Vacation is the most common thing done by many people in their holiday. Usually people will go to the beach or visiting relatives in their vacation and spend the rest of the vacation there. But sometimes doing the same activities and going to the same place every holiday might makes people bored and they want to try something new like going to famous places in the world or even spend the night in a cruise ship.

To spend the holiday in cruise ship is so interesting because besides people will have new experience in the cruise ship with so many activities held on it, people can also visit many interesting places in the world. Many online travel agents now provide cruise deals in cruise ship trip and one of them is VirginHolidaysCruise.co.uk which offer cruise ship trip package to Mediterranean sea, Caribbean sea and also Dubai and Baltic.

Yosemite National Park Lodging has earned a reputation as the family destination in America. More than 4 million people visit each year, and Yosemite National Park Lodging makes all of them feel right at home. Your family will, too. Because Yosemite lodging offers something for everyone! Yosemite lodging gives you an opportunity to experience Yosemite National Park up close and at when the park is at its best…which is any time of the year. A park for all seasons and plenty of reasons to visit soon.

Yosemite National Park lodging has comforts, conveniences, sights, and attractions to suit every age and every budget. Snug in your bed or sleeping bag, when you’re lodging in Yosemite, you’re a stone’s throw away from pristine waterfalls, granite domes, and giant sequoias. Yosemite National Park is a national treasure and Yosemite lodging is a national pastime!

For many, visiting Yosemite National Park is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will never be forgotten. Youngsters experience the wonder of nature for the first time while parents and grandparents re-experience the Park again through the eyes of their children.

Yosemite National Park lodging is especially popular with multi-generational families. One important reason is that the disabled may access Yosemite lodging –as well as the Park’s sites – with ease. Grandparents with special needs who still want to keep up with their active grandchildren…and kids with special needs can keep up with today’s active seniors! Meanwhile, mom and dad will be able to keep up with the affordable costs of Yosemite lodging. Affordable camping rates, outstanding R/V deals, and wallet-friendly lodges make Yosemite National Park lodging within reach of almost everyone.

Active families who choose Yosemite lodging during the winter months have a wide range of group activities to choose from. Kids (10 or older) can join adults in strapping on snowshoes at Badger Pass. The costs are as family-friendly as Yosemite lodging. For just $3, you can follow a ranger on a guided walk. If you’re feeling more independent, you can outfit family members in snowshoes for just $10 at the cross-country center and do your own independent exploring.

Yosemite lodging is so comfortable that you may find it hard to get the kids out of bed in the morning. A good incentive is the fun of photography. In the summer, shutterbugs as young as 7 and as old as 12 may join a Kodak photographer for a one-hour workshop. Weather permitting, kids can head out from at The Ahwahnee Hotel while the grown-ups retire to their welcoming Yosemite National Park Lodging for a little rest and relaxation of their own.

Yosemite National Park Lodging is welcoming, but it’s not unlimited. Yosemite Lodging for overnight visitors is limited to 1,871 campsites and 1,632 lodging units. There are also a few R/V camps and horse camps, but those Yosemite lodging options can accommodate only about 900 or so additional guests. Visitors seeking prime Yosemite National Park Lodging, a particular location, special amenities, etc. should be sure to make their reservations early so that they’re not disappointed

Yosemite Park Lodging – Where Kids Find Their Smiles

Yosemite lodging is what the guidebooks call it, but kids call the campgrounds, r/v parks and rustic accommodations of one of America’s best-loved vacation destinations “a little slice of heaven.” And no wonder! Lodging in Yosemite National Park delivers everything a kid (of any age) could want: a sense of the old, a taste of the new, and the thrill of something completely unexpected waiting to be discovered. Open the door, pull back the tent flap, turn in any direction and you’re face-to-face with one of the world’s most kid-friendly landscapes.

