Old Faithful? No, that's the Beehive Geyser, also at Yellowstone National Park.

Fascinating facts about America's wonderful West
Because America's West is fascinating,  Austin-Lehman Adventures has come up with fascinating factoids about the area. To wit:
 * There are fewer than 1,000 geysers in the world. yet more than 500 of them are within Yellowstone National Park, giving it the highest concentration of geysers on the planet. (Another factoid: Although the park is primarily in Wyoming, it extends into Montana and Idaho.)
* More than 2,400 miles of streams flow through Yellowstone, providing some of the best fly-fishing in the world.
* In the Black Hills of South Dakota, the work-in-progress Crazy Horse mountain carving will be the world’s largest sculpture  -- 563 feet high and 641 feet long.
* Mount Rushmore’s Thomas Jefferson sculpture was originally started on George Washington's right, but after 18 months Jefferson was dynamited off and carved on the other side.
* At the intersection of three separate ecosystems, Zion National Park has a more than 900 species of plants not found anywhere else in Utah.
*In most rural areas of the United States, 2500 stars can be seen on a clear night. But at Bryce Canyon in Southwestern Utah, 7,500 stars can be seen twinkling.

For more curious fun facts, click here. For information about Austin-Lehman trips to the above destinations and to places world wide, visit www.austinlehman.com.

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Trivial question

Where in the world can you find a pangolin? (Readers of Adam Mansbach's best-seller, "Go the F**k to Sleep" have a ready reference.)

Baby on the way? Take a break while you still have time

The Trump Collection's Babymoon Package caters to couples on their second trimester who want to savor what will soon be all too rare: lazy mornings, quiet time for two, and plenty of pampering. The package is available at at Trump International Hotel & Tower New York and Chicago,  Trump International Hotel Las Vegas and Waikiki Beach Walk®and Trump SoHo New York. Included in the two-night offer, which starts at $889, are a prenatal massage for her and Trump Classic Massage for her partner;  one in-room breakfast for two; a twice-daily selection from a menu of healthy mocktails, smoothies and teas; and prenatal pillows. Visit visit www.trumphotelcollection.com.


Worth quoting

"Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.." -- Paul Theroux

The circus is coming -- to Vermont's Okemo

In the winter, we associate Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vt., with fine skiing. But in the summer, it's a variety of attractions. For instance,  on Fourth of July weekend, a circus  will feature aerial acts with trapeze and fabric elements, partner acrobatics, and comedy.  The three performers, each with credentials including Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey, Circus Smirkus, and Cirque du Soleil. You can save by pre-purchasing tickets online at Okemo.com. Cost is $12 for  13 and older and $9 for 12 and younger. Children 2 and younger will be admitted free. Tickets purchased at the door will be priced at $15 and $12 respectively. Okemo’s celebration of the Fourth of July weekend will also include concerts and fireworks

The resort's Fourth, Festival and Fireworks package includes a three-night stay at The Jackson Gore Inn or a mountainside condo and a three-ride coupon (for each person) for the new Timber Ripper Mountain Coaster, plus access to the Spring House Pool and Fitness Center. Rates start at $68.24 per person, per day, or $545.95 total for a family of four. Okemo’s Vermont Symphony Package includes a two-night stay, two tickets to the popular July 3 Vermont Symphony Orchestra performance at Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center, a  Vermont gift basket and access to Jackson Gore’s Spring House Pool and Fitness Center, plus additional amenities. Rates start at $479 for 2 adults.Call 802-228-1600 or visit www.okemo.com. 

Tour guide joke

When tourists who are about to explore a cave ask worriedly, "Are there any bats in the cave?", some guides can't resist answering, "No. There were but the snakes ate them all."

Polar bears are a bargain in Churchill, Manitoba

The most famous polar bears in the world  live on the Manitoba coast of Hudson Bay, and come into the little town of Churchill every fall on their annual trek  onto the sea ice. A new three-day, two-night short tour is available for  $1,695, including round trip air between Winnipeg and Churchill, accommodations in Churchill, breakfast and a full-day Tundra vehicle excursion to view the bears.  There are seven departures for the Bear Country Adventure between Oct. 11 and Nov. 14.Call The Great Canadian Travel Company at 800-661-3830 of visit www.greatcanadiantravel.com.  To go directly to the  Bear Country Adventure  page, click here.

Trivial answer
You can find a  pangolin, or scaly anteater, in tropical regions of Asia and Africa. But do you really want to?


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