Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming: www.realamerica.com.au

More in Montana www.visitmt.com

Montana's ski stars perfect for Aussie skiers

Montana is making its mark on the Australian snow market with more skiers and snowboarders heading into the state on their quest for a spectacular snow experience. Robert Upe, one of Australia's most respected ski writers found it to be an “undiscovered gem” for Australian skiers when he visited recently. Read his story on “Ten Reasons to Ski or Board at Big Sky” here: http://www.flightcentre.com.au/travel-news/destinations/big-sky-ski-resort/ . Big Sky, Montana is the biggest ski resort in America, along with neighbouring Moonlight Basin, while Whitefish offers a more boutique experience, with the quality of the snow and the scenery ensuring an unforgettable ski vacation for skiers and boarders of all levels.

Big Sky is also becoming the place to say “I Do”, with loved up couples choosing to hold their weddings everywhere from rustic ranches such as 320 Guest Ranch, Rainbow Ranch Lodge and Lone Mountain Ranch to mountain-top properties like the new Everett 8,800 restaurant and popular Buck's T 4. Many of Big Sky's venues provide all-inclusive services – lodging, an onsite coordinator, the rehearsal location and wedding site all at one facility. www.visitbigskymt.com/big-sky-weddings

More access to West Yellowstone

History was made on Monday June 12 when a Delta Connection jet touched down at West Yellowstone Airport – the first time in more than 30 years that a passenger jet flew into the airport. Airport Director Jeff Kadlec said that the move from turbo-prop aircraft to jets would provide a faster, more reliable service and will bring more business to the community and more visitors to the park.
The new jet service comes from Salt Lake City and is operated by SkyWest Airlines as a Delta Connection. The CRJ-200 jet aircraft seats 50 people compared to old turbo-prop planes that could only seat 20. The service will run twice a day Thursday to Monday and once a day on Tuesday and Wednesday. This connection will suit Australians keen to explore the delights of this part of Montana including West Yellowstone National Park and the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, thanks to the easy connections to Salt Lake City from LAX. http://montanatourismnews.org/news/2015/06/12/west-yellowstone-celebrates-inaugural-jet-service/

 

Culinary experiences luring gourmet travellers to Montana

While people used to visit ranches for the western experience of riding, roping and outdoor campfires, these days it is just as likely to be excellent food that draws them. Montana cuisine has evolved significantly, and one fine example is the Ranch at Rock Creek near Philipsburg. Executive chef at the ranch, Josh Drage, said that travellers want to feel like they have experienced the places they visit through the food they eat. "Guests savour their stay through all their senses, whether it's the soothing sound of Rock Creek outside their room, the feel of a fly rod in the hands or the taste of locally-produced bacon”, he said. Drage utilises local ingredients and serves dishes that guests may not have tried before, such as morel mushrooms and elk.
The Montana Office of Tourism recently launched a new marketing campaign focused on food and introduced a food truck called the Montana Mercantile which is visiting key cities including Chicago, Seattle and Minneapolis. "This is basically a food truck that is done up to resemble an old western store front," said Dan Iverson, public information officer for the Montana Office of Tourism. The truck gives away free buffalo jerky and huckleberry ice cream. "We can actually give them a taste of Montana," Iverson said. www.theranchatrockcreek.com 

 

Back to Nature at Glacier National Park
The Agpar Nature Center opened for summer late June offering fun and educational activities for people of all ages. Formerly known as the Discovery Cabin, the Center appeals to children with fun ways to learn about Glacier National Park's history, explore the park's animal and plant life, and learn about conservation. The rangers lead free guided hikes from the easy 2–mile hike along Upper McDonald Creek to the 10-mile Heart of Glacier Hike, boat tours and more, as well as new activities for kids on the western side of the park. Also new this summer, guests can sign up for photo walks and instameets using the hashtag #GlacierNPS, and can do walking tours of the Many Glacier Hotel, which is celebrating its centenary this year. The one-hour tours are held daily at 4pm. http://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm;

 http://www.glaciernationalparklodges.com/lodging/many-glacier-hotel/

 

New in Legendary North Dakota www.ndtourism.com

 

50 years of Medora Musical www.medora.com

Known as the “Greatest Show in the West”, Medora Musical is enjoying its 50th year, running until 12 September at the stunning Burning Hills Ampitheatre. The show is set in the spectacular North Dakota Badlands, and celebrates the history of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, the Badlands and the spirit of the American West in a professional, high energy production that has people coming back year after year. Not like any other show in the west, Medora Musical has real horses on stage, family-friendly entertainment, singers, comedy and variety acts.
When not boot scootin' or hollerin', guests can visit the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, go horse riding or hiking in the Badlands, and look for wildlife including bison, elk, pronghorn and wild horses.

