If you have attempted to make reservations to stay within Glacier National Park this summer, you know that almost every lodge is sold out for the summer 2010.   Glacier National Park is celebrating it’s 100th anniversary and with a limited number of hotel rooms located within the Park, availability is  a scattered few dates here and there.   It is still possible to enjoy a vacation to Glacier this summer and experience the history and ambiance of the great lodges of Glacier National Park with all inclusive, escorted tours operating throughout the summer 2010. 

These 5 night/6 day tours include overnight stays at the Glacier Park Lodge, The Prince of Wales Hotel, the Many Glacier Hotel  and Lake Mc Donald Lodge.  This tour is fully escorted and all transportation within the park will be aboard the vintage Red Buses.  Highlights include boat cruises of Two Medicine Lake & Swiftcurrent Lake, a Blackfeet Cultural History Tour,  escorted sightseeing hikes, afternoon tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel, a musical evening with singer/songwriter David Walburn,  an authentic western cowboy cookout and well as two other dinners and breakfast each morning.

Space is very limited for June, August and September departure dates.  Call or email Linda Bruno or Rhonda Sand at TMI Tours  for detailed itineraries and current availability.  Bring your family and explore Glacier National Park during the 100th anniversary this summer, staying at the historic, beautiful lodges within the park. Contact TMI Tours of Coeur dAlene, Idaho at 1-800-975-7775 or info@tmitours.com.  We are your Glacier National Park specialists.

Visitors to Glacier National Park that are interested in the surrounding Native American culture can take advantage of an inspirational tour operating with four departure dates from the end of June through mid-August.  This all-inclusive 6 night/7 day tour explores Northern Plains Indian culture during a scenic excursion through the beautiful Rocky Mountains.  You’ll visit Blackfeet, Northern Piegan, Blood and Kootenai-Salish communities in the U.S. and Canada.  Along the way you’ll attend a powwow, visit historical tipi encampments, sun dance sites, pishkuns and the World Heritage Site of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump.  The Rocky Mountain landscape shaped the Blackfeet communication about travel, natural resources, creating and moral direction.  You’ll create your own impressions as you walk, river raft and explore the magnificent land that has influenced human culture across time.

Wildlife in Glacier National Park

Participants will gain a full perspective of the historical and cultural foundations of contemporary dynamics and subjects in the Indian County.   You will attend North Amerian Indian Days in July or the Heart Butte powwow in August, gatherings full of colorful dancing and drumming.  These are both authentic tribal celebrations, not tourist events.  You will marvel at the scenery of Glacier National Park, enjoy a Class II-III whitewater raft trip on the beautiful Flathead River and enjoy spectacular sightseeing on the Going-to-the-Sun Road.  A visit to Fort McLeod in Alberta, Canada allows for exploration of the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump provincial museum on the Blackfeet Nation homeland reserves.

This tour includes all ground transportation, site fees, guide services, lodging, meals and group activities.  Call Linda or Rhonda at 1-800-975-7775 or email us at info@tmitours.com for departure dates and availability for this distinctive Native American cultural tour.   TMI Tours is your expert for unique travel experience in the Pacific Northwest.

Glacier National Park is offering their special summer vacation packages including the famous Red Bus tours and their great lodges.  According to U.S. Geological surveys, the glaciers of Glacier National Park could disappear as early as 2020, forever changing the features that make this park so unique.   There is something very special about the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Parks that can best be experienced by breathing in the fresh mountain air, travelling on vintage buses and sleeping at lodges that date back to the early 1900’s.  From late June until early September,  Glacier Park offers an amazing 6 day/5 night tour of both parks, showcasing what Glacier National Park is all about.

The tour begins at East Glacier with an authentic outdoor Cowboy Cookout dinner and overnight at the Glacier Park Lodge and Resort.  Travel within the parks will be exclusively on the vintage Red Bus motocoaches; lovingly restored 1930 buses with roll-back canvas tops.  Day two travel is sightseeing  the Two Medicine Valley with a classic wood boat cruise, viewing of Running Eagle Falls and a Blackfeet Tribe Cultural tour.  That evening will be spent at the stately Prince of Wales Hotel in southern Alberta, Canada and overlooking sparkling  Waterton Lake.    The next day is free to explore the village of Waterton with a special Afternoon Tea served at the hotel before you depart for the Many Glacier Valley.  The next two evenings are spent at the picturesque Many Glacier Hotel on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake and the base of Mt. Grinnell.  Enjoy evening entertainment with singer/songwriter David Walburn as well as a boat cruise of Swiftcurrent Lake, unsurpassed mountain vistas and sunsets from the lakefront verandah.  Day five is devoted to the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road ending at West Glacier, overnight at Lake McDonald Lodge and a farewell dinner.

