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Great Reasons to Visit Shenandoah National Park This Spring
Guests can enjoy natural beauty, new dining menus and getaway packages
Shenandoah National Park, VA – (April 16, 2013) – National Park Week is April 22-26 at all national park locations including Shenandoah National Park. Nature lovers can take advantage of the free admission (Monday through Friday of that week) and explore Shenandoah.
Shenandoah National Park facilities started opening as scheduled this season with a new park superintendent, new management company and a new chef. Jim Northrup, a 32-year national park service ranger, was named superintendent of Shenandoah earlier this year. DNC Parks & Resorts, Inc. is kicking off its first season as concessioner at Shenandoah. Executive Chef, Steven Sterritt, is heading up the Skyland Resort culinary team.
Guests can enjoy an array of wildflowers, waterfalls and stunning views while staying at one of the three DNC Parks & Resorts’ lodges located in the park – Big Meadows Lodge, Skyland Resort or Lewis Mountain Cabins. Shenandoah National Park’s rich history and scenic beauty draws more than 1.2 million visitors each year.
“Spring is a special season in the Blue Ridge Mountains,” said Wayne Soard, Parks & Resorts General Manager at Shenandoah. “Guests can enjoy over 1,300 species of plants, 50 species of mammals and 200 species of birds. It’s the perfect time for couples and families to discover all that Shenandoah has to offer”.
What to See:
Breathtaking Views - Skyline Drive, the park’s scenic roadway, meanders along the crest of the mountain revealing spectacular views of the Shenandoah Valley and Virginia Piedmont region. Seventy-five overlooks spaced along the Drive’s 105 miles entice drivers to stop to take in the expansive vistas.Location - Shenandoah National Park is located just 75 miles from Washington, D.C., and is a quick getaway from major metropolitan areas.
Wildflowers - Engage your senses with the abundance of wildflowers in Shenandoah. A beautiful and varied display begins in late March as the hepatica and bloodroot push their way through the forest leaf litter. In April, purple and yellow violets flower, and the large-flowered trillium, pink lady’s slippers, and wild geraniums appear. In May, pink azaleas bloom in the forest and along Skyline Drive, followed by the white flowers of mountain laurel in June.
Waterfalls – Shenandoah’s beautiful waterfalls are a favorite destination for hikers in spring.
What to Do:
Experience New and Classic Cuisine – DNC Parks & Resort’s new chef at Skyland Resort, Steven Sterritt, offers buttermilk fried chicken and other regional favorites in the Pollock Dining Room. In addition, guests may order popular dishes such as the Mile-High Blackberry Ice Cream Pie, or place an order with the front desk for a “Picnic-to-Go.”Sample Regional Wines - Sample award-winning, regional Virginia wines. Wine tastings are held every Thursday at 3:00 p.m. at either Skyland Resort or Big Meadows Lodge.
Join a Cooking Demonstration - Skyland Resort’s new executive chef shares his expertise with guests every Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. in the dining room building.
When to Go:
Spring Getaway Package - Enjoy great savings with the mid-week Spring Getaway package. Available through June 20 at both Skyland Resort and Big Meadow Lodge, it includes lodging, breakfast and gratuities. Packages start at $141 for two people.Wildflower Weekend - May 4-5 is Wildflower Weekend in the park with scheduled hikes and programs led by National Park Service rangers and guest naturalists.
Delaware North also offers a 10 percent discount on the best available rate for Shenandoah lodging to AAA members, AARP members and active duty, reserve or retired U.S. Armed Services personnel.
Additional lodging promotions, events and activities for planning your Shenandoah getaway are available on our website www.goshenandoah.com or call 877.247.9261 to speak with the reservation office.
About Shenandoah National Park
Established by Congress in 1935, Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia contains nearly 197,000 acres of land with over 500 miles of trails, including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Shenandoah draws up to 1.2 million visitors a year with its rich history, unique geography and wildlife, as well as the panoramic vistas from the Skyline Drive. This National Scenic Byway, built during the Depression era, winds along the crest of the mountains through the length of the park, providing vistas of the sweeping landscape to the east and west. Lodging options in the park include Skyland Resort (mile 41.7), Big Meadows Lodge (mile 51.2) and Lewis Mountain Cabins (mile 57.5), which are operated by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Shenandoah, Inc., an authorized concessioner and hospitality provider for the National Park Service. For more information about Shenandoah accommodations, dining and special events, call 877-247-9261.About Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts
Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts is an industry leader, providing Stewardship and Hospitality in Special Places SM with hotel, retail, food service, recreation and transportation operations at historic and scenic properties in North America and Australia. The company operates Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida; in Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Sequoia and Yosemite national parks, including The Ahwahnee and other Yosemite lodges; The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake in Ohio; Gideon Putnam Resort in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; and in Niagara Falls State Park. The company also owns and operates Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite; Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa in British Columbia; the Park Gate Lodges at Yellowstone, which are the West Yellowstone Holiday Inn, Gray Wolf Inn and Suites and Yellowstone Park Hotel, all located at the park’s west gate in West Yellowstone, Mont.; and five luxury resorts in Australia: Lizard Island Resort, Heron Island Resort, Wilson Island Resort, Kings Canyon Resort and El Questro Homestead and Wilderness Park. To learn more about Delaware North Companies’ hospitality management expertise, visit http://www.delawarenorth.com/parks-and-resorts-home.aspx.
