When choosing a name for our adventure tours of America, we wanted to follow a similar theme to our sister company which arranges adventure tours of Asia and is called The Dragon Trip. We needed an iconic American animal and we were totally spoiled for choice: grizzlies, moose, bison, and eagles, to name a few.
We eventually settled on Coyotes. Why? We thought a coyote had just the right amount of adventure, cunning and mischief to represent who our passengers are – we promise it wasn’t because they are known to be extremely vocal and will eat just about anything! We hope you’ll get a chance to spot some coyotes on our budget tour of America, but if you get lucky, in one of the three state parks we call in at on our tour, you may also get a chance to gaze at some of these other beautiful animals whilst backpacking in the USA.
Bison:
Do you know the difference between a bison and buffalo? You can’t wash you hands in a buffalo.
OK, tour guide jokes aside, the difference is that bison have large lumps on their shoulders, bigger heads and roam the ranges of America. Buffalo roam the plains and mountains of Africa and Asia. So don’t make the same mistake as the iconic American song “Home on Range”, it was bison roaming the ranges – not buffalo!
Bears:
Your best chance at seeing a bear on our tour is at the Yosemite National Park, which we call into on our California Calling tour. Despite the grizzly bear on the state flag of California, hunting has meant there are no longer grizzlies in California. There are however 300-500 black bears in Yosemite, which you’ll discover are actually brown in colour despite their name. To make things more confusing, the North American Brown bear is actually just another name for a grizzly!
Eagles:
Is there any animal more American than a bald eagle? The only way this bird could be more American is if you were to deep fry it and serve it with a side of fries – please don’t try that whilst backpacking in the USA though, shooting an eagle is a federal offence that carries a few years worth of jail time.
The eagle represents freedom, although this is perhaps a misplaced representation, given they are known for harassing smaller birds and stealing their pray. Maybe it’s rather their majestic 2 meter wing span which soars on mountain breezes which evokes this spirit of the freedom.
Whales:
As we mentioned in our city guide to Boston, whale watching is a favourite activity for the whole team in our Boston office. The whale watching tour arranged by the Boston Aquarium is of course on our budget tour of America and most groups that do it get to see a selection of humpback, finbacks or minke whales. The humpback is our favourite and their tales grow up to 5.5m wide- seeing them slap these on the water before diving to depths of 150 metres is incredible.
Coyotes:
How could we write a blog about America’s animals without include our namesake, the humble coyote. These canines are cousins of the wolf, dog and fox but are unique for being extremely loud, especially at night. They communicate with each other using three distinct noises, either a squeak, a distress call or a howl.
All of the team at The Coyote Trip are animal lovers, and we’re passionate about showing you a side of American nature that any wildlife enthusiast will be enchanted by. We’ll leave you with a quote from the American novelist, Hamlin Garland:
“Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and numbs my brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the yellow dawn, my cares fall from me – I am happy”.
Ready to go backpacking in the USA? You can discover the array of natural beauty across all our tours including the East Coast America Adventure, Coast to Coast or the Full Coyote. Drop us a message in the chat box below or send us an email at info@thecoyotetrip.com to find out more!
