Howdy! I am so excited to be writing to you from Montana this evening on day one of our Adventures by Disney trip. We originally booked this bucket-list adventure in 2019 for 2020. We all know how that went. After over two years of anticipation, let’s kick this thing off!
Adventures by Disney: Montana
Day 1: Bozeman
Day 2: Yellowstone National Park
Day 3: Yellowstone National Park
Day 4: Yellowstone to Big Sky
Day 5: Big Sky High
Day 6: Home on the Ranch
Montana Memories
Our journey to Montana and Yellowstone National Park promises spectacular beauty and the awe-inspiring natural wonders of the Old West. We will go glamping under the stars and stay at a historic lodge located in Big Sky’s Mountain Village. Activities include horseback riding, fly fishing and more in the great outdoors! Most meals and ALL of the incredible things I will share with you over the next week are included in the Adventure. I will be sure to note for you anything outside of the set itinerary and cost of the trip!
Arrive in Bozeman
After an easy flight, we landed in Bozeman, Montana, our home base for expeditions into Yellowstone National Park. Our driver met us right at the entrance to baggage claim and whisked us away to the hotel!
The Lark Hotel
Our adventure guides, Kevin and Lauren, were waiting right on the porch of The Lark on our arrival! They had already checked us in and handed over our keys right away so we could freshen up a bit. After getting settled, we met back up with for a proper introduction. They also took care of some initial logistics – time and place to meet for the evening, breakfast orders for tomorrow, etc.
We made ourselves at home in this bright and quirky hotel located right on Main Street in downtown Bozeman. I adore that Disney chose lodging with a distinctly Montana feel.
Exploring Bozeman & Jam!
There were countless cute shops and eateries within steps of The Lark. We spent a little time exploring downtown Bozeman before deciding on lunch at Jam! Our meal was scrumptious! The boys all ordered breakfast and I had a fabulous Jam! BLT – open faced with slab bacon, cherry tomatoes, arugula and chicken salad. Many meals are included in your adventure, but this one was on our own.
Museum of the Rockies After-Hours Siebel Dinosaur Complex Tour
It was finally time to meet our Adventures by Disney travel group! We boarded a luxury coach for the quick ride over to the Museum of the Rockies.
Our first official event had us travel back in time for an after-hours tour of the Siebel Dinosaur Complex—home to one of the world’s largest collections of dinosaur fossils. After spending time in massive crowds in the National Aquarium (Baltimore), it was luxurious to have the entire Dinosaur complex to our group of just 29 guests.
In addition to our two adventure guides, we had a real paleontologist (Ashely) give us a guided tour through the complex. It was amazing! Her husband was currently out on a field dig in Eastern Montana and we heard all about that too. We were awed by the fossils that are the results of discoveries made in and around Montana. We had no idea it is such a hot spot for dinosaur discoveries. Here she is talking to us about Big Al, one of the most complete Allosaurus ever discovered.
Museum of the Rockies is also home to a world-class collection of Tyrannosaurus Rex fossils. To give you an idea, I think she said 60% of this is real. There are very few casts here, and those are for educational reasons. This guy has three fingers, which is interesting because all other Rex fossils only have two!
This museum is also home to the only female Rex ever found (second from left; this display showed the progression in age from real skulls)! We learned how they take a thin slice of bone and study cells to learn things about the dinosaurs. This one had a particular attribute they had previously only seen in (live) birds right before they lay eggs!
As a special treat for Disney, we all had the opportunity to hold a real fossil. We also got to look at the aforementioned cells under a microscope.
After-Hours Welcome Dinner at Museum of the Rockies
After our time with Ashley, we got to know our fellow Adventurers a little better while digging into a delicious buffet dinner right in the museum!
While Disney has relaxed a few restrictions, they still require masks indoors on official activities, as I’m sure you noticed. Everyone on the trip had to submit their vaccine card or negative pcr covid test yesterday as well. Along these lines, each travel party had their own table at dinner. I will be very honest and say that I miss the group dinners they used to have and hope they come back.
Montana Beer (brewed right here in Bozeman) and wine was also served. Honey and I both loved the Hey Bear.
Dinner was an attended buffet, and it was delicious! They also had options for the younger kids. Speaking of kids, there are a lot on this trip. Most are in the 12-16 age range, which works perfectly with our boys! I am almost certain that every itinerary also offers adult exclusive dates, which are very popular with my clients!
While the adults chatted and got to know each other as dinner wound down, the guides took the Junior Adventurers to a mini replica of Yellowstone to meet each other and get excited about our upcoming activities. They earned a patch for participating :-)
All About Adventures by Disney
Adventures by Disney are expertly planned and guided group tours visiting 35 destinations across 6 continents. You can visit the world’s most iconic locations with Disney as your guide and your storyteller, and enjoy experiences, activities, dining and adventures in a way that only Disney can do. This is not a theme park tour with Mickey Mouse and popcorn buckets. These are trips around the world where you experience the service and VIP treatment that Disney is known for.
There are so many ways to follow along on our trip and see why I am so passionate about Adventures by Disney!
- What Makes AbD SO Special – blog post here
- Private AbD Facebook Group – join me here
- Dixie Travels Business Page on Facebook – like it here
- Dixie Travels Instagram – follow here
- My Germany AbD Trip Report – read on here
If you’re ready to learn more, I’d LOVE to talk your ear off about YOUR adventure! :-) My job is to handle all of the details so you can enjoy the anticipation of your trip without the stress and time commitment of “figuring everything out”. On top of that, family vacations are expensive and my experience and attention to detail make it possible to get the most out of your vacation dollars. Best of all, booking Adventures by Disney through me does not cost one cent more than doing it on your own, and it is a wonderful way to support my small business.
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We’re roaming the wild tomorrow. I’m not sure I’ll have any wifi for a few days, but will share all the details when I’m back to my creature comforts!
DIXIE DELIGHTS DELIVERED
So excited to follow your adventures on this trip. I just started planning a family trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons, both such beautiful places!! Hve a wonderful time!