Yellowstone Winter Getaway and Adventure Packages

HOWL WITH THE WOLVES IN YELLOWSTONE THIS WINTER

Yellowstone National Park Lodges has announced its line-up of Winter Getaway and Adventure packages for the 2011/2012 season.

The park’s winter season begins Dec. 18, 2011 with the opening of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel opens Dec. 20, 2011. The lodges provide the only wintertime accommodations within the park. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel will close for the season March 5, 2012, and Old Faithful Snow Lodge will close March 4, 2012.

Each package includes Xanterra’s “Snow Card” good for 10 percent off meals, in-park transportation, tours, ski shop services and select retail items. Rates quoted here are per person, double occupancy, plus tax and utility fee.

Adventure Package

 “Trail of the Wolf” provides travelers with an opportunity to explore the park’s interior with a guide and learn about its abundant natural features in places such as the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone as well as to observe wildlife in the Northern Range of the park. The package includes guided snowmobiling in the interior of the park and wildlife watching by van in the park’s Northern Range. Also included are three nights of lodging split between the two lodges, round-trip guided snowmobile tour between Old Faithful and Mammoth, “Wake up to Wildlife” tour of the Lamar Valley, two breakfasts per person, welcome gift, one-hour hot tub rental, unlimited ice skating and skates and Snow Card. Rates start at $439 per person

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Three Great National Park Adventures For The Autumn Season

When kids go back to school, many adult travelers head to U.S. national parks. Depending on the location, the parks are visited by fewer people during the fall months, and temperatures are typically moderate. No matter where you go, however, there are plenty of appealing activities, as well as lodging choices for every budget.

Here are three examples of autumn-season national park adventures:

Death Valley National Park, California. Unlike most national parks, fall is just the beginning of the park’s peak season. Concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts operates the luxurious, 66-room Inn at Furnace Creek, which opens its doors for the season in mid-October. Xanterra also operates the year-round Ranch at Furnace Creek. The resort features three restaurants, lounge, gift stores, golf course, swimming pools and more. Activities in Death Valley include golfing at the world’s lowest golf course,  horseback riding, Jeep tours, bicycling, tours of historic Scotty’s Castle, hiking and touring by car.

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Yellowstone's "Summer Camp for Grownups" Scheduled for September

Explore the best of Yellowstone National Park this September on a Lodging and Learning Program.

The non-profit Yellowstone Association Institute (YAI) and lodge operator Xanterra Parks & Resorts are once again offering the popular Roosevelt Rendezvous this fall featuring exclusive use of one of the most popular lodges in the national park system. 

One of the “Lodging & Learning” programs offering daytime field excursions followed by comfortable lodging at night, Roosevelt Rendezvous takes place in September after the historic lodge is closed to the general public for the season. Up to 52 participants will stay at the lodge for four nights. During the day they split up into groups led by YAI naturalists/guides as they enjoy wildlife watching as well as forays into areas with Yellowstone’s renowned thermal and geologic features. They will then reconvene at the end of the day for dinner and the opportunity to compare notes.

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NEW 2011 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK LODGING & LEARNING PACKAGES

For curious travelers who want to explore Yellowstone National Park by day and stay in comfortable hotels at night, Xanterra Parks & Resorts and the non-profit Yellowstone Association Institute announce their summer 2011 lineup of multi-day “Lodging & Learning” packages.

With the exception of the “Roosevelt Rendezvous” and “Yellowstone for Families” programs, all Lodging & Learning packages are designed for a maximum of 12 people and for participants who are a minimum of 12 years old. Members of the Yellowstone Association receive $10 off the price of each program. Rates do not include tax or utility fee. Reservations for all programs can be made by calling (1) 307-344-7311 or toll-free 866-GEYSERLAND (866-439-7375). Online information is available at www.YellowstoneNationalParkLodges.com and www.yellowstoneassociation.org.