 

North Dakota's Hidden Gems

There are many hidden gems in North Dakota, from beautiful grasslands to historic places. The Nature Conservancy on Davis Ranch is one to add to the list - one of the largest prairie landscapes in the Missouri Coteau. This area is dedicated to conservation, with very little human activity ensuring the prairie looks much as it did centuries ago. The Mushroom rock formations in the Petrified Forest in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park are extremely photogenic, while Pembina Gorge is wonderful for all kinds of outdoor fun from canoeing, to horse riding.

There are cultural gems as well, including the Fairview Bridge and Cartright Railway Tunnel which is now a walkway over the Yellowstone River, the Unique Antique Car Museum in Marmarth, and the Pioneer Trails Regional Museum – where you can see a full-size triceratops. http://www.ndtourism.com/articles/uncover-north-dakotas-natural-beauty-and-attractions

Tipi stays now available

Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park is an important historic area in North Dakota, with the land deeded to the state way back in 1907 by President Theodore Roosevelt. The Park is home to the On-A-Slant Mandan Indian Village as well as the Fort Abraham cavalry and infantry posts. It was from this Fort that Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the Seventh cavalry rode out on their ill-fated expedition against the Sioux at the Little Big Horn.

The On-A-Slant Indian Village is a 400-year-old Mandan Indian Village consisting of five earth lodges. The Visitor Center/Museum is very informative, and guests should leave plenty of time to see General Custer's House and to enjoy the many walking trails which give scenic views over the Missouri River.

To make the most of this culturally significant site, stay overnight in one of two authentic Cheyenne-style tipis – both sleeping six,  or choose to stay in the on-site cabins. http://www.ndtourism.com/mandan/native-american-culture/slant-mandan-indian-village#sthash.FXxP01fp.dpuf

Dig for dinosaurs www.dmr.nd.gov/ndfossil/digs/digs.asp

Digging up the past is indeed possible in North Dakota, and anyone aged 12 and above can take part. (Kids under 18 must have an adult with them). From 7-11 July, there will be a fossil dig for dinosaurs in the Hell Creek Formation near Marmarth, where dinosaurs became extinct about 54 million years ago. While dinosaurs tend to be the largest things found, other creatures can be dug up as well, including crocodiles, fish, turtles and plants. From 3-9 August, there will be a dig in the Sentinel Butte Formation rocks near Medora, rocks that are 55-60 million years old. This site is rich in crocs, giant salamanders, fish, snails and more. From 17-21 August, there will be a dig at the Bullion Creek Formation at Whiskey Creek – well known as an ancient crocodile graveyard due to its swamp-like past.

 

Summer in South Dakota www.travelsouthdakota.com

The (Black) Hills Are Alive

The Sturgis Rally's 75th anniversary 3-9 August http://www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com/ has the potential to be one of the greatest and perhaps largest gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts of all time. Over one million visitors are expected to attend this epic event and  will become a part of Sturgis® Motorcycle Rally™ history. Sturgis offers one of the best biker experiences in the world, anticipated by thousands of fans months, even years in advance. The Black Hills offer some of the best motorcycle riding roads in the world including famed roads such Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road Vanocker Canyon Road, the Wildlife Loop and Spearfish Canyon. The roads are mesmerizing and the destinations equally jaw dropping: Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Custer State Park, Crazy Horse Memorials, Bear Butte State Park, the Badlands and Devils Tower National Monument to name but a few. Whether the wild fun and entertainment of the Sturgis Rally attracts, the impressive beauty, history and hospitality of the Black Hills of South Dakota is alive year round.

 

Buffalo Roundup 50th Anniversary

For half a century cowboys and cowgirls have been rounding up Custer State Park's herd of 1300 bison. 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the old-West inspired event which takes place on 25 September. Not only is the roundup a spectacular sight to see it is also a critical management tool in maintaining a strong and healthy herd.
Following the roundup stay and watch park staff sort brand and vaccinate the herd in preparation for the fall buffalo sale. For detailed information and instructions visit
Also enjoy the Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival September 26-27 near the State Game Lodge.  Vendors offer for fine arts and crafts including many South Dakota made products. Start your morning with a pancake feed and enjoy on-going Western and Native American entertainment under the big top.  Base yourself in Rapid City and explore the town's history, arts, attractions and many things to do.  http://www.custerstatepark.info ; www.visitrapidcity.com

