The story of Austin Adventures is really about founder Dan Austin and his passion to create the world’s best active travel company. For a legacy dating back over 40 years, Dan has sharing his love of adventure with each and every guest. Austin Adventures' longtime insider's knowledge and extensive contacts in each destination they visit allow them to offer cultural and artistic experiences and encounters that give their guests a much more in-depth feel for the local people and their way of life.
Many companies may cover the world, but AA focuses solely on The Americas, Africa and Europe. They just want to be the best wherever they go. Itineraries are designed to deliver surprising luxury with an absence of pretension. They have done their research and know the best accommodations in each region to rest and recharge. Whether you dine in a 5 star restaurant or are served campfire-side, you will enjoy the finest local cuisine and wines, artfully prepared and deliciously sinful. You are a VIP with Austin Adventures and they promise to deliver on each traveler’s high standards for luxury, quality and comfort.
BILLINGS, MT, Nov. 12, 2009 – Traditionally known for a multi-activity approach to adventure travel, Austin Adventures (http://www.austinlehman.com/) announces a mixed portfolio of domestic and international vacations that now includes single sport itineraries featuring hiking or biking as the primary activity.
Hike or bike destinations featured in their new 2010 catalog now available to the public include US and Canadian national parks in addition to select European and South American locations.
“Our alumni guests asked for it and we responded,” explains Austin Adventures Director of Operations Dan Austin on his company’s decision to offer single activity programs. “It is this very ability for us to evolve and change with the desires of our guests that gained us the distinction of being named the World's Best Tour Operator for 2009 by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine.”
The new 2010 catalog now features 17 biking vacations throughout Europe and now in the US and Canada.
“Cycle-only trips are not new to Austin Adventures in fact that is where we got our start. Just last year we returned to our roots when we launched a program of first-class European trips with our acquisition of Euro-Bike. What is new are the four tour itineraries we just added in North America,” Austin points out.
Aside from Austin Adventures’s portfolio of European bike adventures, ALA now offers these four new trips in Western US and Canada:
Austin Adventures, with a 35-year legacy dating back to 1974, provides “over the top” 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.
For copies of the new 2010 catalog call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries go to: http://www.austinlehman.com/.
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For more information and photos on Austin Adventures or for owner interviews please contact:
Sara Widness / 802-234-6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or
Dave Wiggins / 303-554-8821 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
BILLINGS, MT, Sept. 30, 2009 – 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 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 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_park/120.php
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries go to: www.austinlehman.com.
BILLINGS, MT, August 13, 2009 – Austin Adventures (ALA), the world’s top rated tour operator for 2009 (according to the readers of Travel + Leisure Magazine), announces two new US adventures in answer to increased client demand for domestic, weeklong programs.
One is a cycling tour through the Black Hills of South Dakota, a first for ALA in both destination and all-bike activity focus. The six-day itinerary includes the historic Old West town of Deadwood, hiking the base of Mount Rushmore, a tour of the Crazy Horse Monument (in progress), and Wind Cave National Park. Participants will pedal back roads from open prairie to mountain forests including a section of the new Michelson Trail, an abandoned railroad grade that traverses a number of bridges and rock tunnels. The all-inclusive per person double rate is $1,998 ($425 single supplement), representing one of ALA’s best bargains for 2010. Departures are set for June 6, 13; Sept. 5, 12 and 19.
ALA is also resurrecting its Glacier National Park Multisport Adventure in Montana to celebrate the park’s 100th anniversary next year. Trained naturalist guides take guests on bikes, hikes and rafts into the backcountry while explaining the dramatic meltdown of the region’s once-mighty glaciers. The all-inclusive per person double rate is $2,498 ($680 single supplement).
In 2009, ALA domestic US and national park trips out sold all other itineraries and destinations by a margin of three to one, according to Dan Austin, founding partner and director. He noted that both new trips will offer “the blend of sensational location, insider’s intelligent design, over-the-top service and personalized pace that earned ALA the distinction in 2009 of being named the “World’s Best Tour Operator” by the readers of T+L.”