New this year is the Summer Wildlife Expedition, a four-day package offered beginning June 23, July 7 and 21 and August 4 and 18. This package is focused on wildlife viewing and features two nights of lodging at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, three nights at Lake Yellowstone Hotel, breakfast and box lunch daily, dinner on the last night, in-park bus transportation, expert instruction by an Institute wildlife biologist and optional evening programs. Activities include hikes of up to five miles per day with occasional elevation gains up to 500 feet in undulating terrain. Some off-trail hiking is possible. Rates are $1,299 per person for double occupancy and $1,745 per person for single occupancy.

“Yellowstone for Families” – named “Best Summer Family Camp in America” by “Good Morning America” and Family Fun — is designed for families with children between eight and 12. The package includes four nights at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel or Grant Village; age-appropriate field activities such as animal tracking, wildlife-watching, painting and hiking; breakfast and box lunches each day, in-park transportation, instruction and optional evening programs. Programs are offered Monday to Friday and Friday to Tuesday from June 6 to Aug. 19. Rates for programs at Mammoth are $2,148 for a family of two adults and two children. Rates for programs in Grant Village are $2,548 for a family of two adults and two children.

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Wild Yellowstone: A Night of Adventure and Luxury

Escaping to Yellowstone National Park might not feel like an escape when you’re among the throngs of tourists clustered at Old Faithful. But there is an alternative. A Wild Yellowstone one-night vacation experience, created by Far and Away Adventures, begins with a half-hour cabin cruiser ride across Yellowstone Lake (the nation’s largest lake at over 7,500 feet above sea level) to a secluded dock. From there, a short sea kayak or canoe paddle transports you to a private camp hidden among one of the one hundred and ten miles of pristine shorelines that comprise the massive lake. Perfect for the family who wants to truly “unplug” and enjoy Yellowstone (minus the masses), this trip offers plenty of relaxation and adventure.  

 

This 24-hour trip also includes a chance to experience the legendary wilderness, world-renowned wildlife, luxury “safari style” camping, and professional wilderness guides.  This is a unique opportunity to take a step back to quieter times, while not venturing too far off the beaten path.  Far and Away guests arrive to a beautiful and secluded camp that is expertly prepared with all the comforts of home, plus some extras. Your chalet tent is set up for you, the bar table is arranged with freshly prepared appetizers, and each gourmet meal is served with a special flare that you’ve never seen before in the wilderness. Far and Away will also make certain to create a special children’s menu so that everyone is happy at the dining table. 

 

The encampment is set up for adventure and luxury. Tents exceeding 100 square feet in size provide guests with their own private retreat. The floors are covered with rugs, with elevated beds, comfy bedding, and sumptuous full-size pillows create the perfect setting for sweet dreams. Outside, lanterns romantically light the night, and steamed hand towels are delivered tentside upon awakening. 

 

Far and Away has been sharing the excitement of paddling with adventuresome guests since 1980. Its Wild Yellowstone experience runs with daily noon hour departures offered throughout the summer. Adults: $375, Children: $325.

For more details contact Far & Away Adventures; toll free 800-232-8588 or visit www.wildyellowstone.com

Source: Far & Away Adventures.

AMANRESORTS' SUMMER SAFARIS... IN JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING

Binoculars? Check! Camera? Check! Sunblock? Check! Passport? Not required!

AmanganiAmangani, on the edge of Grand Teton National Park and just 60 miles from Yellowstone National Park, makes it possible to go on safari this summer without even leaving the US.

Amangani’s new Wildlife Experience, a nature safari through some of the West’s most glorious scenery, introduces guests to the array of wildlife that runs free in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. More than 300 species of birds (bald eagles, mountain bluebirds, trumpeter swans and sand hill cranes among them) and big game, such as moose, elk, bison, wolves and bears, come into view with the help of an experienced guide.

Available through August 31, 2009, the Wildlife Experience includes four nights in one of Amangani’s Superior Suites, continental breakfast each morning, airport transfers, a full-day guided expedition through the Jackson Hole Valley and onward to Yellowstone National Park (maximum four participants per vehicle) for $1,700 per person based on double occupancy. Two children under the age of twelve can stay with their parents at no charge (breakfast additional).

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