Grand Canyon vs Hawaii

The Grand Canyon is the one sight in the American Southwest that genuinely lives up to the hype: 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and about a mile deep, with layer upon layer of rock that changes color by the hour. Most visitors head to the South Rim, open year-round, where Mather Point, Yavapai Point, Hermit Road and Desert View Drive deliver the classic views and the Bright Angel Trail drops below the rim. It is very possible to see it as a long day trip from Las Vegas, about 4.5 hours each way, with a stop at Hoover Dam; the closer Grand Canyon West and its glass Skywalk, run by the Hualapai Tribe, is a shorter but very different alternative. Stay a night or two at the rim and you can add sunrise, a partial hike and the quieter eastern viewpoints. With more time, Northern Arizona fills a great road trip: Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon near Page, the red rocks of Sedona and a stretch of historic Route 66 through Williams, Seligman and Kingman. Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, but the Navajo Nation does, so watch the clock on tour days.

Hawaii is the ultimate winter escape for Americans: no passport, no currency exchange and 80°F (27°C) days while the mainland shivers. Choosing an island is the first decision. Oahu is the energetic hub, with Waikiki's beach scene, the moving USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, the Diamond Head crater hike and the North Shore, where winter swells send 30-foot waves rolling into Waimea Bay and the Banzai Pipeline. The Big Island is raw and vast, with active volcanoes at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, night snorkeling with giant manta rays off Kona and stargazing near the summit of Mauna Kea. Maui, with the Road to Hana and Haleakala sunrise, is the romantic middle ground and deserves its own trip. This 7-day plan pairs 3 nights on Oahu with 4 nights on the Big Island, linked by a short inter-island flight of about 45 minutes. Book the key reservations early: Pearl Harbor's USS Arizona Memorial program, Diamond Head entry for non-residents, and a manta ray tour. Pack a light jacket for volcano evenings, mineral reef-safe sunscreen for the reefs, and plenty of patience for traffic in Honolulu.