“Trips in the American West are hot sellers and for good reason. American travelers look for three things in this day of tight budgets and limited travel time: getaways of no longer than six days that fall between two travel weekends, real experiences that immerse you in local lore and culture, and great value for their vacation dollar. These new trips deliver that and more,” said Austin.
The new trips, as with ALA’s other domestic programs, last six days from Sunday through Friday, allowing Saturdays for travel to the locations.
“Austin Adventures delivers an exceptional and intimate customer experience,” explains co-founder Paul Lehman. “Smaller is indeed better…our guest to guide ratio is six-to-one. But most of all, it’s our passion for delivering over-the-top surprise and delight that make our trips so memorable and meaningful. It could be anything from an ice cream sundae at the top of Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park to a foot bath and massage after a day of biking in the Loire Valley.”
Austin Adventures destinations include iconic national parks and backcountry regions of North, Central and South America as well as southern Africa and Europe. Other new trips slated for 2010 include Utah’s Canyonlands, Wyoming’s Grand Tetons and a Greek Isles trip that features kayaking, hiking and cultural exploration.
For copies of the current catalog and to receive the 2010 catalog due out later this summer,call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries go to: www.austinlehman.com.
For more information and photos on Austin Adventures or for owner interviews please contact:
Sara Widness / 802-234-6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or
Dave Wiggins / 303-554-8821 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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About Austin Adventures:
Austin Adventures, with a 35-year legacy dating back to 1974, provides “over the top” 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 Adventures – Recent Kudos and Awards:
-2009 “World's Best Tour Operator”Travel + Leisure
-2008-2009 Recipient “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
BILLINGS, MT, May 21, 2009 – For today’s travel consumer, quality of experience is what is most important in terms of value for the dollar. That experience can be enhanced or unfortunately soured by our personal experiences with a tour guide.
“A great guide can make a successful trip just as quickly as an average or sub-par guide can ruin one,” says Dan Austin, co-founder and Director of Austin Adventures (ALA) http://www.austinlehman.com/, a leading active tour company based in Billings, Montana.
With over 20 years in the business, Austin probably knows what he’s talking about. ALA was honored this year by the editors of National Geographic Adventure Magazine with its highest accolade as one of the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth.”
“We take great care in selecting and assigning our guides knowing that your guide is often what, in the end, defines your travel experience.” says Austin.
So what makes a great guide? Here are the top traits ALA looks for:
A great guide is…
Focused with laser-like precision on making sure that you feel like a V.I.P. and your satisfaction is what’s most important.
Naturally Intuitive and has the innate ability to foretell what a guest is thinking or wanting. Along with this comes the skill to listen to and interpret both the verbal and body language of a guest.
Spontaneous and can seamlessly deal with the unexpected, both pleasant and potentially disastrous. This means having a Plan B ready in case of such things as sudden weather changes, lodging snafus and road delays.
Passionate and eager to share his or her knowledge to welcoming ears. A great guide’s enthusiasm and energy is quickly contagious as is a thirst for knowledge about an unfamiliar destination.
An Expert Juggler. The ability to multi-task is essential, switching from chauffeur, coach, and doctor, to teacher, culinary wizard, athlete, mechanic, social worker and psychologist, all in a heartbeat. A great guide has the natural ability to calmly keep many balls in the air at once with poise, precision and patience.
Gifted with a Sense of Humor and through timing and application, breakthe ice during a tense or stressful moment, loosen everyone up to break out of their shell, encourage silliness and the emergence of one’s inner child, and in doing so, create strong bonds between absolute strangers.
“With developments like Google, 24-hour high-definition travel television, online forums, Twitter, Facebook and more guidebooks and travel blogs than you can shake a stick at, it seems like informed, independent travel is easier than ever,” says Austin. “But no matter how much research, planning and consultation goes into a trip; travelers who choose to fly solo are still missing two key elements essential for a truly world-class vacation: the knowledge that comes with experience, and peace of mind that there is a guardian angel looking out for you.”
Austin says he tips his hat to the ALA team that consistently delivers the ALA service promise to its discerning clientele. ALA takes pride in its extensive staff and guide training programs and boasts one of the most generous (1:6) guide to guest ratios in the business.
