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Archive for the ‘Travel In Wyoming’ Category

While researching new vacation ideas, I recently came across what many insiders say is about to become the modern-day counterpart of the 20th century luxury ocean cruise. Called a rail cruise, it puts travelers eager for a one-of-a-kind vacation experience on board classic trains plying some of the most scenic American countryside. The outings, which take anywhere from several days to more than a week, bring together luxurious furnishings, delicious food and first-rate service in exclusive settings typically reserved for only about a hundred passengers.

If you watch the Travel Channel, you may already be acquainted with rail cruising from a travel guide about one of these tour trains, the American Orient Express (AOE). The train, which was recently renamed the GrandLuxe Express when AOE’s parent company changed its name to GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, is made up of polished, bullet-like lounge and dining cars originating from the 1940s and 1950s. Inside, mahogany and brass give the cars and compartments an elegant art-deco flair that definitely embodies the Golden Age of train travel.

GrandLuxe Rail Journeys sends its trains on excursions that offer passengers views and experiences never dreamed of by earlier of steamship cruisers. One of the most spectacular has to be National Parks of the West, a 10-day luxury rail cruise that starts its south-to-north leg in Albuquerque, New Mexico. From there, the train carves out a route that takes it to Santa Fe, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, a choice of Bryce Canyon or Zion National Parks, Salt Lake City, Yellow Stone National Park and finally, Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. There’s also a version of the excursion that starts in Wyoming and then moves south (instead of north) to finish up in Albuquerque.

Another great excursion has to be the 9-day journey that includes four of the Pacific Northwest’s most stunning national parks. For those who start their journey with the the eastbound leg of the Great Northwestern National Parks tour, the trip starts in Seattle, Washington, and heads first to Mt. Rainier National Park, where train passengers can enjoy a unforgettable view of the Cascade Range’s highest peak (14,410 feet). After that it’s on to the Columbia River Gorge, beautiful Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, pristine Glacier National Park, Helena, Montana, and finally Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Westbound travelers start at Grand Teton and finish their trip in the Emerald City of Seattle.

Remember, these are carriage-grade tours that offer outstanding comfort and five-star cuisine in a truly unique environment, so expect to pay accordingly. Rates for the 2008 season, which includes eight different departure dates between early May and late June, start at 5,250 dollars per person for the National Parks of the West Tour. The Northwestern National Parks tour starts at 4,710 dollars per person. Included in the fare is the cost of travel, some of the finest cuisine on wheels and on board sleeping accommodations in two-person, original Pullman sleeper cars. Taking advantage of early booking can cut the cost of the trip by an average of about 250 dollars.

If prices like these are just too steep for your wallet, you can still enjoy the luxury of rail cruising. GrandLuxe Rail Journeys also offers rail trips that are significantly less expensive. For example, you can journey from Chicago to Los Angeles for 1,599 dollars or take one of many 789-dollar trips that connect like Washington, D.C. and Miami, Denver and San Francisco, Denver and Chicago, and Chicago and Washington, D.C.

One of the greatest natural treasures in the United States is the expanse of protected national parks. Since the formation of Yellowstone in 1872, America has set aside the best it has to offer for the whole country to be able to enjoy. The variety of these National Parks is only beaten out by the sheer beauty that they hold.

1. The Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming is an extremely rugged block of nature. The Snake River makes its way through the park and is a popular trip for experience river sportsmen. Although there are over 200 miles maintained for hiking, it is recommended that novice and beginners participate in guided tours.

2. Crater Lake National Park in Oregon is surrounded by volcanic peaks, rolling mountains and evergreen forests. It is the deepest lake in the United States (measuring 1932 feet deep). The area is covered by snow for much of the year and the roads to the park are usually by late fall. Back packing the trails requires a permit.

3. Glacier National Park in Montana is another cold site to visit. Around 750 miles of trails are maintained by park rangers, but remember that the land is wild. You will be sharing your experience with black bears, grizzly bears, and wildlife of many other varieties. It is a great place for cross country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. Backcountry camping is allowed, but you need a permit and should also obtain safety information as well.

4. Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington may be best known for its 14,410 foot summit, but there is much more to the park. The Wonderland Trail is a 90 mile hike that encircles the famous mountain. Most roads into the park are closed by late November due to snowfall and only one camp site is open all year long. The park is exciting and challenging for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels.

5. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is the best known around the world. It was the first national park ever created and consists of 3472 square miles. It is full of wonders, wild animals and adventure.

There is so much beauty to be found through out the United States. Just touring the many national parks could take a life time. They offer a chance to see wildlife and landscapes that have never been touched by the effects of modern man. Start your adventures in the National Parks of the Northwest.

Cave exploring has become a favorite adventure activity for many Americans. Whether you’re taking a short, self-guided or guided tour of a commercial cave, or engaging in advanced spelunking of non-commercial caves, there’s just something magical about entering a cave. The feel of the cave air, the smells, the quite, the utter darkness when the lamps are turned off.

