NEW LODGING & LEARNING PROGRAM “OLD FAITHFUL WINTER EXPEDITION”
The Yellowstone Association Institute and park concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts have added the new “Old Faithful Winter Expedition” to their line-up of popular Lodging & Learning programs this year.
Lodging & Learning programs offer the expertise of Yellowstone Association Institute naturalists/guide during the day and the comfort of park lodges at night. Each program includes accommodations, some meals and Xanterra’s “Snow Card” good for 10 percent off meals, in-park transportation, tours, ski shop services and select retail items.
“We consistently hear from participants that the instructors’ knowledge and enthusiasm about the park create experiences that could not be achieved on a self-guided tour,” said Jeff Brown, director of education for the Yellowstone Association. “The interior of Yellowstone in winter offers so much, especially for groups seeking an in-depth view.”
The Old Faithful Winter Expedition features two nights each at the only Yellowstone lodging open during the winter – the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. Under the guidance of an Institute instructor, stops throughout the park will include the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, Yellowstone Lake and various geyser basins. Available Saturday through Tuesday beginning Dec. 27, 2008 and Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb. 7 and Feb. 21, 2009, this program features four nights of lodging, breakfasts, lunches, welcome gift, in-park transportation, snowshoes, one-hour hot tub usage, unlimited ice skating and optional evening programs. Rates start at $929 per person, plus tax, based on double occupancy and $1,163 for single occupancy.
The activity level of this program is easy. The class is limited to 12 persons.
This winter the two organizations will also offer Lodging & Learning programs with the titles “Winter Rendezvous,” “Family Winter Holiday,” “Winter Wildlife Expedition,” “Yellowstone on Skis,” “Winter Wolf Discovery” and “Winter in Wonderland.”
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
What’s cooking?
Team Savories: Bonnie Synder (right), Leroy Smith (center), Austin Whitherspoon (left)The scenic mountain location of my hometown, Ruidoso, New Mexico is the perfect setting to combine a vacation getaway with a fun and informative cooking class. Explore new cuisine and techniques. Create fabulous food through hands-on participation. Whether you are an experienced gourmand or are just beginning to discover cooking, an interactive cooking class with my friend, and incredibly talented certified personal chef, Bonnie Synder, and her team at Savories Culinary Studio can help take your cooking to the next level.
The hands-on cooking classes are taught in the studio’s professionally equipped kitchen built exclusively for culinary instruction and inspiration. Classes are limited to small intimate groups which allows personalized instruction. Cooking classes include printed recipe handouts and a generous sampling or meal of the food prepared, served with wine/beverage. Knives, tools and equipment are provided. All you need to bring is an appetite for food and fun!
For information and reservations visit www.savories.net. See Savories in action on these YouTube videos. And, if you sign up, be sure to let me know so I can join the fun!
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Asia Transpacific Journeys Launches Lifelong Learning Journeys
Luxury Travel to Asia Enhanced by Hands-on Immersion, Educational Focus
Asia Transpacific Journeys announces a new Lifelong Learning Journeys series in which trips feature hands-on immersion in a specific theme through classes, discussion and participation with a guest tour leader who is an expert in the field.
For example, their new 17-day Cultures of Buddhist Asia is a sweeping examination of the three major schools of Buddhism practiced in Japan, Laos and Bhutan respectively. The journey will be led by a Buddhism expert from Naropa University, the premier Buddhist studies university in America. Meetings with monks, scholars and optional guidance in meditation will be featured.
These journeys delve deep into a specific theme, with the world as your classroom, says Marilyn Downing Staff, President and founder of Asia Transpacific Journeys, an Asia travel company specializing in the region for 21 years. They are crafted in the spirit of discovery and appreciation, for the lifelong learner who delights in knowledge, not just for those with a background in the subject.
Lifelong Learning Journeys feature:
- A unique theme that acts as a focus for each trip
- A guest tour leader who is an expert in that field
- Hands-on immersion through classes, demonstrations, discussion, participation
- Fellow travelers with a similar passion for subject
- No need to have a background in the subject to join
The Cultures of Buddhist Asia is a Small Group Trip departing November 15, 2008. The per person, double, rate is $10,395 for land costs that includes upscale accommodations, nearly all meals, transfers, visa fees, tips, entrance fees, emergency and medical evacuation insurance, and a comprehensive pre-departure packet.
About Asia Transpacific Journeys
Asia Transpacific Journeys is an award-winning, Boulder, Colorado-based Asia travel company and Asia tour operator specializing in Custom Journeys and Small Group Trips for Asia vacation travel since 1987. Outstanding service, long-standing connections in Asia and deeply insightful cultural interpretation make them the operator of choice for discerning individuals, their families and friends. Asia Transpacific Journeys is the recipient of three Top Travel Specialists awards for 2007 from Condé Nast Traveler magazine. In November 2007 Asia Transpacific Journeys was also honored as a Worlds Best Tour Operator by National Geographic Adventure. For more information, visit http://www.asiatranspacific.com or call 800 642 2742.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".