TRIP DETAILS   7 days   Dates: June 2010 Arrival: Billings, MT by 5:00 PM on Sunday   Airport Code: BIL   Departure: Billings, MT after 12:00 PM on Saturday   Price: $1975 for adults sharing a room, $1400 for kids sharing a room with two adults   Single: $520 This is generally an optional charge. If you are traveling alone, we can match you with a roommate or you can guarantee your own room by paying the single supplement.   Extras: $138 Crowne Plaza Hotel Billings for the Saturday before the trip (optional).   Fitness Level: moderate   Meals: Includes seven breakfasts, five lunches, and five dinners   Includes: 6 nights accommodations, double occupancy, three star hotels Ground transportation Guides and trip leaders Hiking Rafting Horseback riding Touring and sightseeing Museum and national park entrance fees Wildlife viewing Rodeo tickets All meals Not included: Airfare to/from Billings, guide gratuities, trip insurance, premium beverages like alcohol and soda, items of a personal nature like phone calls and laundry.   Yellowstone: The Classic Family Vacation June 2010 (TBA)  At some point, every family should make the pilgrimage to America’s first national park- Yellowstone. (And gay families are no different.) With mountains to hike, rivers to raft, wildlife to view, and trails to horseback ride, every kid gets to experience life as a mountain man, wilderness explorer, naturalist, and cowboy.   Highlights: Experience a true wild west rodeo in Cody, Wyoming Visit the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone View wildlife such as bison and grizzly bear in the natural habitat Take in breathtaking views of endless mountain peaks Watch the kids' eyes light up as Old Faithful erupts   Rusty Clark - Travel Specialist! OutWests' Director of Operations, Rusty loves everything adventure and everything outdoors. He and his partner Ron live in Red Lodge, Montana and find the serenity of nature to be their favorite place.

FULL ITINERARY:

DAY TWO.   CODY, WYOMING - BUFFALO BILL MUSEUM AND RODEO. From Billings we drive to Cody, Wyoming, home of the famous Buffalo Bill Historical Museum. The museum has memorabilia of Bufflo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show, a gallery of western art, a Native American wing, a natural history wing, and contemporary art exhibit. Two favorites for the kids are the Indian tee-pees and life-sized grizzly bear.

That evening is the Cody Night Rodeo. Watch cowboys and cowgirls compete in traditional events like barrel racing, calf roping, steer wrestling, and bull riding. Yee-haw!

DAY THREE.   YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. Today we’ll venture into the unspoiled Yellowstone wilderness where wildlife abounds and nature remains untouched. Known for its geothermal activity, spectacular scenery, and variety of wildlife, Yellowstone truly is the ‘crown jewel of the American park system.’

From Cody, we drive up the Wapiti (Elk) Valley and through the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park. We’ll driver over a pass, along Yellowstone Lake, and through the Hayden Valley. Bisected by the lazy arcs of the Yellowstone River, the Hayden Valley is a vast expanse of fertile grassland that teems with life. This morning, we drive along the Hayden Valley in the hopes of seeing some of Yellowstone’s famous wildlife. If we are lucky, we will see bison, elk, deer, coyote, moose, and even grizzly bear.

From the rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone you can view the awe-inspiring Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River. The walls of the 1,200 foot deep canyon are painted in shades of red, orange, yellow, and gold. We’ll hike to the brink of the falls and overlook the gushing water dropping over 300 feet.

That evening, we’ll gather around a campfire for a cookout. What is a trip to Yellowstone without a campfire and smores?

For the next two evenings, we’ll be at Canyon Lodge which is within a short walk of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

DAY FOUR.   THE OLD FAITHFUL GEYSER. Watch as the kids (and adults) marvel as the hot steaming water rumbles, bubbles, and blows out the ground. Yellowstone National Park contains over one third of the world’s geysers and hot springs. Today, you will see the most famous of those - Old Faithful and Norris Geyer Basin- as well as some lesser-known sites. On the way back to Canyon from Old Faithful, we’ll stop at the Yellowstone Lake Hotel. Tonight the adults will enjoy a ‘grown-up’ dinner while the trip leaders will take the kids on their own special cookout along the shores of the lake.

DAY FIVE.   THE BEARTOOTH HIGHWAY TO RED LODGE, MONTANA. The day begins with a morning hike up Mount Washburn where you’ll have panoramic view of Yellowstone. Then we’ll exit the park through the northeast and pass through Cooke City, Montana. Charles Kuralt called the Beartooth Highway “the most scenic road in America.” We’ll stop at the highway’s 10,800 foot summit to view the magnificent Beartooth Mountains. In the late afternoon, we’ll arrive in the western town of Red Lodge, Montana and check into Rock Creek Resort at the base of the Beartooth Mountains. The resort features a swimming pool, tennis courts, soccer field, and hiking trails.

DAY SIX.   SADDLE AND PADDLE. Grab your cowboy hats and boots and saddle up! In the morning we’ll horseback ride on a Montana ranch. In the afternoon, we’ll attack the rapids of the Stillwater River. With class II & III rapids, the Stillwater is a fun introduction to whitewater rafting. In the evening we’ll return to Red Lodge and a night on the town.

DAY SEVEN.   DEPARTURE. After the short drive to the Billings airport, we say our farewells. Happy Trails!