 

Deadwood the “Best Old West Gunfighter Town” has a Wild West Summer in store

Deadwood Alive the summer re-enactment schedule will feature a variety of free shows on Main Street this summer, including SHOOTOUT! "The Turkey Creek Altercation, the #1 gunfight in the west and Calamity Jane's True Tales. The legendary Trial of Jack McCall, the internationally renowned, longest running Old West stage show in the world, continues nightly or enjoy a fun-filled evening of great food and entertainment on the weekends, old Deadwood style, at the beautiful Victorian Deadwood 1876 Dinner Theater. www.deadwoodalive.com

Deadwood Stagecoach Tours will offer Main Street stagecoach rides 6 days per week starting this summer. The rides will start in front of the Deadwood Wild Bill Trading Post, travel up Main turning around at the Wells Fargo Parking lot, turn around and return back down Main to the Tin Lizzie or Lower Main lot, and then end back at the Wild Bill Trading Post.

Named True West Magazine's 2015 "Best Old West Gunfighter Town"; visit www.deadwood.com

       

The National Music Museum to exhibit the 'King' at The Met in NYC

The National Music Museum (NMM), located on the campus of the University of South Dakota, in Vermillion SD, is one of the world's finest collections of musical instruments, with 15,000 items in its holdings and 1,200 on public display. The NMM owns and exhibits some of the most historically significant musical instruments in existence. One of the world's greatest musical instruments, the 16th-century Amati 'King' cello has temporarily left its home at the NMM for a special summer-long exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, running through September 8, 2015. Says NMM Director Cleveland Johnson, “The 'King' is one of the National Music Museum's crown jewels — the 'Mona Lisa' of Italian stringed instruments. The Amati 'King' cello is the earliest surviving bass instrument of the violin family. Made in the mid-1500s by Andrea Amati, the founding master of the Cremonese violin tradition, the 'King' remains an iconic masterwork of the Italian Renaissance. The innovative craftsmanship of Andrea Amati, his sons, and grandsons directly influenced Antonio Stradivari and an entire lineage of renowned stringed-instrument makers.   www.nmmusd.org

 

What's New in Wyoming www.wyomingtourism.org

New flights into Jackson Hole this winter for 50th year

 

Direct flights to join the party to celebrate Jackson Hole's 50th year, this northern winter season 2015/16, have never been easier! , Jackson Hole Air Improvement Resources (JH AIR) has announced that American Airlines will provide new service from multiple cities, and United and Delta will expand service from the East Coast Winter Season 2015-16. The new jet service provided by American Airlines will include Chicago and Los Angeles and a second daily flight from Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. This new and expanded airline service will complement non-stop service by American from Dallas/ Fort. Worth, Delta Air Lines non-stop service from Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Minneapolis, and United Airlines non-stop flights from Washington Dulles, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Denver.

“More and more people are coming to Wyoming to enjoy the world-class skiing, Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks and western way of life. The broadening of airline commitment reflects the increasing desire by the public to visit Wyoming for recreation and business purposes, while providing our Wyoming citizens some great choices in air travel. These new flights make Wyoming more accessible to travelers in the U.S. and travelers from abroad, and we welcome every guest,” Governor Matt Mead said.

According to market research, the JH Airport experience has improved exponentially following the completion of airport construction in December last year, now offering world-class airline partners, providing 1-stop international world-class connections into a world-class airport. www.jacksonhole.com

 

'Yellowstone Forever' Global Photography Competition Launches

The USA's first national park, Yellowstone is known worldwide for its spectacular thermal features such as the iconic Old Faithful geyser, breathtaking scenery, sweeping natural formations and its abundant exotic wildlife.  Visiting tourists, amateur and professional photographers alike have been keen to capture some of the Parks' compelling magic on film to share the Yellowstone experience with others. The centenary year of the National Park service in the USA, 2015 marks the first global photography competition to be focused on Yellowstone open to photographers of all abilities to share their images of the Park.  Yellowstone Forever is sponsored by the Yellowstone Park Foundation (YPF) and Nature's Best Photography magazine.  Categories are Wildlife, Landscapes, Yellowstone Adventure, and a Mobile category for images created on phones and tablets. The contest is open to professionals, amateurs and youth 18 and under. Entries can be submitted until 10 September 2015. Winners will be featured in Nature's Best Photography in spring 2016 and a print exhibition of the winning images will be displayed at the Old Faithful Haynes Photo Shop in Yellowstone. Cash and prizes will be awarded to top photographers.

