National Parks In the Spotlight - Austin-Lehman Shares Expert Advice, Plans for a Busy 2010 Season

Sept. 29, 2009 - PRLog -- BILLINGS, MT, – National Parks are Hot! With an economy that has people staying closer to home on vacation, a new Ken Burns film on PBS and an upcoming 100th birthday celebration for Glacier, “World’s Best” tour operator, Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA) is predicting a banner year.

“National Parks are going to be huge next year,” says Dan Austin, ALA’s co-founder and director. “Our pre-bookings are way up which mirror’s USA Today’s recent report that overall attendance is up five percent this year over the same period last year. As experts in national park adventures we are positioned well to take full advantage of the increased interest and desire.”

According to National Park Service spokesman Jeffrey G. Olson, “parks could see more than 288 million visitors for 2009, topping the previous records 1987 and 1999.” The new 6-part, 12-hour series "America's Best Idea," (which debuted on PBS Sept. 27) is expected to help keep interest high. "We think it's the neatest thing since sliced bread," Olson said.

Austin-Lehman Adventures (http://www.austinlehman.com), voted the “World’s Best Tour Operator” for 2009 by the readers of Travel + Leisure, is gearing up and has just announced their 2010 tour line-up which includes 15 small group adult and family itineraries visiting 10 of America’s most iconic National Parks.  Included is a new trip to Glacier National Park which will be celebrating its centennial birthday in 2010.

Says Austin, “We hope the film inspires people to take a National Park vacation. But it‘s a well documented fact that most park visitors never get more than 100 yards from their car or tour bus. That’s where ALA’s insider’s knowledge on where to go and what to do will make it possible for guests to get up close and personal with each of the parks we visit.”

With nearly two decades of National Park guiding experience, ALA’s senior guide Matty Kirkland knows where to go to experience the parks in their most undisturbed, pristine state. He offers his insider’s advice on five off-the-tourist-map places to explore.

1) Yellowstone – The Bechler-Falls River Basin in the southwest corner offers some of the most beautiful waterfalls and Mr Bubbles hot spring offers therapeutic soaking as the ground shakes underneath. http://www.austinlehman.com/pages/yellowstone_national_pa...

2) Grand Teton – The new Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve - a 1,106 acre refuge within the park on the southern end of Phelps Lake. The sights once reserved for a legendary family are now open to the public by accessing an eight-mile network of meadow and forested trails.
http://www.austinlehman.com/pages/grand_teton_national_pa...

3) Glacier – This is the only place in the continental U.S. that still has all of the predators that were present when the Europeans first arrived in North America. The Coal Creek area is so remote few marked trails exist, yielding a true wilderness experience.
http://www.austinlehman.com/trips/montana___glacier_multisport/80.php

4) Zion – Grab a bike and pedal Kolob Terrace Road slicing through the middle of the park, in between Zion Canyon and Kolob Canyons, dropping 4,400 feet in 18 wild, traffic-free miles.
http://www.austinlehman.com/pages/zion_national_park/122.php

5) Fisher Towers near Arches – Located 20 miles northeast of Moab, UT, it is one of the least-visited but most scenic landscapes along the Colorado River. An easy 4.4 RT hike reveals strange monoliths grouped together like petrified skyscrapers from some prehistoric city.
http://www.austinlehman.com/trips/canyonlands_national_park/81.php

ALA destinations include iconic national parks and backcountry regions of North, Central and South America as well as southern Africa and Europe. New trips slated for 2010 include cycling trips in South Dakota’s Black Hills (including a visit to Wind Cave National Park), Utah’s Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, Montana’s Glacier Park, Wyoming’s Grand Tetons and a Greek Isles trip that features multisport adventures such as kayaking, hiking, biking and cultural exploration.

For a copy of the new 68-page 2010 vacation catalog, call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail info@austinlehman.com. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries go to: www.austinlehman.com.

About Austin-Lehman Adventures:
Austin-Lehman Adventures, with a 35-year legacy dating back to 1974, provides high-end adventure vacations on four continents. ALA has built a stellar reputation on small group active travel, limited to 12 guests (18 on family departures), exceptional dining, distinctive accommodations and all-inclusive rates and services. ALA focuses solely on destinations in North, Central and South America, Europe and southern Africa. Founders Dan Austin and Paul Lehman believe the best way to enjoy the natural beauty, culture and history of a place is to experience it as a local; close-up, at one’s own pace far off the usual tourist track. In addition to its scheduled group departures, ALA also offers customized trip planning for families, solo travelers and adults-only. To back up its strong commitment to the highest levels of guest service, ALA offers all its travelers a money back guarantee, a rarity among adventure travel companies.

Austin-Lehman Adventures – Recent Kudos and Awards:

-2009 “World's Best Tour Operator” Travel + Leisure
-2008-2009 “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth!” National Geographic Adventure
-2006, 2007, 2008 Recipient of “World’s 25 Best New Trips!” National Geographic Adventure
-2008 Recipient of "15 Best Bike Trips" Bicycling Magazine
-2007 Recipient of “50 Tours of a Lifetime!” National Geographic Traveler

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