Tag Archives: Everglades National Park

Your Next Vacation

Are you ready for a vacation? Today, January 28, is National Plan Your Vacation Day!

Spend some time away from the city lights and daily frenzy!

Here are your top 15 Guest Services, Inc. vacation destinations. From pet-friendly lodging to snowy recreations.

  1. The Lodge at Wakulla Springs, FL: Enjoy a unique stay beside the world’s deepest freshwater spring. Hiking trails, boat tours, swimming. Visit The Lodge at Wakulla and book now!
    wakulla springs
  2. Everglades Florida Adventures, FL: We offer a 10,000 Islands tour so you can see a variety of birds, manatees, dolphins and other wildlife native to Florida. Whether you go on your own in one of our canoes or kayaks or join our guides as we show the beautiful and mysterious Everglades nature will reward you with its treasures. Book your 10,000 Islands Tour!
    boat tour
  3. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, FL: If you’re coming from the West coast or chilly North, plan your escape and visit mermaids down south! Mermaid Shows are scheduled 365 days a year, at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. (Seating is on a first-come basis). Learn More! ?
    kayaking in weeki wachee
  4. Rainbow Springs State Park, FL: One of Florida’s largest springs, the headsprings of the Rainbow River starts in this beautiful 1,472-acre park. Rainbow Springs State Park is open 365 days a year to dazzle and delight your entire family! Plan your visit!
    rainbow sprnigs
  5. Flamingo Adventures at Everglades National Park, FL: Flamingo Adventures is the ONLY place in the USA where you can stay in a Houseboat, Eco-Tent (now OPEN!), or both as your one-stop adventure spot! Feel free to bring Buddy or Daisy at no charge while you camp in an Eco-Tent under the palm trees or hook up your RV to the group site. Reserve now!
    eco tents
  6. Bear Mountain, NY: Traveling to escape the city? Bringing your pet? We have a limited number of canine-friendly guestrooms in our Overlook Lodge.  To reserve, please call the hotel directly at 845.786.2731 or Bear Mountain Inn.  Our pet fee is $45 for the first night and $5 for each additional night
    Bear Mountain Inn
  7. National Mall, DC: Come out and visit our Nation’s capitol! Get ready for an active day while visiting the Sculpture Garden or National Gallery of Art or paddling the paddle boats at the Tidal Basin.
    national mall kiosks
  8. Giants Ridge, MN: Giants Ridge has 35 downhill ski runs, over 60 km of Nordic ski trails and a snowboarding terrain park for all your tricks! We offer a variety of lodging for you and friends! Visit Giants Ridge to find the right accommodation for you.
    giants ridge
  9. Echo Bluff, MI: Explore the Sinking Creek by fishing pole or the Current River Trail by boots while you bring your pet companion for the journey. Be sure to call ahead for one of the pet-friendly cabins and pay the pet fee $20 per dog, per night, two dogs maximum. Reserve a lodge room, cabin, or campground today ?
    echo bluff lodge
  10. The Lodge at Breckenridge, CO: Canine companions are welcome so long as they don’t jump on the furniture, don’t go for a walk in the fitness center or treat themselves to a spa day! It costs $30 per night for up to two dogs. Treat yourself and loved one(s) to an outdoor adventure or couples retreat.
    lodge at breck
  11. The Lodge at North Cascades, Stehekin, WA: While there’s so much great outdoors to explore, from Lake Chelan to the Cascade Mountains at your footsteps, there’s only so much hotel lodging for your furry friend. Pet fees are $25 per day (plus tax) per dog, for a maximum of two dogs. Book with us today!
    lodge at stehekin
  12. Mount Rainier National Park, WA: Have your snow gear ready? We have cross country skiing, guided snow walks, and snow tubing! Start planning your stay at the National Park Inn today and enjoy the mountains.
    mount rainier
  13. Big Sur, CA: Use your vacation day to unwind and experience nature. Take a weekend out to visit “mini-Yosemite”! As a Lodge guest, you receive a complimentary day pass to all three state parks in Big Sur: Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Andrew Molera State Park, and Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Check room availability.
    big sur
  14. DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Naples, FL: Stay at DoubleTree Suites for the comfort, amenities and great location to Miami and the Everglades National Park! It’s only a 1.5 hours’ drive. It is the perfect destination to get away from the hustle and bustle of the Miami scene.
    double tree naples
  15. Boating In DC: Ready to experience DC on the water? We’ve got kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, sailboats, rowboats, dragon boats, boating lessons, yoga classes, monument tours and more! After spending the day as a tourist at the museums, float around the national mall and row in the memories ?
    boating in dc

 

Top 4 Pet-Friendly Places

Traveling with friends and loved ones is fun and all, but nothing turns the mood sour quite like realizing you can’t take your furry friends with you on the adventures! If you’ve brought your canine friend along for your trip outdoors, have no fear: there are plenty of places that welcome and cater to dogs. Here’s a list of dog-friendly lodgings and recreations from #1 to #4 that will be perfect for you and your pup!

