2017 IN THE REAL AMERICA
Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming
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More in Montana www.visitmt.com
Whats new for skiers and boarders this winter
Planning to ski or board in the US this northern season? Montana’s winter resorts are some of the best in
the country. Endless activities are on offer from skiing and snowboarding to dog sledding and sleigh rides.
Big Sky and Whitefish offer some of the best and most popular slopes.
The Big Sky 2025 plan will see over $150 million invested into the Mountain with plans underway for
modern lift networks, food and beverage improvements and new intimate villages whilst The Summit
House at Whitefish has just been completed with over $1 million in improvements to the kitchen, dining
and event areas.
And if you are looking for a ski or boarding experience a little off the beaten track here are five of
Montana’s under-the-radar ski areas
Red Lodge Mountain: Situated along the Beartooth Mountain Range, this ski field comes alive in March
with the annual National Ski Joring finals.
Bridger Bowl: One of the best ski areas for those who want to shred, perfect for both beginners and
intermediates.
Discovery Basin Ski Area: This ski area has family friendly slopes and offers stunning views of the Pintler
Mountains.
Maverick Mountain: One of Montana’s hidden gems, this little ski area is home to top-to-bottom runs.
Lost Trail Powder Mountain: Tucked away at the end of the Bitterroot Valley, Lost Trail offers all the ski
opportunities without the crowds of some of the bigger fields.
The dog days of winter
Absaroka Dogsled Treks owners Mat Stimpson and Hannah Vogel are just two of the amazing Montanans
featured in the The Sky’s the Limit campaign, a series of short films produced by the Montana Office of
Tourism and Business Development. In the Moment, shares one of the rarest views of the beautiful
Absaroka Mountain range— the team riding through canyon cuts and vista points led by a powerful pack
of sled dogs. The film explores the many ways that the Montana landscape inspires Mat, Hannah, and
their dogsled companions—both on and off the trail. Visitors to the In the Moment episode page can plan
their own snow day adventure using an itinerary of exciting things to see and do in Montana,
including snowshoeing in the mountains, discovering a variety of historical landmarks, and taking in the
beauty of a natural wonder
Snowshoe walking in Glacier National Park
Starting on Saturdays and Sundays in January until March, Glacier National park rangers will lead twohour snowshoe walks open to everyone. Take an intimate look at the park in winter, search for signs of
wildlife, discover the plants and animals native to the park and enjoy the beauty of Glacier during winter
during this unique experience. To learn more click here.
A taste of upcoming annual events in Montana
February: Big Sky Big Grass Music Festival
March: St Patricks Day Festival in Butte, Montana’s ‘Irish Town’
May: 25th annual Montana Wine and Food Festival, Billings
July: 86th Montana State Fair, Billings
North Dakota www.ndtourism.com
New Grand Forks mobile app
Grand Forks is just over an hour out of Fargo and is the third largest city in North Dakota. As it is a little off
the beaten track the city has a new app to help tourists to find their way around.
Grand Forks recently launched a mobile app to help visitors and locals discover the area. Key features
include a comprehensive calendar of events, deals and discounts from local businesses, things to do,
street directions and push notifications of updates, new promotions and current tourism offerings.
Click
here for more.
Did you know that Grand Forks is home to one of the best arenas in the country? On your visit check out
the Ralph Engelstad arena to watch anything from ice hockey to music concerts.
What's on in North Dakota
Fargo Film Festival: The Fargo Film Festival is the premier film festival event in North Dakota. Featuring
more than 100 movies submitted by film makers from all over the world, every March the five day festival
takes place at the Historic Fargo Theatre. To learn more or get tickets click here.
The North Dakota Winter Show: The Show is an agricultural and livestock show held in Valley City every
March. The show features rodeo performances, a concert, livestock shows, a tractor pull, crop
shows, exhibits and much more. Visit the website to learn more.
A taste of upcoming annual events in North Dakota
March: North Dakota Winter Show and the Fargo Film Festival
June-September: Medora Musical, held nightly in Summer.
July: North Dakota State Fair, Minot
September: The 40th Norsk Hostfest, Minot and the United Tribes Powwow, Bismarck.
