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| America’s Best Kept Secrets |
| The National Parks Issue • February 10, 2009 | |
800.575.1540 • contact us | |
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| John Muir once said, "No temple made with hands can compare with Yosemite" |
He was right. Our National Parks are our nation’s natural jewels, our sanctuaries, our timeless treasures. Established in 1872 with the debut of Yellowstone, America now boasts 58 National Parks – each a protected land that is as rare, varied and undeniably beautiful as they come.
Refuges for wildlife, plants and ecosystems and renowned for their extraordinary geological features, our National Parks are, simply put, the best that nature has to offer.
And the best part? They’re right in your backyard.
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| The Magic of Yellowstone National Park |
Remember Dorothy’s words sung over and over as she skipped along the yellow brick road? “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” Had she been in the magical northwest corner of Wyoming instead of the Land of Oz, she might have been singing, “Geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, mud pots! Elk and moose and grizzlies, oh MY!”
That’s right – they’re all here in Yellowstone National Park, and by the thousands. 10,000 geo-thermal wonders – half of all that exist in the entire world. 2,000 buffalo. 20,000 elk. Plus a waterfall twice as high as Niagara Falls, a park that’s larger than two entire states, more than 1,000 miles of trails and historic hotels built for the well-to-do a century ago – including the largest log structure in the world, the enormous Old Faithful Inn.
Read more about Yellowstone National Park in owner Dan Austin’s travel blog, The Magic of Yellowstone
“Yellowstone is a phenomenal place – but your 3 guides really made the trip memorable.”
Thomas McCarthy, Pennsylvania | |
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| America’s National Parks have inspired poets, painters and photographers for years. How will they inspire you? |
Ride horseback into the heart of the Grand Canyon. Travel by boat deep into Alaska’s pristine Glacier Bay. Hike through red-rock slot canyons in Zion Virgin River Narrows and raft the rapids of the Snake River to a backdrop the snow-capped, snaggle-toothed Grand Tetons. From Yosemite to Yellowstone, Crater Lake to Kenai, America’s National Parks offer the perfect playground for your next adventure vacation.
Austin-Lehman hosts active, small-group adventure vacations in more than a dozen National Parks throughout the United States. Stay close to home this year on your next family vacation, luxury travel tour or romantic getaway and venture with our homegrown guides off the well-trodden tourist path and into the heart of our country’s best-kept secrets.
“Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space.”
Ansel Adams | | |
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| Trips in our National Parks |
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| AUSTIN-LEHMAN ADVENTURES FEATURED RECIPE |
| There's a reason why our guests rave about our food. Whether served campfire-side or at a 5-star restaurant, our artfully prepared local eats are sinfully delicious! |
Local Bites: Baked Brie with Huckleberry Coulis and Hollandaise Sauce
Trip: Montana - Yellowstone: The Serengeti of the American West |
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| Method: |
To Prepare Baked Brie: Preheat oven to 450º. Trim the rind of the brie so that only the soft, creamy portion remains. Cut chees2 into 4 2-ounce squares. Gently wrap the pastry around the cheese as if you were wrapping a present, with your fingers crease the folds of the pastry to secure the dough until smooth.
Beat the eggs and half-and half until mixed thoroughly for an egg wash (this will prevent the pastry from burning in the oven.) Dip each pastry wrapped Brie in the egg wash and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. The cheese should be melted in the center of pastry. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the puff pastry; if the toothpick comes out clean, Brie is done.
To Prepare the Huckleberry Coulis: Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor, puree until smooth. Set aside.
To Serve: Pour the Hollandaise Sauce into an overside platter or four individual serving plates, covering the surfaces completely. Next, drizzle Huckleberry Coulis in parallel lines to create decorative stripes over the Hollandaise Sauce. Place baked Brie squares on top of sauce. Serve the sliced bread in another dish or around the serving dish. |
Click here for the whole Baked Brie with Huckleberry Coulis and Hollandaise Sauce recipe.
Recipe compliments of Chico Hot Springs Resort - Montana.
View all of our Local Bites recipes here! | |
| Key Ingredients |
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8 ounces Brie |
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4 (5 x 5 inch) puffed pastry shells (available at most grocery stores in the frozen dessert section) |
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3 eggs |
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1/4 cup half-and-half |
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1 cup huckleberry preserves |
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Zest of 1 orange |
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1/2 cup cranberry juice |
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1 cup Hollandaise Sauce |
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1 loaf of french bread | | | | |
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