Yosemite lodging doesn’t have something that you might expect: reception. As a result, it’s difficult to use telephones and radios, and the only place that TVs can be found are at one of the Park’s hotels. Fortunately, the same thing that makes it difficult to stay in touch with the ‘outside’ world is what helps kids get in touch with the world around them. Yosemite Park lodging options, especially campgrounds and R/V parks, help young travelers uncover a completely new definition of ‘fun.’ Disconnected from electronics and technology, they develop an appreciation for nature and nuture the ability to find pleasure in simple things…lingering long after a vacation in Yosemite ends.

Yosemite Park lodging offers something else kids’ crave: quality family time. With both parents working in many households, opportunities for everyone to be together are often few and far between. Camping provides an inexpensive alternative to the vacations many families would like to take but cannot afford. Kids and parents alike enjoy being able to kick back and relax as a family, with no distractions…and none of the day-to-day problems of home life to get in the way of a good time.

Yosemite Park lodging even makes mom and dad feel like kids again. Carefree…at least as far as money is concerned! You can go the deluxe route when you visit Yosemite, of course. But Yosemite lodging is so varied and diverse that almost any family can find a budget- friendly option…and a destination that kids can look forward to visiting again and again…maybe even dreaming of the day they’ll bring kids of their own..

Yosemite Park lodging is perfect for “city kids” who may not be used to the wilderness. They can get a healthy taste of the wilderness experience without having to rough-it too much. Comfortable R/V parks and campsites rich in amenities and creature comforts make Yosemite lodging a nice place to come home to at the end of a child’s busy day.

For kids more comfortable with rough-and-tumble activities, Yosemite lodging is an ideal home base for favorite activities such as biking and river rafting. Horseback riding is especially popular with teens. Guided scenic rides depart from and return to stables in Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Tuolumne Meadows…each one in close proximity to different Yosemite National Park lodging choices.

From a child’s perspective, simple experiences are often the most meaningful Sitting around a campfire is one of the best forms of entertainment that parents and kids can enjoy, and an experience to be remembered and savored for a lifetime. Yosemite is the perfect place for young imaginations to soar along with the mountains.

Yosemite Valley Lodging Is A Winter Savings Wonderland

Yosemite Valley lodging is always the ‘in spot’ because fun is in-season 365 days a year! California’s ‘gift of nature’ is constantly changing, and many love Yosemite best during the warm summer months. In July and August, Yosemite lodging hosts families on summer vacations. The park is a happy destination for kids and adults eager to escape the heat by rafting on a river or sitting in the cool shade of giant Sequoias.

But when the weather outside is frightful, many people find Yosemite Valley lodging delightful! Because despite the fact that many of the roads in the park close due to heavy snow in winter; Yosemite Valley is open all year long and Yosemite lodging is, too.. At 4,000 feet, Yosemite Valley’s winter temperatures are relatively mild… 26 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, even in February. The unpredictable weather makes winter an excellent time for photography in Yosemite Valley. Stormy clouds hang over the cliffs and valley floor like cotton balls creating spectacular shots that make amateur shutterbugs feel like pros.

There’s more good news. Yosemite lodging comes in many price ranges, but it is especially affordable during the winter months. Winter is considered “off-season” and Yosemite Valley lodging costs dip right along with the mercury. In general, there are fewer people visiting and rooms…especially during midweek…are available on very short notice. This makes Yosemite lodging options a perfect choice for people with flexible travel plans. They can take advantage of last-minute airfare specials and get a great rate on Yosemite lodging.

Yosemite lodging may host fewer human guests than usual when there’s snow on the ground, but there is an abundance of wildlife to be seen. Deer, raccoons, coyotes, and mule are common. And when winter robs Yosemite trees of their leaves, it’s possible to see bears outside their caves – their own version of Yosemite Valley lodging!

You can’t say “Winter in Yosemite” without talking about the winter sports scene there. Elite athletes and amateurs share Yosemite Valley lodging, and both groups take advantage of Yosemite’s deeply discounted winter sports packages that combine lifts, equipment rentals and (for novices) instruction in skiing and snowboarding. The Badger Pass Ski Area, about a 40-minute drive from Yosemite Valley lodging, is California’s original ski area. The Pass’s gentle slopes and the quiet backdrop of Yosemite in winter have made this area a traditional destination for generations of holiday travelers throughout California.