Starting at #1 we have:

1. Flamingo Adventures at Everglades National Park, FL

All the little critters in the sea and swamps enjoy the sunshine, even dry land furry ones! Feel free to bring Buddy or Daisy at no charge while you camp in an Eco-Tent under the palm trees or hook up your RV to the group site. Sounds too good to be true? Just make sure to keep the leash under 6ft long, and all’s well.

eco tents

2. The Lodge at Breckenridge, CO

Dress your pups up in scarves or cute sweaters and bring them along for a stay at The Lodge. Canine companions are welcome so long as they don’t jump on the furniture, don’t go for a walk in the fitness center or treat themselves to a spa day! It costs $30 per night for up to two dogs.

lodge at breck

3. The Lodge at North Cascades, Stehekin, WA

The Lodge at Stehekin welcomes well-behaved dogs of any bark or yip. While there’s so much great outdoors to explore, from Lake Chelan to the Cascade Mountains at your footsteps, there’s only so much hotel lodging for your furry friend. When booking your trip at Stehekin, make sure to call ahead so your friend can have space to rest too. Pet fees are $25 per day (plus tax) per dog, for a maximum of two dogs.

Last but not least, at #4:

4. Echo Bluff State Park, MO

Echo Bluff is the perfect X destination! Explore the Sinking Creek by fishing pole or the Current River Trail by boots while you bring your pet companion for the journey. While you may stay at The Lodge your four-pawed pal may not. Be sure to call ahead for one of the pet-friendly cabins and pay the pet fee $20 per dog, per night, two dogs maximum.

echo bluff lodge-sunset

National Park Service Selects New Operator for Everglades National Park

New contract will expand and improve visitor services including a new restaurant and lodging at Flamingo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 2, 2017 
General Park Information:  305-242-7700
Media Queries: Denese Canedo, Denese_Canedo@nps.gov, 786-481-7592

HOMESTEAD, Fla – Get ready for new ways to experience Everglades National Park! On May 30, 2017, the National Park Service selected Everglades Guest Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Guest Services, Inc. (Guest Services), to provide visitor services in the park’s Flamingo district. The contract requires construction of 24 cottages and 20 eco-tents by December 2019, but authorizes a total of 40 cottages and 40 eco-tents. Apart from campsites, this will be the first expanded overnight accommodations in the park since 2005, when the previous lodging complex was removed due to severe damage from Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma.

Under the new agreement, Guest Services will manage all visitor services in Long Pine Key and Flamingo, including campgrounds, boat tours of Florida Bay and Whitewater Bay, a new restaurant co-located with the cottages, and retail. The new accommodations will be environmentally friendly, affording a sustainable visitor experience. The 20 year term of the contract will enable the new operator to invest in needed visitor services and make customer service a priority.

Superintendent of Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks, Pedro Ramos, expressed excitement about the new contract: “Guest Services has a long history of serving our national parks and the millions of visitors that come out to visit them. We are thrilled that we can now move forward with Guest Services to revitalize Flamingo and offer quality services that will enhance the visitor experience at Everglades National Park.” Ramos also expressed his gratitude to Sammy Hamilton and Everglades National Park Boat Tours for over eight years of providing services to the visitors of the Flamingo area.

Gerry Gabrys, CEO of Guest Services, Inc. similarly shared his enthusiasm by stating, “2017 has been a very special year for our organization as it marks a ‘Century of Service’ since our founding in 1917. When we received this tremendous news from the National Park Service, our Centennial Celebration became even more special. We couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to steward and enhance visitor services within the Everglades – truly one of America’s most iconic National Parks!”

Flamingo is accessed by water, through Florida Bay, or a 45-minute scenic drive through the park. Visitors will be able to walk out their cottage door, and within minutes have the opportunity to see crocodiles, alligators, manatees, sawfish, sea turtles, dolphin, tarpon and more. Flamingo is also a world-class birding and fishing paradise, with rich history of peoples and industries from the Calusa & Tequesta Indians, Guy Bradley and the Audubon Society, to Henry Flagler and agriculture.

Guest Services was selected under the provisions of the 1998 Concessions Management Improvement Act. Guidelines used to evaluate proposals can be found online at: http://www.nps.gov/commercialservices. More information about the company is available at www.guestservices.com.

For more information about Everglades National Park, visit http://www.nps.gov/ever or call (305) 242-7700.

– NPS –

The National Park Service has more than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 National Parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

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