Space is limited to about 40 visitors per tour, insuring an intimate  and personal experience within the park and at the lodges. For a detailed brochure, dates of departures and rates, call Linda or Rhonda at TMI Tours at 1-800-975-7775 or email info@tmitours.com.   This facsinating tour of  Waterton-Glacier National Parks is sure to be the vacation of a lifetime.

TMI Tours of Coeur dAlene is offering snowmobile tours to our top 5 snowmobile destinations.   Idaho, Montana and Washington offer superb snowmobiling with lots of crisp, clean snow and miles of groomed and ungroomed trails throughout the Rocky Mountains.  Snowmobile rentals have become popular over the past few years with many companies offering full packages including bibs, boots, gloves, helments and goggles.  Accomodations in the mountains welcome this off-season boost to their economy and offer packages where you can snowmobile right from your door.  Here are our favorite 5 snowmobile destinations:

Whitefish, Montana

Home of Big Mountain Ski Resort, this beautiful resort town is the perfect place to begin exploration of the Flathead Valley by snowmobile.  Extending from Whitefish to the west entrance of Glacier National Park, down to the north shore of Flathead Lake, this area offers over 200 miles of groomed trails and 2,000 miles of forest service roads.  Riders will enjoy great hill climbs, powder play areas, wildlife viewing and spectacular ridgetop views of Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies.  Trails lead through fir forests, snow-dusted canyons and wide bowls rimmed with icy ridges.  Elevation of groomed trails begins just shy of 3,000 feet and reaches 7,000 feet in some areas.

Seeley Lake, Montana

This is small-town snowmobiling at it’s best.  Tucked between two mountain ranges, the Swan Range and the Missouri Mountains, Seeley Lake is one of western Montana’s most popular snowmobile areas.  Snow depths are fantastic and this community caters to snowmobilers with a variety of services.  Your adventure can start right from your front door, continue on the trail system into town and then on to the over 350 miles of groomed trails and ungroomed areas for exploration.  Lakefront accomodations and cabins are a great ending to a perfect day of riding and alternate activities include ice-fishing, ice-skating, snow shoeing or cross county skiing on the 18K cross-country ski trail system.

Island Park, Idaho

Island Park sits in a vast caldera created by an ancient volcanic eruption, possibly the largest symmetrical caldera in the world.  Located 30 short miles from the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park, Island Park is one of Idaho’s least restricted snowmobile areas.  With an average annual snowfall of 229 inches and over 500 miles of groomed snowmobile trails, Island Park offers riding conditions for every level of snowmobile enthusiast.  Horizons of snow-capped peaks beckon, powder blanketed valleys of white entice you off the groomed trails and the breathtaking scenery will stop you in your tracks.

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

This premier resort town is the perfect base of operations with access to hundreds of popular snowmobile trails and areas.  Snowmobilers will love our lakefront Coeur d’Alene Resort with it’s luxurious accomodations, lively lounges and restaurants plus relaxing spa services.  The Silver Valley, just 30 miles east of Coeur d’Alene is also the home to Silver Mountain Ski Resort and the famous gondola.  Kellogg and Wallace welcome snowmobilers right from downtown where you can start your trip with a hearty breakfast and continue out to the over 250 miles of groomed trails along the Idaho/Montana border.  Sandpoint is a quick 45 minute drive north and has many well groomed trails higher than 7,000 feet in the Selkirk, Purcell and Cabinet Mountains Ranges.  Also the home to Schweitzer Ski Resort, it offers great family entertainment and back country guided snowmobile tours.  75 miles north of Coeur dAlene lies pristine Priest Lake with an additional 700 miles of groomed trail, mostly forest service roads ranging in elevation from 2,500 to 6,500 feet.  From this area you can ride to the Idaho/Canada border by back country.

