National park concessionaire Xanterra, which runs the lodging at Yellowstone and a number of other parks, warns travelers booking their rooms over the internet to beware reservation companies that add unnecessary fees to room rates. The company offers free reservations at www.xanterra.com official concessionaires for all national parks can be found at www.nps.gov.
Butte
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, 1500 Fairmont Rd. in Fairmont, about 10 miles west of Butte (tel. 800/332-3272 or 406/797-3241; www.fairmontmontana.com) is offering several internet-only specials through its website. The packages include a "fantastic" family deal for $149 per night for families of five Sunday through Thursday. A Golf Getaway package is also available.
Cheyenne
Restoration of the historic Union Pacific depot (115 W. 15th St.), a Romanesque gem made of polychromatic sandstone that dates from 1886, in downtown Cheyenne continues. The grand opening of the Cheyenne Depot Museum (cheyennedepotmuseum.org) has been pushed back to June 2004 after the original plan called for a late 2003 opening. A second floor dedicated to antique Union Pacific railcars in equipment will open in 2005. A brand-new Visitors Center (www.cheyenne.org) in the depot's richly renovated lobby opened in March. In front of the building is Depot Plaza, which will be completed in June 2004 and used as the staging area for the Cheyenne Street Railway Trolley, (www.cheyenne.org/trolley.asp) horse drawn carriages, concerts, and the huge pancake breakfasts during the annual Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration. Finally, the east wing of the depot is home to the Snake River Pub & Grill (tel. 307/634-7625), serving pizza, pasta, burgers, steaks, and seafood and a selection of six seasonally rotating microbrews.
Instead of two tours daily, the Cheyenne Street Railway Trolley this summer will run one-hour loop tours that begin at the Depot and include stops at some of Cheyenne's top attractions. Riders will be able to get off the Trolley, tour the attraction on their own, and then re-board the Trolley on its next tour (or any subsequent one as well). The Trolley leaves hourly from 10am to 4pm Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, the Trolley runs one 1.5-hour historic tour at 1:30pm.
Cody
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center, 720 Sheridan Ave. (tel. 307/578-4771; www.bbhc.org) is offering a first-of-its-kind package trip August 17-23 that includes a three-night backcountry expedition. The first three nights of the trip are in Cody, where guests explore the Center as well as the Cody Nite Rodeo and other in-town attractions before embarking on a three-night guided backcountry trip. Each guest is matched with a horse for the outing, and a camp cook prepares meals for the group. The final night of the trip is spent at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. The price of the trip is $1,800 per person based on double occupancy.
Glacier National Park
Although the situation could change with one spring blizzard, plowing operations at Glacier National Park are slightly ahead of schedule, due to a low snowpack. Going-to-the-Sun Road usually opens on Memorial Day, and the plows will likely beat that opening date: Staffers are anticipating before the end of May.
Great Falls
Explore! The Big Sky is a month-long event slated for June 2005, commemorating the bicentennial of Lewis & Clark's "Grand Portage" over the imposing falls on the Missouri River. The festival will celebrate the Corps of Discovery with such daily activities as canoe races, storytelling, games of skill and accuracy. Musical entertainment will include old-time fiddlers, an opera based on the story of Blackfoot legend Scarface, a ballet adapted from the story of Lewis & Clark, and rock concerts. Contact the Great Falls Chamber of Commerce (tel. 406/761-4434) for additional information or visit www.explorethebigsky.com.
Jackson Hole & Grand Teton National Park
The Four Seasons Jackson Hole (tel. 307/732-5000; www.fourseasons.com/jacksonhole) opened for the 2003 season after three years of construction. The 148-unit luxury hotel is one of the priciest of a pricey bunch: Standard doubles often run in excess of $500.
Kalispell
After a $3 million facelift, the White Oak Grand Hotel, 4824 U.S. 93 S. (tel. 888/226-1003 or 406/857-2388) is once again open for business. The former Best Western is now an independent, and the southernmost of the city's hotels.
Missoula & Environs
Glacier Country Regional Travel Commission (tel. 800/338-5072; www.glacier.visitmt.com) is offering a variety of new travel packages, including couples getaways, fishing trips, and cultural adventures. A fishing trip starts at $515 per person for four nights at a Missoula hotel, some meals, and two days of guided fishing. A two-night couples getaway ($360 to $499 per couple) includes concert tickets, one dinner, and lodging at the Big Mountain Resort.
The Holt Heritage Museum, 6800 Mont. 12 West, Lolo, MT (tel. 406/273-6743), about 11 miles southwest of Missoula, has expanded its exhibits, a variety of historic displays and Western artwork.
Yellowstone National Park
The plan to phase snowmobiles out of Yellowstone that emerged under the Clinton administration was upheld in December 2003, but a federal judge in Cheyenne, Wyoming, scuttled that decision by issuing a restraining order in February 2004. The snowmobiling industry in West Yellowstone, Montana, and other gateway towns continued to operate in 2003-04 pretty much as it had in previous years. It is unclear, however, if quotas or other policies from previous settlements would be reinstated for the 2005 season.
The Old Faithful Inn, in many ways the prototype park lodge, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2004. The season's kickoff is Heritage Days from May 7 through May 10, a celebration of the cultural heritage of Yellowstone, including special tours of the area and the Inn, historic and artistic presentations, and interpretive exhibits provided by several local museums and organizations. The Inn will also host Heritage Days events June 19-20 and August 28-29. Some reservations for this centennial celebration were made 20 years ago. Contact Xanterra Parks & Resorts (tel. 307/344-7311; www.travelyellowstone.com) for information and reservations.
Whitefish
Ground has been broken on Averill's Lodge at Whitefish Lake, touted as "the first four-season resort on Whitefish Lake." The luxury condo property, with a lakeside dining room and lounge, is slated to open summer 2005.