Austin Adventures manages all of the arrangements for its selected destinations that include iconic regions of North, Central and South America as well as southern Africa and in spring 2009, cycling holidays in Europe. Small groups are limited to 12 guests (18 on family departures). Rates include first-class accommodations, most meals and beverages, expert guides, park entry fees, multisport activities such as hiking, biking, rafting, horseback riding and more, ground transportation, luggage service and unlimited memories.
For a copy of the 2009 catalog as well as information on ALA’s 66 unique itineraries for active adult and family travel, please call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries you can log onto its website: www.austinlehman.com.
# # #
For more information and photos on Austin Adventures please contact:
Sara Widness / 802-234-6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or
Dave Wiggins / 303-554-8821 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Spending Money on Travel Memories Has More Positive Impact on Happiness Than Material Possessions
BILLINGS, MT, Feb. 23, 2009 – You’re torn. A new Armani Collezioni three-button suit from Neiman Marcus retails for $1,695, but you could spend the same amount on a 5-day guided hiking adventure to the Grand Canyon.
Money’s tight, but how you spend what you’ve got can impact how satisfied you become over time. Recent studies show that the satisfaction that comes from stamping experiences into memory outweighs and lasts longer than making purchases.
“It’s a no brainer. Memorable experiences are exactly what Austin Adventures (ALA) is all about,” says Dan Austin, ALA’s co-founder and Director. “Our own experiences tell us that travel and the fond memories you bank in your mind is one investment that always appreciates over time.”
So in the spirit of a study by Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University, “Experiences make us happier than possessions” which aired recently on CNN.com: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/10/happiness.possessions/index.html, Austin lays out some real-life, and current purchase vs. experiences comparisons.
Will it be…
Armani at $1,695 or ALA’s Havasupai: a Grand Canyon Oasis Adventure (www.austinlehman.com/trips/havasupai__a_grand_canyon_oasis_adventure/53.php) at $1,698 that showcases iconic waterfalls and the Native American village of Supai, the most remote village in the country where the U.S. mail still arrives by packhorse?
A pre-owned Men’s Rolex Oyster Perpetual "Airking" Watch from TheFinestWatches.com at $2,395 or ALA’s week-long Costa Rica Volcanoes and Jungle Multisport Adventure (www.austinlehman.com/trips/costa_rica___volcanoes___jungles_multisport/23.php) at $2,398 that includes navigating class IV rapids, hiking, biking and boating deep into the heart of Costa Rica's untouched wilderness?
A Sharp LC - 65" LCD Widescreen TV from Radioshack.com at $3,499 or ALA’s 8 day & 7 night France - La Loire: Castles to Coteaux Cycling Adventure (www.austinlehman.com/trips/france___la_loire__castles_to_coteaux/65.php) at $3,498 that retraces the footsteps of Catherine de Medici, Leonardo da Vinci and Joan of Arc while cycling through villages and vineyards along the Loire, Indre and Cher rivers?
Austin adds, “The joy of buying a new car or home entertainment center will fade over time. The satisfaction and benefits of a great vacation keeps you coming back for more. That’s why our rate of return business is one of the highest in the industry!”
In the worldwide arena of adventure travel companies, National Geographic Adventure magazine recently singled out Austin Adventures (ALA), for its highest accolade as one of the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth.”
Austin says he tips his hat to the ALA team that consistently delivers the ALA service promise to its discerning clientele. ALA takes pride in its extensive staff and guide training programs and boasts one of the most generous (1:6) guide to guest ratios in the business.
Austin Adventures manages all of the arrangements for its selected destinations that include iconic regions of North, Central and South America as well as southern Africa and in spring 2009, cycling holidays in Europe. Small groups are limited to 12 guests (18 on family departures). Rates include first-class accommodations, most meals and beverages, expert guides, park entry fees, multisport activities such as hiking, biking, rafting, horseback riding and more, ground transportation, luggage service and unlimited memories.
For a copy of the 2009 catalog as well as information on ALA’s 66 unique itineraries for active adult and family travel, please call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries you can log onto its website: www.austinlehman.com.
# # #
For more information and photos on Austin Adventures please contact:
Sara Widness / 802-234-6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or
Dave Wiggins / 303-554-8821 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