About Delaware North Companies
Delaware North Companies is one of the largest and most admired privately held hospitality companies in the world. Founded and owned by the Jacobs family for nearly 100 years, it is a global leader in hospitality and food service. Its family of companies includes Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Delaware North Companies International and Delaware North Companies Boston, owner of TD Garden. Delaware North Companies has revenue exceeding $2.6 billion annually and 55,000 associates serving half a billion customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.DelawareNorth.com.
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New Shenandoah National Park Concessioner Delaware North Companies
January 7, 2013
Global hospitality management company to begin operating Skyland Resort, Big Meadows Lodge and Lewis Mountain Cabins, plus other guest services.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (Jan. 7, 2013) – Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts today launched a number of lodging packages and began taking reservations for accommodations at scenic Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia just west of Washington, D.C.
Well-appointed guest rooms and cabins for the 2013 season at Shenandoah’s Skyland Resort, Big Meadows Lodge and Lewis Mountain Cabins can be booked online at http://www.GoShenandoah.com or toll-free by telephone at 877-247-9261. Delaware North’s central reservations office is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST on Saturday and Sunday.
The Skyland Resort, a complex of buildings and cabins perched at the highest point of the ever-popular, 105-mile Skyline Drive through the park, opens for the season on March 28, followed by the April 5 opening of the historic, furnished Lewis Mountain Cabins, which are nestled in a beautifully wooded area of the park.
Big Meadows Lodge, built in 1939 with stones cut from nearby Massanutten Mountain and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, opens on May 15. It features a main lodge, five cabins and six multiunit buildings. The interiors of the main lodge’s rooms feature authentic wood paneling made from native chestnut trees that are now virtually extinct.
All of the accommodations are conveniently located near the Shenandoah River -- the legendary river now highly popular for canoeing, kayaking and white-water rafting – the lovely Shenandoah Valley and Luray, Va.
Delaware North, a global hospitality management company that serves millions of guests at Yosemite and several other national parks, was selected in October by the U.S. National Park Service as the new concessioner at Shenandoah National Park. Under a 10-year contract, Delaware North will take over operation of the lodging, retail shops, food and beverage, and other commercial services Feb. 1.
“Shenandoah is one of the most beautiful and accessible national parks, so it’s a great honor to be entrusted with operating guest services here for the National Park Service,” said Rick Abramson, president of Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts. “We have a long-standing commitment of providing exemplary stewardship and hospitality and will do everything we can to elevate the guest experience at this historic park.”
In the coming months at Shenandoah, Delaware North will implement the company’s customer service program, GuestPath®, as well as its environmental management program, GreenPath®.
To mark the start of its handling of reservations, Delaware North is offering several lodging packages and other discounts at both the Skyland Resort and Big Meadows Lodge:
The Bed & Breakfast Package includes room accommodations and a full American breakfast each morning of a guest’s stay. Room type and rates are based on availability.
The Skyline Sweetheart Getaway includes room accommodations, a welcome amenity, bottle of Virginia wine, chocolate dipped strawberries and full American breakfast the following morning. The package includes a 5 percent discount on the best available rate during non-peak season. Room type and rates are based on availability.
The Shenandoah Spectacular Package allows guests to enjoy Shenandoah National Park for two nights and receive the third night free with the purchase of a $50 meal voucher. The food voucher is not valid for alcoholic beverages and is redeemable in the restaurants at Skyland Resort and Big Meadows Lodge.
Rate is based on promotional availability. There may be room accommodations that are not available for this offer and black-out dates apply, which include but are not limited to May 24, 25, 26; July 4, 5, 6; Aug. 30, 31, Sept. 1; Sept. 20 through Nov. 2; and Nov. 27, 28, 29.
Delaware North also offers a 10 percent discount on the best available rate for Shenandoah lodging to AAA members, AARP members and active duty, reserve or retired U.S. armed services personnel.
About Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts
Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts is an industry leader, providing Stewardship and Hospitality in Special Places SM with hotel, retail, food service, recreation and transportation operations at historic and scenic properties in North America and Australia. The company operates Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida; in Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Sequoia and Yosemite national parks, including The Ahwahnee and other Yosemite lodges; The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake in Ohio; Gideon Putnam Resort in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; and in Niagara Falls State Park. The company also owns and operates Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite; Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa in British Columbia; the Park Gate Lodges at Yellowstone, which are the West Yellowstone Holiday Inn, Gray Wolf Inn and Suites and Yellowstone Park Hotel, all located at the park’s west gate in West Yellowstone, Mont.; and five luxury resorts in Australia: Lizard Island Resort, Heron Island Resort, Wilson Island Resort, Kings Canyon Resort and El Questro Homestead and Wilderness Park. To learn more about Delaware North Companies’ hospitality management expertise, visit http://www.delawarenorth.com/parks-and-resorts-home.aspx.
About Delaware North Companies
Delaware North Companies is one of the largest and most admired privately held hospitality companies in the world. Founded and owned by the Jacobs family for nearly 100 years, it is a global leader in hospitality and food service. Its family of companies includes Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Delaware North Companies International and Delaware North Companies Boston, owner of TD Garden. Delaware North Companies has revenue exceeding $2.6 billion annually and 55,000 associates serving half a billion customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.DelawareNorth.com.
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