VS bezienswaardigheden

Een romantische avond met licht, muziek en natuurlijk water beleeft u bij de fonteinen van Bellagio voor het gelijknamige hotel in hartje Las Vegas. Een waterspektakel begeleid door muziek variërend van Andrea Bocelli tot Madonna, elke show is uniek.

De fonteinen zijn gebouwd in een kunstmatig gemaakt meer, dat gebaseerd is op het Comomeer in Bellagio in Italië. Met de klassieke uitstraling van het Bellagio Hotel op de achtergrond, zijn de fonteinen een indrukwekkend stukje schoonheid en techniek.

The lunar landscape of Haleakala Crater covers an enormous expanse – so big that Manhattan could squeeze inside. The world’s largest dormant volcano, the crater is protected by the Haleakala National Park.

This is the place for stunning views of cinder cones, wild hiking trails, Hawaiian legends and rare endangered species.

Gazing into the huge crater is an awe-inspiring sight, and several hikes lead across the crater floor.

Haleakala last erupted in 1790, and the odds are good that it could blow its top again one day.

Few things are as beautiful as a Florida sunset, so while you are in Key West, be sure to celebrate the sunset in true Key West style - at Mallory Square. Every night, starting two hours before the sunset, the square hosts its "Sunset Celebration." Arts and crafts exhibitors, street performers and food carts descend on the square providing you with fun entertainment to enjoy in the last daylight hours.

During the daytime, Mallory Square offers numerous attractions at its many restaurants and shops. While you are there, you should also check out the famous Key West Historic Memorial Sculpture Garden. Open since 1997, the garden contains 36 bronze busts of the men and women who have had the greatest impact on Key West. The most famous of these are renowned writer Ernest Hemingway and President Harry S. Truman.

A hallowed name in US history, Pearl Harbor was the site of the December 7, 1941, bombing by the Japanese that wrenched the United States into World War II. In total, nine U.S. ships were sunk and a further 21 damaged, and the eventual death toll was 2,350.

Pearl Harbor is still a Navy base today, and a National Historic Landmark. For visitors, the focus is the USS Arizona memorial, protecting the remains of the American battleship destroyed in seconds during the attack.

The USS Utah was also sunk, and there is a memorial on nearby Ford Island. The highlight of the harbor's Bowfin Park is the submarine USS Bowfin and the adjacent memorial museum, packed with memorabilia and exhibits.

Waikiki Beach is one of the most famous stretches of sand on the planet, up there with Ipanema and Bondi. Its curving stretch of sand is bordered by palms and high-rise hotels.

Come here to soak up the sun, swim, pilot an outrigger canoe, sail a boat, or snorkel. Lifeguards are on hand to keep a watchful eye.

The surfing isn’t bad either, with long rolling breaks. Look out for the statue of Duke Kahanamoku on the sands, the local who popularized surfing and brought it into the modern era.

Pack a picnic to enjoy in nearby Kapiolani Park, hire a beach chair and umbrella, or sit back at sunset and watch the free movies screened on the beach.

Het LINQ is een van de leukste uitbreidingen van de Las Vegas strip in jaren. Het LINQ bestaat uit een chique winkelgebied, hotel en een casino bij het Flamingo. Excellent winkelplezier, eetgelegenheden en zelfs gratis draadloos internet voor diegene die langs de dure promenade wandelt. Het belangrijkste hotel in het gebied, ooit bekend als Imperial Palace en daarna The Quad, heeft meerdere naamswijzigingen gehad en heet nu The LINQ Hotel and Casino. Het hotel geeft ook toegang tot de nieuwste parel van Las Vegas: de High Roller, het grootste reuzenrad ter wereld, met gesloten cabines en een hoogte van bijna 168 meter.

Tijdens je verblijf in Las Vegas, kun je ook een show in het LINQ Hotel bezoeken. De shows zijn uniek in hun soort, zoals Jeff Civillico: Comedy in Action en Divas starring Frank Marino.