To enter visit: www.ypf.org/contest or www.naturesbestphotography.com/yellowstone

 

First guests in 50 years at historic Sheridan Innwww.sheridaninn.com

Sheridan Wyoming is one of the USA's most authentic and historic western towns. And this summer part of that history comes back to life with the re-opening of the Sheridan Inn after a multi-million dollar renovation. First built in 1893 the Inn has not hosted overnight guests since 1965. Originally the brainchild of Buffalo Bill Cody, the new incarnation bridges past and present with, amongst other original retained features, three of the existing fireplaces still intact and is now described as having an “modern, elegant Western style”.  Buffalo Bill lived at the Inn whenever he was in town from his Wild West Shows and often held auditions from the massive front porch.

An artist was employed to recreate an authentic stencil pattern from the original and old character features such as doors have been reborn as headboards for the new beds. Each of the new 22 rooms are themed for iconic western personalities such as Sitting Bull and Kate Arnold and there is a new classic American style restaurant, Open Range where you can enjoy . Modern features now include new plumbing, bathrooms, electricity, Internet and phones are now available in every room and the Inn has moved to a geothermal heating system. 

Blow in to Wind River Countrywww.windriver.org

Wind River Country, located southeast of Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons, has a lot to offer visitors keen on history and adventure in the great outdoors. There are 32 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, ranging from ghost towns to petroglyphic sites. There are eight scenic drives that take you from the vast plains to the rugged peaks of the Continental Divide, historic pioneer trails including the Oregon Trail, Mormon Trail and the Pony Express, fishing in alpine streams and hikes in stunning mountain ranges. A highlight is the Wind River Indian Reservation, one of the largest reservations in America. Covering more than 890,000 hectares, the Reservation is home to the Eastern Shoshone and the Northern Arapaho tribes, with summer bursting with events, including Wyoming's oldest Powwow, the Northern Arapaho Indian Powwow on from 27-30 August, which will feature hundreds of dancers in traditional regalia.

A visit to Fort Washakie, in the Reservation showcases the life of one of the most famous women in American history – Sacajawea, who at 16, joined the Lewis and Clark expedition as an interpreter.

Another big event coming up is Riverton Fremont County Fair from 25 July to 1 August, with a highlight being the PRCA Ram Rodeo, bringing in professional competitors from all over Wyoming, Texas, Colorado and Montana. And for those who love to climb, the 22nd  Annual International Climber's Festival is on from 8-12 July in Larder, with plenty of activities for all ages. https://www.wyomingtourism.org/events/detail/22nd-Annual-International-Climbers-Festival/9606#sthash.tlUmVmAN.dpuf

 

MICE CONTACTS FOR THE REAL AMERICA STATES: IN AUSTRALIA/ NEW ZEALAND Caroline Davidson caroline@davcomm.com.au

 

MONTANA:                                       Marlee Iverson miverson@mt.gov

NORTH DAKOTA:                             Fred Walker fwalker@nd.gov

SOUTH DAKOTA:                              Maureen Droz Maureen.Droz@travelsouthdakota.com

WYOMING:                                       James Scoon james.scoon@wyo.gov

 

GETTING THERE

Qantas offer flights from Australia to LA & Dallas /Fort Worth, while Virgin Australia flies from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to LA and San Francisco. United and Delta Air Lines has direct services from Sydney to Los Angeles with onward connections to the Real America States:

• delta.com
• qantas.com
• unitedairlines.com.au
• virginaustralia.com.au

 

WHEN TO GO

Summer in the “Real America” runs from the beginning of June to the end of September; snow sports are best December to April.

REAL AMERICA STATES MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

For media enquiries or high resolution images please contact:

Caroline Davidson: Davidson Communications E: caroline@davcomm.com.au P +61 2 9907 0020

 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

AU / NZ websites: www.realamerica.com.au www.realamerica.co.nz

Montana's Press Room : www.montanapressroom.com

North Dakota Media Room : www.ndtourism.com/media-center

South Dakota Tourism News Room : www.travelsouthdakota.com/newsroom

Wyoming Tourism Media Room : www.wyomingofficeoftourism.com.gov/programs/brand-studio/media-public-relations/

Rocky Mountain International (RMI) coordinates the international tourism activities for the state tourism departments of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming - The Real America - as a region. www.visitmt.com; www.ndtourism.com; www.travelsouthdakota.com; www.wyomingtourism.org.