Contact:           Sarah Lawlor

                                                                                    Montana Promotion Division                                                                                                                                         (406) 841-2896

 

IOWA FAMILY WINS TRIP TO MONTANA

Family will explore Custer and Yellowstone Country Tourism Regions

 

Helena, MT –July 9, 2002--Thirteen-year old Katie Beer of DeWitt, Iowa, was the lucky winner of this year’s Travel Montana montanakids.com weeklong vacation giveaway.  Katie was chosen from over 10,000 entrants from across the country.  The Beer family will experience the sites and activities found throughout Montana’s Custer and Yellowstone Countries July 15-21. The Iowa family won airline tickets, car rental and lodging and admission to various parks and attractions. This is the fourth year of the promotion.

 

Travel Montana partnered with Disney’s Online sites,  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney.com and Family.com to promote the trip. Disney created an exclusive Montana mini-site that included an interactive Montana map, printable road trip games and a link to our sweepstakes on montanakids.com. Montanakids.com saw a very strong click-through rate of 2.4% (industry average is currently .2 - .45%).  This year’s contest saw a tremendous 81% increase in traffic over last year!

 

According to Travel Montana’s Consumer Marketing Manager Sarah Lawlor, the goal of the kid’s program is threefold: to generate awareness, exposure and visits to montanakids.com, position Montana as a family vacation destination in the minds of kids and parents, and build a core of young, repeat visitors to the site.

 

This promotion is a collaborative effort between Travel Montana and the following tourism related entities:  Custer Country, Yellowstone Country, Billings Convention and Visitors Bureau, Beartooth Nature Center, Billings Hotel, Burnt Out Lodge, Chico Hot Springs, Dollar Rent-A-Car,  Lonesome Spur Ranch, International Fly-Fishing Center, Kamp Grounds of America (KOA), Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Northwest Airlines, Range Riders, Sheraton Billings Hotel, Yellowstone National Park Lodges, and Yellowstone Raft Company.

 

 

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Montanakids.com hosted 474,732 visitors from January to June 30, 2002. This is a 79% increase from the same time period last year. 

 

Other Travel Montana websites include visitmt.com, wintermt.com, and lewisandclark.state.mt.us. 

 

Itinerary Attached: Media if you are interested in interviewing the Beer family please contact Travel Montana’s Sarah Lawlor (406) 841-2896.

 

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July 15-July 21, 2002 Itinerary

Beer Family

Father – Rob

Mother – Connie

Son – Caleb (8 years old)

Daughter – Katie (13 years old)

Son - Joshua (14 years old)

 

Day One – Monday, July 15, 2002

 

·        The family will arrive at Billings Logan International Airport in Billings, Montana.  Air transportation assistance provided courtesy of Northwest Airlines- 10:13 am

 

·        Acquire rental mini-van courtesy of Dollar Rent-a-Car.

(Jay Robson 800-892-4343, Missoula.  Or Alex in Billings, 259-1147)

 

·        They begin their journey of discovery where William Clark of Lewis & Clark traveled his journey in 1806 with a visit to Pompeys Pillar.

 

·        From there, they take a trip back in history to visit the site of General Custer’s Last Stand at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Crow Agency, Montana.

·        Then, they head back to Billings for a fun-filled stay at the Billings Hotel.

·        (Susan Murphy, 800-537-7286, or 248-7151)

 
Day Two – Tuesday, July 16, 2002

 

·        On their way out of Billings, they will visit Pictograph Cave State Park.

(Diane Tipton, FWP, 406-444-3079)

·        They will spend the remainder of their day with the friendly folks of the Lonesome Spur Ranch in Bridger, Montana learning the ropes of this working cattle ranch.

(Darlene Schwend, owner, 662-3460)

 

Day Three – Wednesday, July 17, 2002

·        They will rise early and spend their third day exploring the quaint historic mountain town of Red Lodge, Montana.

 

·        While in Red Lodge, they will meet some of Montana’s residents at the Beartooth Nature Center.

  (Ruth Brown, 446-1133)

·        After experiencing Red Lodge, they’ll take a breathtaking drive to Yellowstone National Park over the Beartooth Pass.

 

·        Next they’ll see the geysers and wildlife in Yellowstone National Park.

(Rick Hoeninghausen, Director of Marketing and Sales, (307) 344-5265)

·        After they’ve taken in some of the wonders of the park, the family will enjoy a feast fit for a cowboy (or cowgirl) and then spend a cozy night at the Roosevelt Lodge Cabins.

(Tammy, Reservations, (307) 344-7311)

 

Day Four – Thursday, July 18, 2002

·        They will wake up early and make a full day of it continuing their exploration of Yellowstone National Park.

 

·        The family will end the day in the Park at Old Faithful, joining the evening program of Yellowstone Buddies.

·        They will spend a restful night at the historic Old Faithful Inn.

 

Day Five – Friday, July 19, 2002

·        After their night in the Park, they will spend the morning taking an exhilarating whitewater raft trip on the Yellowstone River courtesy of Yellowstone Raft Company. 

  (Julia Page, 848-7777)

 

·        Next, the family will enjoy a soak in the natural hot springs at Chico Hot Springs.  

(Sharon, 333-4933)

·        Then, they will be heading up the aptly named Paradise Valley to Livingston, Montana.  In Livingston, learn about one of Montana’s most popular sports, fly-fishing, at the International Fly-Fishing Center.  (Bob Wiltshire, 222-9369)

·        From Livingston, they travel over to Big Timber, Montana and meet some of our most prevalent neighbors at Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park.  

·        They will spend the night in Big Timber, Montana where the wonderful hospitality of the Burnt Out Lodge awaits them.   (Ruth Drange, owner, 932-6601)

Day Six – Saturday, July 20, 2002

The family will enjoy the morning taking in the beauty of Montana with their new friends at the Burnt Out Lodge, and head over to take a horseback ride courtesy of the Range Riders Ranch.  (Wyoma Terland, owner, 932-6538)

·        From there, they will return to Billings to visit Zoo Montana.

·        Then, they’ll spend the afternoon cooling off at Big Splash Waterslide.

 

·        They will overnight in Billings, courtesy of the Sheraton Billings Hotel.

(Linda Stevens, 252-7400, x7207)

 

 

Day Seven – Sunday, July 21, 2002

·        They depart Billings Logan International Airport in Billings, Montana.  Air transportation assistance provided courtesy of Northwest Airlines – 6:30 pm.

 

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