Although most of Yosemite Valley’s lodging goes to ski enthusiasts in winter, skating under the amazing shadow of Glacier Point and the world-famous Half Dome monolith has brought winter visitors to the Park for more than 70 years. The outdoor rink at Curry Village is the perfect skating spot on a starry night and inexpensive rentals make it easy to spontaneously join the fun. Or if you prefer, settle in beside a crackling fire with something warm to drink and watch the skaters glide by.

Winter in Yosemite Valley is whatever you want it to be…as long as you want it to be fun!

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Yosemite National Park (pronounced /joʊˈsɛmɨtiː/ yo-SEM-it-ee) is a national park located in the eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of 761266 acres or 1189 square miles (3081 km²) and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain. Yosemite is visited by over 3.5 million people each year, many of whom only spend time in the seven square miles (18 km²) of Yosemite Valley …

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At nearly one and a half million acres Glacier National Park in Montana is impressive and boasts over 200 lakes and streams, 50 glaciers and more than 700 miles of wonderful hiking trails. These numbers are impressive, but they do not even start to convey the breathtaking beauty of this national park.

They do not begin to describe how the mountains around Lake MacDonald glow pink in the setting sun and almost force you to stand transfixed to this view until darkness falls. Neither do they describe the huge field of tall bear grass stalks with their white flowers which simply shout at you to roll back the years and run through the meadow like a child.

But your first point of call should one of the visitor centers in Apgar, Logan Pass or St. Mary where you can find out all about the area and pick up some excellent hiking guide books.

One of the best ways to get to see many of sights of the park is to drive along the famous 50 mile Going-To-The-Sun Road which was built in 1932 and skirts around Lake MacDonald before crossing the Continental Divide at Logan Pass some 6,700 feet above sea level. From Logan Pass it then descends down to Saint Mary Lake which is an awe inspiring body of water.

If you want to go hiking then there are plenty of options and the area near Belly River offers some glorious scenery and numerous campsites where you can take a rest. For those people who are looking for a longer trip then you can backpack in from Canada, crossing Brown Pass and ending at Bowman Lake.

Another great site is the Hole in the Wall campground which offers 20 waterfalls and thousands of lovely wildflowers. Look upwards and you will see the water coming from a waterfall which pours out of a natural hole in the rock face which gives the area its name.

If you would like a taste of adventure then how about a whitewater rafting trip? You can either join a group of eight people on a larger boat or brave the water yourself in a kayak. Even beginners find that it an easy trip and there are few rocks to contend with, but it will nevertheless give you plenty of fun as you rush down the Flathead River.

For those who like an easier life there are also the Red Bus tours. Millions of visitors have enjoyed seeing the park from these open-topped buses, but take along lots of sunscreen as the sunshine in Glacier during the summer months is very strong.

If you are driving yourself then a good place to stop off is the Trail of the Cedars boardwalk. This area has been free from fire for more than 500 years because of the high moisture content and the result is some of the biggest cedar and hemlocks to be found anywhere. If you are patient you will also spot a flying squirrel or two and, as night begins to fall, you will hear the owls hooting.

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An amatuer photographer’s first attempt at making a professional video. Glacier’s most beautiful backcountry locations including a special segment on specactular waterfalls few park visitors ever see. Part 1 of the recently shot Glacier DVD. This 20 min. film recently was nominated for best new nature documentary in the music category as well received an award for photography from the Wildlife Film Festival held in May of 2008. All funds for this project are being donated to the Glacier …

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Except when we apply the same approach to health insurance, some people get upset. Perhaps it’s appropriate to be writing this at Halloween but the same actuaries have been counting the number of people who die from various diseases. For the purposes of this article, one of the main areas of interest has been the question of obesity. There are detailed numbers available across the country showing that people who have a high Body Mass Index (BMI) are more likely than thin people to die of heart disease. The medical evidence proves what are called “comorbidities”, i.e. the presence of two or more conditions which, more often than not, suggests a cause and effect at work, or that there’s an underlying vulnerability to both conditions. We are not so unhappy to accept a link between drug abuse and mental illness, but mention a possible link between body weight and disease and, suddenly, people are upset. People do not want to hear a link between their lifestyles and the probability of early death.