Popular for both its military history and current recreational opportunities, Fort Zachary Taylor is also the location of one of Key West’s favorites beaches. Spanning 54 acres, Fort Zachary Taylor is worth a visit both for its colorful past and its attractive present. Construction on Fort Taylor was begun in 1845 and the Fort hosted active duty squadrons until 1947. During the period of the Civil War, Fort Zachary Taylor remained one of only three fortresses in Florida to remain under Federal control; it’s now recognized as a National Historic Landmark and contains the largest cache of Civil War-era seacoast cannons in the U.S. Fort Taylor was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1973. Tours are conducted daily and pamphlets for self-guided tours are available as well. Today, Fort Zachary Taylor is best known for its outdoor activities and is a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.

Key West is both a city and an island that is part of the Florida Keys and considered to be the southernmost city in the continental United States. With a laidback and slightly offbeat vibe, numerous famous writers, artists and musicians have called it home over the years. Cruise ships have been stopping at Key West since 1969 and today it welcomes nearly half a million cruise passengers every year.

Your ship will likely dock at either Mallory Square or the Truman Annex, both of which are just a few blocks from Duval Street in central Key West. If your ship docks further out at the Navy Mole, near Fort Zachary Taylor. In that case, trolleys are available to shuttle you into the Old Town.

Circular Hanauma Bay is a particularly attractive, sheltered inlet of turquoise water, carved from a submerged volcanic crater east of Diamond Head.

The sandy beach park is popular with families, with its calm waters, lifeguards, and gentle diving and snorkeling. Picnic tables overlook the bay, and you can rent diving equipment.

The area is a Nature Preserve and Marine Life Conservation District, and when you visit there’s a short film to watch about the marine life before you head down to the beach.

While diving you should spot green turtles, parrotfish and coral.

Hawaii is made for road trips, and one of the best is the Road to Hana, a relatively short drive that should take all day (if you're doing it right).

Technically called the Hana Highway, the Road to Hana is 52 miles of winding two-lane road connecting Kahului with the tiny town of Hana. You could certainly make the trip in a few hours (it's slow going with all the twists and turns, and most of the little bridges narrow to a single lane), but why would you? The scenery along the way is some of Maui's most beautiful, with waterfalls to see, beaches to visit, and short hikes to do en route.

Some of the sights you can visit along the way include the Twin Falls waterfalls, the Ho'okipa Lookout, Honomanu Bay, the two arboretums, the Hana Lava Tube, and Wai'anapanapa State Park. The town of Hana itself is tiny, but lovely and has many nice beaches.

Little Havana is in alles doordrenkt met de levendige latino-cultuur. Je ziet er kleurrijke muurschilderingen, monumenten voor de helden van toen en nu, oudere mannen die domino spelen terwijl ze over politiek praten, en sigarenmakers die te midden van de altijd aanwezige koffiegeur hun werk doen. Deze dagelijkse beelden van het leven in Little Havana worden vergezeld van de opzwepende muziek, uitbundige winkels, unieke kunstgalerijen en typische restaurants.

Het kleurrijke karakter van de buurt komt samen op Calle Ocho, de bruisende hoofdstraat van Little Havana, vol met winkels en restaurants. Verderop, tussen SW 15th en 17th avenues, zijn er in het kunstdistrict een aantal studio’s en galerijen die de beste Latijns-Amerikaanse kunst van het land laten zien. Daar in de buurt, in het Bay of Pigs Museum & Library wordt de herinnering aan het fatale Varkensbaai incident levendig gehouden.

Nicknamed the "Gateway to the Everglades," this 29 acre (.12 sq. km) park has been entertaining and educating visitors for more than 30 years. Most famous for its guided airboat rides, as well as being the home to the Animal Planet’s Gator Boys show, Everglades Holiday Park is a classic—if a bit kitschy—introduction to the Everglades and its wild inhabitants. With covered airboats, the ride into the Everglades is a bit more civilized and finding alligators is almost guaranteed, as the guides know their scaly neighbors by sight. The gator “wrestling” show by the Gator Boys is a crowd favorite; those who like to walk on the wild side can even get their picture taken holding a live gator.