Blog

Zion National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.  This did not used to be the case, as visitor rates at national parks nation wide were depressed over the past few years to the point of being considered for defunding based upon a lack of interest.  This situation was changed by a large scale marketing campaign that raised awareness of national parks and their proximity to cities that can be used as starting points.  Essentially, the theory was that people thought that national parks were too far away to drive to, and as a result when they were on vacation to major cities they still did not make the trip to visit nearby parks.  When awareness was raised as to how close some parks are to major cities like Las Vegas, this all changed.  Zion is located about a 2.5 hour drive from Las Vegas, and because it is so close many people vacationing in Las Vegas are now taking some time away from the city to visit the park.  Zion has become so popular that there is now discussion on how to reduce traffic and congestion at some of the main areas of the park, which is amazing considering that only a few years ago they were struggling to get people to drive out.  Of course, tours to Zion National Park have always existed from companies like ours, and we will always make your trip to national parks near Las Vegas as comfortable and memorable as possible. One of the main questions that gets asked about national park tours is how to dress when you are going.  When you are not from the area, you are unfamiliar with the weather patterns and therefor have almost no idea how to judge them.  As an example,

Winter is considered during the months of December until February.  These are the months that are colder in temperatures than the months that are considered "on season" when it is warm enough to not wear a jacket.  One thing that many people tend to not realize is that the temperatures that can be expected in national parks are not necessarily the same as compared to their home towns, especially if they are not from the southwestern United States.  For example, the current temperature in Albany New York is below zero at the beginning of 2018, and people who are from that area are used to January being bitter cold.  When they think about the winter months at the Grand Canyon, they are probably comparing it to their home state, when nothing can be further from the truth.  The current temperature in the Grand Canyon National Park at the beginning of 2018 is 65 degrees, and the low temperatures are around the 30s.  While this is a little warmer than is usual due to the weather patterns in the US being quite extreme this year, it is still far from the freezing temperatures that one might assume.  What is also interesting is that people from the east coast are sometimes very uncomfortable hiking in the Grand Canyon during the summer because temperatures can reach over 100 degrees.  This means that the people from the eastern portion of the US are actually far more comfortable visiting the Grand Canyon during the winter than the summer. Visiting southwestern national parks during the winter is a great idea, and not just from the standpoint of the weather being beautiful.  The tourism rates for national parks drops dramatically in the winter as opposed to spring and summer.  During the winter months, you can expect about

Visiting national parks located in the southwestern portion of the United States is always a good experience, as these areas all have very different landscapes as well as different species of animals and different variations of plants.  The differences in the landscapes are generally due to the very diverse climates that are seen at different national parks, these areas also being shaped by natural occurrences like water flow and wind.  When combined with the type of soil that is found in the area, you end up with landscapes that differ wildly from one another, and as a result the plants and animals that live in the vicinity adapt to the climate.  This produces national park areas that look completely different than one another, even though they are only separated by a few hundred miles.  This is the case with Zion Canyon National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, which are both located only a short drive from Las Vegas but are both quite different. If you have toured Zion and Bryce before, you probably left from Las Vegas and visited Zion first.  This is because Zion is located only 2.5 hours drive from Las Vegas, making it one of the most popular national parks to visit due to it's proximity to the popular tourist city.  Those wishing to only spend a single day in a park before returning home to Las Vegas will generally choose Zion because they can get there quickly and still have some of the day to explore before driving home.  Those considering a longer drive will generally opt for the Grand Canyon, due to the fact that it is more famous than the other national parks that are that distance drive.  If you have the time to spend a few days outside of the Las Vegas

Touring the Grand Canyon is always an unforgettable experience, that you are not going to regret.  Even if it is more crowded than you would care for (of course there are lots of other people who also want to see the Grand Canyon on the same day that you do) and it takes a while to get there by car (about 4.5 hours drive from Las Vegas) you are not going to be bothered by the small inconveniences when you are looking out over one of the most spectacular landscapes on earth.  The Grand Canyon definitely has a tourist season during the summer when it is warmer, and as a result of this you may find that the ideal time to visit the Grand Canyon is actually at the completely opposite time, during the winter.  Depending on the type of experience that you are looking for, many visitors who go to the Grand Canyon in the winter actually prefer that time, and would suggest for you to visit during the winter too.  Here are six reasons to book your winter Grand Canyon tour: It is far less crowded. The Grand Canyon shows tourism rates during the months between December and February thin down to about 10% of what they are in the summer.  While there are still tour buses coming and going, you are going to find it far easier to get lodging and restaurant tables during the winter.  Hiking is also far less crowded, and camping is a unique experience when there are less people around. Sunrise and sunset.  In the winter the sun doesn't rise and set directly over the canyon.  This means that the brilliant colors that make up the canyon walls are more visible, and have more contrast than in the summer.  Because the sun is