The reality is that adults with a BMI of 30 and above are either being turned down for health insurance or charged a higher premium. No matter how politically correct it may be to talk about obesity, insurance companies protect themselves by classifying obesity as a pre-existing condition justifying refusal or a premium loading. So welcome to baby Alex, a newcomer to Grand Junction. He’s four months old and breast-feeding. He’s a happy, bouncing baby weighing in at seventeen pounds. With a length of 25 inches, this puts him in the 99th percentile for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s height and weight charts for babies of the same age. So the health insurance company refused coverage. Their cut-off point is the 95 percentile. When you think about it, this is a dramatic piece of news. It seems you are never too young to be overweight. This is not something to be dealt with through an increase in health insurance rates. This is a blank refusal of coverage. At four months, the actuaries have already decided this baby is too big a risk to insure. The parents are naturally upset. Even though their pediatrician has no health concerns, they are talking about putting the baby on the Atkins diet. They may joke but this may be a real sign of change in the health insurance industry. There is no sentimentality here. After all, the numbers don’t lie, except the insurers changed their mind when the publicity hit. Alex is now insured. Some good news to end on.

The initial forms of mortgage protection insurance were directly linked to the current balance of your mortgage account and if your balance decreased so did the insurance coverage amount. However, these days the most popular form of such insurance is getting the insurance coverage amount equal to the initial amount of the mortgage loan without it decreasing over time, which makes it a quite inexpensive form of term insurance.

One of the most recent trends in this market is purchasing return of premium policies as mortgage protection insurance. This trend is caused by the fact that usual mortgage protection insurance rates have become far less competitive than those of term insurance policies. And having the premiums returned with the policy intact reimburses all your payments after the term has expired.

The most popular and less expensive form of mortgage protection life insurance is level benefit term life policy. This form of insurance coverage is typically available for certain periods of time, usually from 20 to 30 years. It has a constant coverage amount and the premiums are kept the same over the entire policy term.

Typical mortgage protection is still available at some banks and certain agents will try to sell it to you, but nowadays it is more beneficial to get one of these:

1. An insurance policy that delivers set rates that are lower than traditional mortgage protection insurance policies
2. An insurance policy that guarantees paying off your mortgage in case of your death
3. A police that doesn’t decrease its coverage amounts

It’s better to check out life insurance quotes from different companies with analyzing the mortgage protection option specifically in order to find which option is best in your case.

Covering your mortgage with return of premium insurance

Another option that has become quite widespread recently is return of premium form of term insurance policies. This form delivers a unique benefit in the form of returned tax-free premiums that you have paid over the entire insurance term in case you keep the policy over it.

This method is quite beneficial because not only it pays off your mortgage loan in any situation, but also gives you back all the money you’ve paid for the insurance in case you are still alive after the policy term has expired. This feature makes it quite appealing to many people, since it is quite likely that you will live on after 20 or 30 years of the policy’s duration. And why not having your money back tax-free in the end? Besides, it makes a really good enhancement to your retirement plan or any other funds when you get older.

Cheap life insurance is possible and it can be quite useful and beneficial for you in the end, as you can see. So if you have a mortgage to secure, now you have good option for making the most out of your loans.

The reasons for choosing a different insurance company for covering your auto are numerous. Maybe it’s the level of services you aren’t quite satisfied with, or the other insurance company has the same amount of coverage for a considerably lower price. Today, checking your insurance rates and comparing them to what the other carriers have to offer is a few minutes task. And if you decide that your current insurance provider has to be switched to another one, you will be surprised to know that it’s not that hard to do like it may seem.

Why choosing another insurance carrier?

Checking your current insurance rates should become routine for you, to make sure you get exactly what you pay for. And while doing so, you should always shop around with other carriers as well. Even the same amounts and types of coverage can have different price tags with different companies. This is because each insurance company has it’s own set of indicators determining the final insurance rates.

