling companions. Sun. LOS ANGELES. Begin the day with a sightseeing tour of the world's "Capital of Glamour," including a drive through Hollywood. This afternoon perhaps visit Disneyland or take our optional excursion to Universal Studios. [last picture added 16:22 Sat 24 Mar 2001]
Mon. LOS ANGELES-SANTA BARBARA-SAN SIMEON. Leave Los Angeles and travel north along the coastal highway via Malibu to Santa Barbara. Drive by the colorful waterfront and then stop at the impressive 200-year-old MISSION SANTA BARBARA. Lunch break in the town center, with its Spanish-style whitewashed and tile-roofed buildings. Next is charming Solvang, a Danish settlement with windmills, Scandinavian handicraft shops, and bakeries. Overnight in the oceanside resort of San Simeon. [last picture added 16:33 Sat 24 Mar 2001]
Tue. SAN SIMEON-BIG SUR-CARMEL-MONTEREY. This morning visit HEARST CASTLE, built by the newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst. Your in-depth tour covers the beautifully landscaped 123-acre estate and the splendid mansion that houses antiques and art treasures from all parts of the world. Afterward a drive along the panoramic rocky coastline of Big Sur to Carmel, the popular West Coast retreat for celebrities and artists. Capture the Lone Cypress during a photo stop on the Monterey Peninsula as you make your way along the famous 17-Mile Drive to Pacific Grove. Overnight in Monterey, once Spain's Californian capital. [last picture added 16:48 Sat 24 Mar 2001]
Wed. MONTEREY-YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK-SONORA. Travel across the great farmlands of the San Joaquin Valley to the western slopes of the majestic Sierra Nevada. Around noon, arrive in YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK. The scenery is nothing short of spectacular, with 4,000-foot granite walls, roaring waterfalls, flowering meadows, and ice-sculptured domes. Hiking, bicycling, swimming, and picknicking are just a few of the activities available during your visit to the park. Your tour director also suggests an optional two-hour tram ride through Yosemite Valley, showing off all the highlights, including El Captain, Yosemite Falls, and Half Dome. Overnight in the historic gold rush town of Sonora, better known today for its fine collection of Victorian homes. [last picture added 23:57 Sat 24 Mar 2001]
Thu. SONORA-FORTY NINERS' GOLD RUSH TRAIL-LAKE TAHOE. Trace the scenic route of the Old Forty-Niners' Trail through California Gold Country. After a visit to the old gold-mining town of COLUMBIA, continue through Angels Camp, the town that inspired Mark Twain's first successful short story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. Then head northeast through the El Dorado National Forest to Lake Tahoe, a popular year-round resort on the California/Nevada border. As the evening is free, you may decide to see a top name show or visit the many casinos. Your tour director will recommend an optional dinner cruise on Lake Tahoe aboard an elegant sternwheeler. [last picture added 00:14 Sun 25 Mar 2001]
Fri. LAKE TAHOE-WINE COUNTRY-SAN FRANCISCO. Break in Sacramento, California's capital, before reaching the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, among the world's finest wine-producing regions. Enjoy your visit to a well-known WINERY in the Sonoma Valley, and sample some of the vintages. Reach San Francisco late this afternoon. For the evening, join the optional dinner outing to exotic Chinatown. [last picture added 00:38 Sun 25 Mar 2001]
Sat. SAN FRANCISCO. Highlights on this morning's tour include renowned Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Nob Hill, and old Spanish Mission Dolores. The afternoon is at leisure. Tonight sign up for the optional farewell dinner at a popular Fisherman's Wharf restaurant, followed by an illuminated tour of San Francisco -- the perfect way to celebrate a memorable vacation in California. [last picture added 13:29 Sun 25 Mar 2001]
Sun. SAN FRANCISCO. The tour ends today, with tour guests departing on individual schedules. Transfers to San Francisco International Airport are included. For passengers spending extra nights in San Francisco, your tour director will be on hand to offer advice on things to do as well as the best places to eat and shop. [last picture added 14:30 Sun 25 Mar 2001]
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