The Grand Canyon is one of the most visited natural places on earth, with tourism to the area fueled by it's incredible landscape and it;s proximity to major cities like Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.  One of the biggest issues with regards to tourism at national parks is the distances that must be traveled to get there, and unless you live in the southwestern United States you are going to need to fly into a city that is in the vicinity of the park you want to visit.  Proximity to a city that supports commercial airline traffic is critical to boosting tourism numbers, as is seen in the amount of yearly visitors to Zion Canyon being disproportionate to other parks in the southwest during times when they are heavily marketed.  When a push is made towards making people aware of the parks of the southwest, Zion benefits the most simply due to the fact that it is only 2 hours or so from Las Vegas, while other parks are longer drives.  People who are visiting Las Vegas and want to take a break from the lights and gambling can get into a car and visit Zion for a few hours before returning home, which shows that if a major city is within driving distance to a park, it will benefit from that proximity.  The Grand Canyon is no different, being on the top of the lists that most people make of national parks to visit.  While the distance from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon is larger, the desire to visit the space is shared by far more people, thus making it one of the top visited places in the world. The crowds that are present when you visit the Grand Canyon are going to vary depending on the

2017 ended with some of the coldest weather that has ever been seen on the east coast, and while that is certainly unfortunate for residents in that portion of the country we were given the gift of nearly perfect and warm weather at the same time on the west coast. In some areas of California, the temperatures on New Years Day approached the high eighties, and in other areas of the west coast a comfortable mid-seventies was seen. This weather trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, and as a result we should see an increase in the bookings of one of our most popular products, our Death Valley Tour.  This is generally due to the understanding that if you take an area that is known for the most extreme hot temperatures on earth and reduce the temperature across the country by a significant amount, you end up with horrible cold across the majority of the country and nearly perfect weather in Death Valley.  While it is impossible to predict exact temperatures, you can expect your Death Valley tour over the next few months of the winter to be in the sixties and seventies.  You may need to wear a jacket or sweat shirt, but it is probably going to me nearly perfect on the day you tour. Our Death Valley Tour is a one-day excursion to Death Valley National Park, and area globally known for producing some of the most extreme summer temperatures on earth.  A temperature over 134 degrees was once recorded here, and many records are held by the area for consecutive days of heat.  As a result, the area is quite unique and the landscape is otherworldly.  There are areas of Death Valley that literally have no vegetation or animal life for miles, and

2018 is going to be exciting for Bindlestiff Tours.  Not only are we going to be expanding our already popular tours of national parks in the American southwestern states, we are also going to br branching out into new areas that we have never offered before.  Our plans are to bring our unique brand of adventure tour to areas that are beyond our typical footprint that leaves from Las Vegas, and expand to both Alaska and Canada.  Over the border in Canada, our new tour package explores the Rockies in a way that goes beyond sightseeing and nature walks.  Our Canadian Rockies tour is a full blown adventure that is going to leave you speechless.  Our guides are experts in the areas, and naturally will show you all of the interesting things that are potentially un-noticed by those driving by in busses.  We get out there and experience it all first hand, interacting with the wilderness and gaining a better understanding of it all because we are loiving as part of it.  We don't just take pictures like other tours, we get our boots on the ground and enjoy it. The Canadian Rockies tour starts in Seattle, and goes to Kamloops on the first day where we will get to see elk, cougars and bears.  Thousands of species of wildlife inhabit the Thompson River Valley, and we are going to be on the lookout for them all.  Over the course of the following days we also explore Yoho National Park, Banff National Park, Lake Louise, Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Whistler and Vancouver before returning to Seattle.  You get to see the clearest lakes in the world fed by glaciers that are ancient.  You will get to see a 200 plus foot water drop at Bridal Veil Falls.  You will