Mt. Spokane State Park, Washington

Just over the Idaho/Washington border is Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park.  Mt Spokane State Park has over 50 miles of groomed trails encompassing the ski area.  Riders can enjoy dark, old-growth forests, open sub-alpine meadows, ice-covered streams, a 1935 log cabin with a cozy wood stove and a tri-state view from the summit.  Romantic guided night rides including a delicious dinner are popular during clear, full-moon evenings for that someone special in your life.

Contact Linda or Rhonda at TMI Tours in Coeur d’Alene for details on these and many other exciting snowmobile destinations.  We are the experts for unique and adventurous vacation ideas in the Pacific Northwest. 1-800-975-7775 or info@tmitours.com

There is something very special about the air in Glacier, something that beckons you to linger just a little longer, explore a little deeper.   The International Peace Park Tour encompasses all that is grand and awe-inspiring about Glacier and Waterton National Parks.  This six day , all-inclusive tour begins at the Glacier Park Lodge, located in East Glacier Park where you will be treated to an exclusive Cowboy Cookout dinner and your first night in this grand resort.

After breakfast  the next morning, you will be boarding the historic Red Buses, heading for Medicine Valley and a lake cruise onboard a vintage wooden boat as well as a short walk to view Running Eagle Falls.  The afternoon concludes with a Blackfeet Cultural History Tour presented by a tribal member before being transferred to The Prince of Wales Hotel, a stately hotel named after Prince Edward and exuding a traditional British atmosphere.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and spent the day exploring Waterton Village and Lake or take an optional excursion for sightseeing.  Afternoon tea will be served at the Prince of Wales before you travel back to the U.S. and the Many Glacier Hotel located on Swiftcurrent Lake.   During your 2 night stay here, you will be treated to a boat cruise on Swiftcurrent lake as well as an evening with Montana singer/songwriter, David Walburn.   Relax and soak in the Swiss atmophere of this secluded, alpine resort where wildlife watching, relaxing and hiking are the primary activities.

Going-to-the-Sun Road

Back on the Historic Red Bus, we will be journeying into the heart of Glacier National Park on it’s most astounding feature, The Going-to-the-Sun Road.  This engineering marvel spans 50 miles through the Park’s untamed interior filled with wildflowers, waterfalls, breathtaking vistas and glistening lakes.  We will visit Sun Point and  Logan Pass as well as Avalanche Creek and the Trail of the Cedars today enroute to Lake Mc Donald Lodge.  This Lodge, origonally built as a hunting lodge in 1914, sits on the shores of Lake Mc Donald, our last stop at the western edge of Glacier National Park.  Enjoy a farewell dinner at Russell’s Fireside Lodge with it’s warm atmosphere and delicious fare before retiring for the last night of the tour.

This grand tour of Glacier includes 5 nights hotel accommodations, 5 breakfast buffets, 2 box lunches, 1 afternoon tea and 3 dinners as well as 2 boat cruises, 3 short walks, Lodgepole Gallery & Tipi Village, Waterton excursion as well as all transportation between lodges and throughout Glacier and Waterton Parks on the Historic Red Buses. 

With only 5 dates left available, August 30th, September 3rd, 6th, 10th and 13th, reservations are required and space is limited.  Call Rhonda or Linda at TMI Tours to reserved your place on this incredible tour of Glacier National Park. 1-800-975-7775 or info@tmitours.com

There is something very alluring about the open road and destinations unknown. Renting a recreational vehicle for your vacation is a great way to bond with your family and still experience that sense of open road adventure. TMI Tours takes the guess work out of renting an RV and planning an open road vacation by offering stocked RV’s with dishware, linens, BBQ’s, operating instructions, and pre-planned itineraries.

The Pacific Northwest has rugged, unspoiled national parks, sparkling clean lakes and rivers, and uncrowded campgrounds and RV parks. We can find and reserve your overnights according to your interests and the amenities that are important to you and your family. You can enjoy the fun and excitement of camping, yet retain the comforts of a full kitchen, TV, DVD, private bathroom, and shower. The kids will love traveling in their “home on wheels” and children of all ages enjoy old-fashioned campfires complete with stories, songs, and of course, s’mores!

