Tours: Austin Lehman Adventures, Best of Montana - A Family Adventure with Biking, Hiking, Horseback Riding, and Whitewater Rafting. 
They call it “Big Sky Country” and it's a great backdrop for fantastic family fun. And just one day of hiking in the mountains gave us proof that this was no misnomer.
A couple of days of our Austin-Lehman Adventure taken last summer were spent in Montana’s Paradise Valley, and again this was proof that Montanans choose their names wisely.
Having been in the business of luxury multi-sport vacations for more than twenty years, Austin-Lehman Adventures seems to have perfected the art of active travel. Because their trips are restricted to just 18 guests with three expert guides on all family trips, personalized attention is a specialty. With a perfect blend of invigorating activities such as biking, hiking, and rafting, as well as first class dining and accommodations, Austin-Lehman gave our family one of our most memorable trips ever.
The most difficult part of this vacation was deciding which itinerary to take, for the selections are as inviting as they are numerous. Austin-Lehman runs a variety of trips in a number of different states, such as Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, as well trips in Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico. And this year they have added new south-of-the-border programs to such places as the Galapagos in Ecuador, Machu Picchu in Peru, Mexico’s Chiapas region, and the Pacific beaches of Costa Rica.
Over half of their trips are designated as Family Adventures, as they are designed to appeal to families with children ages seven and older. The family trips have the flexibility of providing quality time for parents and children to be together as well as time apart for adult and child-specific activities.
Our Austin-Lehman Adventure was a five-night, six-day action vacation jammed pack with activities, beautiful scenery, great eating and fun time meeting new friends. Don’t let the idea of an “adventure vacation” scare you, however. Yes, you should be reasonably fit for the 24-mile bike ride or the six-mile hike at 10,000-feet altitude. But this tour company has planned everything for this trip so that a more strenuous day is followed by a less active one. And any time that someone has had enough, say after 20 miles of biking, he or she can just pull over to the side of the road and wait for the van to pick him or her up. Austin-Lehman will do everything they can to customize a trip to meet the special needs of any guest.
Our trip with Austin-Lehman took us to Big Sky, Montana for two nights, one night in Yellowstone National Park, and the final two nights at Chico Hot Springs Resort in Pray, Montana. Activities on our trip included biking, hiking, horseback riding and whitewater rafting. Another thing not to be confused by is the idea that an “adventure” vacation calls for some (in mark Twain’s words) “roughing it.” There was nothing rough about our accommodations or meals, which were nothing short of superb.
Our first two nights were spent at the 320 Ranch, and again, don’t let the idea of “ranch” throw you. Our room, done in modern western design with handcrafted lodgepole beds, was wonderful and had a fireplace (which we used the first night as the temperatures dipped into the high 50’s). A small deck overlooked a world-class trout stream, the Gallatin River, where portions of A River Runs Through It were filmed.
Our evening meal was at the ranch’s restaurant, and the quality of the cuisine and service would rival any restaurant that we have experienced. It was clear from all aspects of the trip that Austin-Lehman is dedicated to providing nothing but a top-shelf experience. At first look a trip may appear to be expensive. But our experience, as well as those of everyone else on our trip, was that the trip was worth the price. One woman on our trip was making her third Austin-Lehman trip.
Our tour was comprised of three families and tour guides, Travis and Callie. If the rest of their tour guides are anywhere near as friendly, helpful, flexible, knowledgeable, and attentive as Travis and Callie, then those trips will surely measure up to ours.
In addition to outfitting us for our biking, providing a wealth of information about the natural environment, and attending to all of our needs (such as the little “potty pack” that came in handy for some on our all-day hike), Travis and Callie prepared each of our lunches as well as numerous snacks - all perfectly timed at the end of a hike or long bike ride. These lunches and snacks were more like feasts. (At least we got a lot of exercise to work off the calories.) The guides thought of everything; for instance, after finishing our lunch after hiking to the top of Beehive Basin, Travis discretely filled a silver platter with fresh and dried fruit and mint Milano cookies and served us as we reclined in the sun overlooking an alpine lake. What a touch!
Our day in Yellowstone was spent viewing all the major attractions such as the Lower Geyser Basin, Old Faithful, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the spectacular Lower Falls. We stayed at the historic Lake Yellowstone Hotel, a splendid jewel with a picturesque setting on Yellowstone Lake.
As we exited the park on the fourth day, we enjoyed an interesting morning activity. Just before the North Entrance, near Mammoth Hot Springs, Callie and Travis took us to what they call the “Boiling River.” Actually this is a spot in the Gardiner River where some hot springs flow down the hillside and into the river creating a “natural” hot tub. It would be hard to imagine a more relaxing time then soaking in nature’s own hot tub while gazing up at the sky and surrounding mountains.
Our relaxing soak in the Boiling River was followed by an exciting raft ride on the Yellowstone River. We experienced some class 2 and class 3 rapids - nothing that was going to put any of us in peril of drowning, but nevertheless a lot of fun. This was evident by all the laughter that accompanied our trip. After the raft trip and a riverside pizza lunch arranged by Callie, we enjoyed an invigorating 15-mile bike ride to Chico Hot Springs, where we spent our last two nights. This rustic-chic inn, famous for its mineral hot-spring-fed pools, was loaded with character and had exceptional gourmet dining.
Day five included a horseback ride from the Flying Diamond Ranch which took us high into the Absaroka Mountains with spectacular views of Paradise Valley, the site for the film The Horse Whisperer. By this time it was quite evident to us why Montana is called “The Last Best Place.”
To check out the latest iteration of this family adventure, check out Austin Lehaman's six day/five night
Montana Family - Glacier Park Tour.
Believe it or not, now is the time to start planning your adventure vacation for this spring, summer or fall. Call for a catalogue and you can begin planning, and enjoy anticipating, the trip that is right for you. For more information on Austin-Lehman Adventures call toll-free 1-800-575-1540 or visit
www.austinlehman.com 