In caving you will discover the beauty of nature and marvel at rock formations and crystals that took thousands, and even millions, of years to shape and develop. Caves come in different shapes and sizes. There are caves that are horizontal, dry, hot, humid and sandy, while others are vertical, cold, flooded and muddy. There are even caves that are located under rivers and seas.

Another great thing about visiting a cave is that you are able to step back in time a bit, as many caves have served as dwellings for early humans, offering shelter from the outside elements. Another interesting thing about caves – when you’ve toured one, you’re going to want to tour another. Luckily there are numerous caves to explore in America that can keep you busy year after year. Let’s take a look at several which offer guided and self-guided tours perfect for the whole family:

Mammoth Cave National Park – Kentucky

Since 1816, visitors have toured Mammoth Cave, one of the world’s longest and most famous cave systems. The name Mammoth was coined not from the prehistoric wooly mammoth, but because the cave system is so huge – more than 365 miles of it has been explored so far.

Cave tour prices range from $4 to $45 and include tours for all levels of experience, from a 30-minute, self-guided discovery tour to a 6-1/2 hour “Wild Cave Tour” for more advanced cavers which involves free-climbing cave walls and crawling through areas as low as 9 inches high. Temperature inside the cave usually stays around 54° Fahrenheit year-round.

Jewel Cave National Monument – South Dakota

Located just east of the Wyoming border, Jewel Cave is considered one of the best caves in the National Park system, and number three on the list of longest caves in the world! Much of the cave remains unexplored today. But tours inside the cave offer breathtaking walks and intense caving adventure. Aside from stalactites and stalagmites, several varieties of bats reside inside the cave especially during winter.

Jewel Cave offers three different tour packages, each requiring a different level of experience. The easiest tour is the Basic Tour, which most people should be able to manage. Of course, you have to remember this is a cave, so there will be some steps to climb. On the Basic Tour there are 723 steps to manage, but you don’t have to climb them all at once, they are interspersed throughout the 1/2 mile tour. The next tour in difficulty is the Historic Tour which enters and leaves the cave through an historic entrance and views the cave from an unpaved trail. You will carry lanterns on this tour, which is considered strenuous. Children under 6 are not allowed on the Historic Tour. For the experienced cavers, Jewel Caves offers a Spelunking Tour, a 4 to 5-hour tour which snakes through 2/3 of a mile of the Cave. You are provided a headlamp by the park service, but you must provide all your other equipment. In addition, you must be over 16 and pass a number of tests before being allowed on the Spelunking Tour, including proving the ability to wriggle through an 18″ X 24″ passageway. Needless to say, people with a fear of heights or claustrophobia definitely won’t be comfortable on this tour. Reservations are required for the Spelunking tour.

Kartchner Caverns State Park – Benson, Arizona

Located in the southern part of Arizona, Kartchner Caverns was discovered in 1974 by cavers and purchased as an Arizona State Park in 1988. What’s cool about Kartchner is that it’s a “living cave,” in that the formations inside are still growing. It also contains 13,000 feet of passages, boasts one of the world’s longest soda straw stalactites – 21 feet 2 inches, and is in near-pristine condition. Typical of most caves, Kartchner Caverns has its share of bats. In fact, during the summer the Cave’s Big Room becomes a nursery roost with over 1,000 female bats.

Meramec Caverns – Stanton, Missouri

Like your caves on the commercial side? Then you’ll love Meramec Caverns, which has a gift shop inside the entrance of the cave. In fact, Meramec Caverns is the largest commercial cave in Missouri, which is known as the “Cave State” due to it containing over 6,000 surveyed caves. In addition to its natural history, Meramec Caverns has some interesting recent history, as legend has it that the cave was used as a part of the “Underground Railroad” to aid escaping slaves. Legend also has it that Jesse James and his gang hid out in the caves after committing train and bank robberies.

Meramec Caverns also has the distinction of having a ballroom inside the caves which hosts many private and public events, such as an Easter Sunrise Service. The ballroom is an interesting combination of chairs, sound system, lighting and, yes, limestone and stalagmites.

Other Missouri Caves and Caverns

As long as you’re visiting Meramec Caverns, why not check out some of the other caves in Missouri? Some notable ones include:

Fantastic Caverns – Springfield, Missouri

Fantastic Caverns is considered “America’s Ride-Through Cave” and is great for seniors, physically-challenged individuals and people with small children because you don’t walk though the cave, but, rather you take a jeep-drawn tram through the cave.

Marvel Cave – Branson, Missouri

Again, if you like your caves on the commercial side, then Marvel Cave is for you. Marvel Cave is another “living cave” with formations that are still growing, and is now part of Silver Dollar City, an amusement park with over 30 rides and attractions, the cave being one of them.

Mark Twain Cave – Hannibal, Missouri

The Mark Twain Cave was discovered in 1819 and is Missouri’s oldest show cave, providing tours to the public for over 114 years. The cave is named after “Mark Twain,” the pen name of Samuel Clemens, who explored the cave quite frequently and wrote about its wonders. Again, legend has it that Jesse James and his gang hid out in the caves.

If you’re looking for something interesting and unusual to do with your family on your next vacation, do consider visiting one of the many fascinating caves that America has to offer. You may discover a passion you never knew existed.