For more events and information click here
South Dakota www.travelsouthdakota.com
New "Rails and Ales" train experience opens in South Dakota
Add something special to your Mount Rushmore vacation: See the Black Hills of South Dakota by vintage
steam train. The newest event, ‘Rails and Ales’ premiered in August. Experience this two-hour, relaxing
20-mile roundtrip ride between Hill City and Keystone. This historical steam train experience is narrated
and fun for railroad enthusiasts of all ages! Don’t miss the special runs, but book early because they sell
out fast. Opening day, 2017, is Sunday, May 14 and reservations can be made starting January 16.
Deadwood expands tourist facilities with new Welcome Centre
The home to Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and casinos and goldmines galore, Deadwood is a must visit
on any South Dakota trip. A new $6.3 million Deadwood Welcome Centre is currently under construction
near the gateway to the city’s historicl downtown district and will begin greeting visitors in May 2017.
The new visitors center will house interactive displays on Deadwood History and attrications, meeting
space for events such as farmers markets and community meetings and offices of Chamber of
Commerce/Convention & Visitors Bureau.
More room for the buffalo to roam
Bison set to get more space in Badlands National Park. The park is
expanding the area where bison range by more than 35 square miles. The
new area will extend west from the current boundary along the Badlands
Loop Road, giving the animals more than 125 miles to roam.
Park officials say this will give visitors more opportunity to view the
animals and provide for a better park experience.
A taste of upcoming annual events in South Dakota
January: 47th Annual South Dakota Jazz Festival, Aberdeen.
January – February 2017: Annual Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo.
April: Sioux Empire Film Festival, Sioux Falls.
August: Sturgis Rally Festivities, Deadwood
For more events and information click here
Wyoming: www.travelwyoming.com
News for Wyoming
Yellowstone National Park News: New Canyon Lodges now open
The two final lodges in the Canyon lodging redevelopment at Yellowstone are now open. The new
Washburn and Rhyolite lodges are the last of the Canyon Lodges and Cabins to be completed, that serve
visitors to the area with more than 400 hundred cabins in total, making it the largest single
accommodation in the park. To see them for yourself click here.
Heli Ski with Amangani Resort:
Amangani, a big-sky wilderness resort perched on a butte near Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National
Park is a year round destination, acting as a premier ski resort and the ideal base for exploring in the
warmer months.
While Jackson Hole Mountain Resort closes in early April, good back country and cross-country skiing can
be enjoyed well into the month near Amangani as well as sleigh rides into the National Elk Refuge the
home to as many as 10,000 elk.
From the 1st of January until the 2nd of April book the 5 night 'Amangani Untracked' package to enjoy one
day of Heli-skiing. This amazing experience includes six runs, approximately 12,000-15,000 vertical feet,
lunch and private transportation from Jackson Hole. To find out more or to book click here.
New app offers historic downtown Cody walking tour:
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West and partners have created a new GPS-triggered audio tour of historic
downtown Cody, offering up a treasure trove of stories, images and audio. TravelStorysGPS is an
application that connects people to land through vivid & engaging stories told in real time. The free app is
available for iOS and Android.
A taste of upcoming annual events in Wyoming
February: Cody Ice Festival
March: Rendezvous Music Festival, Jackson Hole
May: Old West Days, Jackson Hole
July: Basque Heritage Festival, Big Horn Mountains
For more events and information click here
CONTACTS FOR THE REAL AMERICA STATES:
AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND:
Caroline Davidson [email protected]
MONTANA:
Marlee Iverson [email protected]
Kim Birrell [email protected]
NORTH DAKOTA:
Fred Walker [email protected]
SOUTH DAKOTA:
Cole Irwin [email protected]
WYOMING:
James Scoon [email protected]
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: [email protected] P +61 2 9907 0020
NOTES TO EDITORS:
AU / NZ websites: www.realamerica.com.au ; www.realamerica.co.nz
Montana's Press Room
North Dakota Media Room
South Dakota Tourism News Room
Wyoming Tourism Media Room
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.travelwyoming.com