TMI Tours offers a wide variety of optional activities such as whitewater rafting, mountain biking, helicopter and seaplane tours, parasailing, jet skiing, waverunners, boat rentals, horseback riding, and guides for hiking and fishing. We have all the information you need to start planning a RV vacation as well as recommendations for great places to stay and play in the Pacific Northwest. Please call Linda Bruno or Rhonda Sand at 1-800-975-7775 for more information about our exciting RV vacations.

Enjoy the wonders of Glacier National Park with our private air tour from Spokane or Coeur d’Alene. Our 2 day/1 night mini-vacation offers all the great sights and adventure of Glacier National Park for those with limited time available.

Lobby of Lake McDonald Lodge

Depart on a private scenic flight from Coeur d’Alene/Spokane to Glacier Airport in western Montana. Upon arrival, you will be escorted to the heli-pad at the edge of Glacier National Park for an amazing 1-hour helicopter tour of the rugged terrain, active glaciers, and sights unseen by most tourists. You’ll be treated to a bird-eye view of cascading waterfalls, ice-berg filled lakes, and the famous Continental Divide. Enjoy lunch and an afternoon of sightseeing and hiking the Going-to-the-Sun Road with overnight accommodations at the historic Lake McDonald Lodge.

Following breakfast, the day is yours to further explore Glacier National Park by participating in our optional activities such as whitewater rafting, horseback trail rides, guided fishing or hiking, vintage boat tour of Lake Mc Donald, Red Bus Interpretive tours, or hot air balloon experiences. Our escort will deliver you back to the airport in time to depart on your private flight back to Coeur d’Alene or Spokane in the late afternoon.

View from the docks at Stehekin, WA

Are you looking to really get away, relax, and just enjoy some beautiful surroundings? If so, consider Stehekin, Washington. There are only three ways to get to Stehekin—you can hike in, take a floatplane, or travel on the Lady of the Lake ferry up spectacular, sliver-thin Lake Chelan. The voyage to Stehekin itself is an exciting part of the experience. As you get closer to Stehekin, you further remove yourself from the hustle of the modern world. Once you’ve arrived, you will encounter a place where there are no shopping malls, movie theaters, or internet cafes. Here, you will find solace, a relaxing pace of life, and the ability to reconnect with nature. And there are no phones…for some folks, that alone makes this a fantastic location for a vacation!

Stehekin is an outdoor recreational gateway where you can get out and play in the gorgeous landscape of the North Cascades in multiple ways. You are surrounded by whitewater that begs to be conquered, trails that are well suited to horseback rides; miles of single track mountain-bike trails; boat-in campsites that beg for you to kayak to; and fantastic fishing opportunities that will yield lake trout, kokanee, and landlocked Chinook salmon. (more…)

Mt. Shuksan, North Cascades National Park

With mountain peaks that have names such as Desolation Peak, Mount Fury, Jagged Ridge, and Mount Terror — it’s pretty evident that North Cascades National Park is a very rugged, imposing place. It is the largest and most rugged alpine wilderness in the contiguous United States. It features numerous 8,000-foot peaks, approximately 400 glaciers, virgin Douglas fir and Western red cedar forests, and wildlife that includes wolves and grizzly bears. If you’re looking for a true wild west experience…then this is the place for you!

TMI Tours has crafted an outdoor adventure that follows the Cascade Highway high into the Cascade Mountains and ends at the beautiful Pacific Ocean. You will enjoy mountain biking and hiking into secluded wilderness areas, as well as sampling local cuisine and wines at unique lodges and hotels along the way. Highlights of this trip include:

• 5 nights at distinctive lodges, hotels, or even houseboats selected for you based on your interests. You drive on your own, following a self-guided itinerary.
• Selected sightseeing by mountain bike and hiking with regional experts in several wilderness areas. Bicycles will be provided or you may bring your own.
• We will provide mapped out, “best of the best” driving routes!
• Unique dining experiences you may not find on your own that are complimented with local fine wines and exotic cuisine.

To view the details of this exciting journey, please click here. This sample itinerary may easily be modified to suit your needs or wishes. Give us a call today at 1-800-975-7775 to start planning your adventure!