Unique North America

See a side to the USA and Canada beyond the big cities and discover incredible stories and special wildlife with our pick of the trips

TOUR THE FOUR CORNERS STATES 

There is no easy way to sum up the Four Corners states - Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. They might share a desert topography, bristling with mesas and towering pinnacles, but there is so much here that is unique, from the pueblos of Albuquerque to the vast night skies over the red rock of Utah. Bon Voyage's Planes, Trains and Desert Terrains trip opens the door to all these, as you ride the old Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad into the mining country of the San Juan mountains, hit the hot springs at the bizarrely titled Truth or Consequences (a town that changed its name to win a 1950s radio contest), visit Spanish missions in Tucson and take stock at the Grand Canyon. Bon Voyage (bon-voyage.co.uk). Year-round; 14 nights from £2,850pp, including international flights.

MEET SOUTH CAROLINA'S GULLAH GEECHEE 

Few travellers know the story of the Gullah Geechee, descendants of enslaved Africans who were sold to the island plantations off the USA's lower Atlantic coast. Here they were cut off from the rest of the mainland by the waterways, so managed to keep their roots, their music, their culture and their foodways intact - even their language is the only distinctly African Creole in the US. Intrepid Travel's Charleston to Savannah: Exploring Gullah Geechee Culture first explores African American heritage and the civil rights movement in Charleston before heading to the South Carolina islands of James, Johns and St Helena to meet the communities of Gullah Geechee living there. Here you can learn about a history, culture and struggle that remains unique in the US. Intrepid Travel (intrepidtravel.com). March-June 2024; 7 days from £3,220pp, excluding international flights.

SPEND WINTER IN YELLOWSTONE NP