The primary indicator, which the company uses for determining the rates is the claims experience with every group of drivers that are insured with them. In other words, if your company has many claims filed by drivers of your customer group (age, sex, driving record, credit rating, etc.) during a given period, you will definitely experience a raise in insurance rates. If this is what you have to deal with, you most probably need to look on what the other companies have to offer.

Make sure you have the new policy before switching

Have a lapse in auto insurance coverage is not the best thing to confront with, so make sure you get the new policy before dropping the old one. The new company you get the policy from will make sure that it will take force right when the old one is canceled.

When the time is right?

In about a month before your current policy should be renewed you are likely to get a report on your current insurance rates, discounts and conditions. You can use this information when shopping around with other companies. So the best time to look for auto insurance quotes is 3-4 weeks before your actual policy is to be renewed or canceled.

You can do it anytime you want

Waiting for the renewal date is not a must when switching to another company. You can cancel your current policy anytime you want. If it’s the middle of the cycle, you will get the remainder of your annual premium from the insurance company. However, some companies have a special short rate that will kick in when you decide to cancel your policy before the renewal period. So it’s better to learn if your current carrier has such a rate, and if yes, decide whether the new policy bring you enough savings to be worth of paying such a fee.

Dropping the old policy

The right way of canceling a policy is asking the company in written form to do so, specifying the date you want your policy to be dropped. If you just leave the policy without informing or asking the company, it will be canceled due to late payment, and that usually means a bad entry on your credit record and higher rates when getting a new policy. So make sure you’re making all the necessary formal paperwork before switching to another auto insurance company.

Note that, unlike “ordinary” policies, cash-value policies do not lapse if you stop paying the premiums. Once you reach a minimum threshold, the policies remain valid and the investment element continues to accumulate value – this assumes the wider economy is doing well and the stock and bond markets provide a worthwhile return. So the best way of looking at these policies is as a saving fund. If you had run a savings account in your bank, this would give you a nest egg to draw down when you retired. You can treat cash-value policies in the same way.

Almost everyone with a whole or universal life policy pays long enough to reach protected status. Most take out a policy during their twenties and are still paying twenty or thirty years later. What seems a high premium when you started becomes more affordable as inflation works in your favor. Now the big decision is whether to continue paying. The longer you pay, the better the benefits. But if there’s a family emergency, you can stop paying, withdraw some of the cash or take a loan, and keep the policy valid for when you die. If you hold a life policy, you should receive an annual statement telling you the minimum cash value and the guaranteed death benefit. But, with both a whole and universal policy, you can contact your insurer at any time, and get an up-to-date statement.

If you simply make a withdrawal or take a loan, check the effect on the death benefits. Always get the most information from the life insurance company before taking the decision. One key issue with a loan is the amount of interest payable. Borrowing always has a cost attached to it and, unless you want the interest to come out of the remaining cash value, you should make regular payments back to the company whenever you can afford it. One option to consider is using a cash withdrawal to buy a long-term care insurance policy. As everyone now lives longer, making provision for future health needs makes good sense. Alternatively, think about buying an income annuity. The only limit on your use of the cash is how much tax-free death benefit ultimately passes to your heirs. You can be selfish and use the money for your own comfort and protection or plan for your family’s future. One word of warning. Do not be tempted to surrender your life insurance policy. You will owe back taxes on all the investment gains made since the policy came into force. Paying this as a lump sum is a big hit. It’s always better to leave the policy in force and draw down cash or take a loan.

My girlfriend and I are preparing to go on a hiking trip to Glacier National Park. We are going to do some camping along with staying at various small hotels and inns.

I have been involved with doing some aerobic exercise my whole life, either by walking or biking. When I told my husband the plans to go on a hiking trip with my friend he laughed. He does not feel either one of us will last two days. I shared this with my friend, who is in shape, but does not consistently do any aerobic exercise; she took this as a challenge.

She started looking into the best aerobic exercise to prepare for our trip. I tried calling her during our lunch breaks, but could never find her at her desk because she was out walking. Two evenings a week she went to aerobic exercise classes. I went over to her apartment and found three DVD’s on various aerobic exercise programs. The woman is obsessed. We discussed that when we first planned the trip we were going to hike for short distances each day to take in the beautiful surroundings, now she was looking at this as an aerobic exercise challenge! She told me that I better start pushing myself more to build up my strength so that I would be able to keep up with her.

I went home and told my husband that I feared our relaxing; get in touch with nature trip is going to turn into a triathlon. He thinks this situation is quite humorous. At least my friend is improving her health with the aerobic exercise, but I was really not planning on having to run up a hiking path. I purchased an aerobic exercise tape for my walkman and started pushing myself more. The first few walks I worked harder trying to deal with my frustrations towards my friend and husband, but as my strength improved and my lung capacity developed I found I was enjoying this higher level of aerobic exercise. When I went shopping for clothes for the trip I found that I had dropped a pant size. My clothes at home were fitting looser also. I told my husband that this was my revenge for his challenge, a whole new wardrobe. He does not mind because he thinks I look great.

As the date of our trip approaches we are getting more and more excited about going on our adventure. Both of us look and feel better since we increased our aerobic exercise. If you hear about two women racing around the hiking trials in Glacier National Park, I am one of them.

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Follow John and Cara as they go to Parque Nacional los Glaciares in Patagonia Argentina. They visit Lago Argentino and see icebergs and glaciers such as the Moreno Glacier and hike in the Fitzroy Mountain Range.

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Glacier National Park is located along the Rocky Mountains in the northwest corner of Montana. It is a perfect place to visit for outdoor enthusiasts and those who appreciate nature. From hiking to bike riding and camping, there are several activities in which to partake, whether young or old. The following is a detailed list of four activities recommended for those who take the venture to Glacier National Park.

1. Hiking: There are over 700 miles of hiking trails in Glacier National Park. Hikers can choose quick day trips or extend their adventure to a multiple day excursion. The Red Eagle Lake Trail starts in St. Mary, Montana and offers an easy course for a beginner hiker or someone who wishes to walk along low-elevation terrain. The moderate hiker can enjoy an adventure on The Highline Trail, one of the most popular trails in Glacier National Park. The trail starts at Logan Pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, in east Montana, and spans for about 20 miles to Fifty Mountain Campground. Hikers wishing to continue their adventure can continue on to the Waterton Valley Trail. Guided day-hiking and backpacking tours can be planned from mid-May until September.

2. ATV Tours: From May to October, visitors staying in St. Mary can book an ATV tour of the eastern portion of Glacier National park. St. Mary Lodge and Resort guests have the option to book an ATV tour through the lodge. The 39-mile tour takes about four hours. These tours allow visitors to experience breath-taking views and to spot wildlife including elk, moose, deer, and possibly bears.

3. Horseback Riding: Guided horseback riding tours are available during the summer months. Beautiful views and wildlife may be spotted no matter which trail visitors decide to blaze. The guided tours can accommodate to any riding skill level and range from hour to a full day. The tour around Lake McDonald, the largest alpine lake in Glacier National Park, is a favorite of horseback riders. One of the most popular day trips includes a tour of Sperry Chalet, and the scenic two hour tour through Upper McDonald Creek Trail gives horseback riders a chance to view picturesque scenery and views.

4. Red Bus Tour: The Red Bus tours are known throughout Glacier National Park because of the historic nature of the buses. There are 33 touring coaches in total that were built between 1936 and 1939. The tours allow visitors to experience traveling throughout all parts of Glacier National Park, including a road trip experience along the famed Going-to-the-Sun Road. Each bus features a roll back canvas top, allowing tourists to experience spectacular views right from the road. Between 1999 and 2002, the entire fleet was renovated, at a cost of $250,000 per bus, so the safety features could be updated and the buses could continue to service the park visitors.

No matter what activities visitors of Glacier National Park choose to do, there are plenty of adventures in which to participate. Outdoor enthusiasts and general visitors can all appreciate the beautiful scenery and exciting adventures Glacier National Park, located in Montana, has to offer.

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Mountains, rivers, and streams in Glacier National Park

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Look out from the main parking lot of the St. Mary Lodge & Resort, located at the East entrance of Glacier National Park in Montana, and behold one of the largest intact ecosystems in the lower 48 states. Glacier National Park encompasses 1.4 million acres (1,600 square miles) of wildlife preserves and offers some of the most breathtaking scenery imaginable.

William Howard Taft was U.S. President when the area was officially declared a National Park in 1910, but its history goes back 170 million years before then. Colliding continental plates, massive glacier movement, and natural erosion all joined hands to create this wonderful monument to the forces of nature.

Although tourists began visiting back in the late 1890s, archeological evidence indicates that the land was inhabited by humans as far back as 10,000 years ago. Home to the Blackfoot and Kootenai Native American tribes, there are areas in the Park which are still considered to be sacred grounds.

About The Ecosystem

Glacier National Park offers a simultaneous view into pre-historic times and modern flora and fauna.

Most of the rocks formations are from the Proterozoic age which ranged from 1,600 to 800 million years ago. Although rock formations of that age found in other parts of the world have been radically changed by the Earth’s natural aging process, those in Glacier National Park still bear most of their original characteristics. This provides a wealth of information to geologists and some very unique experiences for tourists.

These ancient rock formations are home to fossils including stromatolites, a species of algae that inhabited the warm shallow seas that pre-dates the Rocky Mountains which are part of the Park. The fact that these fossils have survived makes the Glacier National Park a living classroom for scientists studying the evolution of Earth.

Of course, it’s the glaciers that give Glacier National Park its name. These glaciers are thought to be only a few thousand years old, making them relatively young compared to the overall timeline of the Park.

Climate change is impacting the Glaciers and causing them to shrink as more snow melts during the warm season than forms in the cold season. But when the Glaciers were active, they filled the valleys with moving currents of ice which sculpted the mountain ranges you see today.

A Sea Of Wildflowers

The glacier movement combined with other natural erosion forces left behind fertile soil. That’s why Glacier National Park is inhabited by an array of plants, trees and wildflowers including larch, spruce, fir, western cedar and pine trees, as well as heather, gentian, beargrass, glacier lily, pasque flower, lupine, Indian paintbrush, gaillardia, asters, and other wildflower species.

An Abundance of Wildlife

One of the contributing factors to Glacier National Park’s designation as being one of the largest intact ecosystems in the lower 48 States is the fact that there are so many species of wildlife calling the Park home. From the endangered American Bald Eagle to the Western Jumping Mouse, nowhere else in North America brings together so many wildlife species.

Glacier National Park’s biggest wildlife attractions include Lynx, Mountain Lion, Black and Grizzly Bear, Bison and Wolves representing but a few of the 272 species of birds and 63 mammal species found there.

Lakes of Glacier National Park

Framed by the Park’s legendary mountain peaks, Glacier National Park is home to over 700 lakes including 650 named lakes. One of the largest lakes of Glacier National park is St. Mary Lake, home to St. Mary Lodge & Resort. The largest glacier-formed lake is McDonald Lake, situated 3,153 feet above sea level on the Park’s Western portion and West of the Continental Divide. The lake is 10 miles long with depths ranging to 427 feet. Its shimmering water led to it being called “Sacred Dancing Lake” by the Native American Kootenai tribe.

Over 500 creeks and streams are also located in Glacier National Park as well as plenty of water falls. All in all, Glacier National Park is covered by 2,000 acres of water.

With this abundance of water, it makes sense that Glacier National Park is also home to a great many species of fish as well. The most abundant species include cutthroat trout, ling, northern pike, whitefish, kokanee salmon, grayling, rainbow trout, lake trout and the protected bull trout.

You Can See It All In One Place

Go ahead. Plan your next vacation to Glacier National Park, one of the largest intact ecosystems in the lower 48 states. You’ll be glad you did!

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Slides from my road trip in August 2005

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