1. Overview
If you want to experience the beauty of America’s National Parks without roughing it, meet Revealed America. In this issue we give you the actual itinerary covering Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone/Grand Teton in just one week via private jet. Revealed America highlights include: A private tour of Mariposa Grove|; Full day private tour of Yosemite National Park, including lunch at the historic Ahwahnee
Hotel; ‘Walk in Yosemite Valley with John Muir;' Full day private Grand Canyon
Tour with noted artist Bruce Aiken and geologist Wayne
Ranney, including lunch at the historic El Tovar Hotel; Grand Canyon private helicopter
tour; Private Colorado River/Glen Canyon float trip; ‘Horses & History’
private reception and campfire dinner at Amangiri; Full Day private tour of
Yellowstone National Park; Private ‘Breakfast with the Eagles’ Snake River
float trip; Grand Teton wildlife safari with a noted photographer; 5-Star accommodations
at Chateau du Sureau, Amangiri and Amangani, including 14 meals during your stay and assistance with dining reservations for the other meals. Details are below.
2. Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1:
Arrive Fresno, California via your own private jet / Private Tour Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
Upon arrival in Fresno,
you’ll be met by your private driver/guide who will transfer you to Chateau du
Sureau, a Relais & Chateau property in Oakhurst, near the south entrance to Yosemite; the drive will take
just under one hour. Upon arrival at the Chateau, you’ll have a private
lunch at Erna’s Elderberry Restaurant at the Chateau. After lunch and unloading
your bags, you will then drive approximately 30 minutes to tour the Mariposa Grove of
Giant Sequoias with your private naturalist guide. These are the largest
living things on earth, and your guide will provide interpretation as you walk
among these giants. Following your tour you’ll return to Chateau du
Sureau, your home for the next two nights.
Chateau du Sureau is a
romantic haven located just 16 miles from the south entrance to
Yosemite. The hotel features
extraordinary European hospitality, beautiful guestrooms, walking paths,
fountains, a swimming pool, bocce court and the award winning Erna’s Elderberry
House restaurant.
Overnight at Chateau du
Sureau: Choose the Saffron Room (King Bedroom, Bathroom), Lavender Room (King Bedroom,
bathroom) or Sweet Geranium Room (King Bedroom, bathroom). Saffron Room: Dramatic
and opulent, with a king -size bedroom set from 1834 of ebony wood with ivory
inlay, floor-to-ceiling tapestry, black marble fireplace, yellow and black
marble bath. Lavender Room: A cozy corner room with king-size sleigh bed and
small balcony opening onto breathtaking views of the Estate grounds, the town
below and the Sierra beyond. Sweet Geranium Room: Nestled into the corner of
the Château with views of the gardens and Sierra Nevada, king-size canopy bed
and a cozy sitting area.
Lunch at Erna’s Elderberry
Restaurant at Chateau du Sureau. The cost for special opening of the
restaurant for lunch is complimentary. If you wish, schedule
spa treatments at Chateau du Sureau in the late afternoon.
Day 2:
Private Full Day Tour of
Yosemite National Park / Lunch at the Historic Ahwahnee Restaurant / Walk in
Yosemite Valley with John Muir
Your private guide will
meet you after breakfast at approximately 9:00am for a full-day tour of the
highlights of Yosemite National Park, including the major waterfalls and rock
formations, plus portions of the high country. Yosemite is one of America’s premier national parks, founded
in the early 20th century by pioneer explorer John Muir. You will also enjoy lunch at the
historic log-constructed Ahwahnee Lodge restaurant.
After lunch, you will meet
“John Muir” for a walk in Yosemite Valley and a discussion of the founding of
Yosemite and John’s hopes for its future.
The individual with whom you will meet has played John Muir at Yosemite
for more than two decades. He has
also portrayed him at the Smithsonian, Explorer’s Club of New York, and many
other venues. He will be in full
costume and character. You’ll return to your
hotel at approximately 5:30pm with time to rest and freshen up before dinner. Overnight at Chateau du
Sureau. Breakfast and Lunch
included.
Day 3:
Transfer to Fresno/ Fly to Grand Canyon via Private Jet / Grand Canyon Private
Tour with Geologist-Author Wayne Ranney and Grand Canyon Artist Bruce Aiken /
Lunch at El Tovar Restaurant / Private Helicopter Flightseeing over Grand
Canyon / Amangiri Resort
Have breakfast and check
out of the Chateau by 8:00am for transfer to Fresno where you’ll board your
private jet for the flight to the Grand Canyon. Upon arrival at the Grand
Canyon airport, you’ll be met by your private guides for a 4-5-hour tour,
including a drive and hikes along the Canyon rim and a chance to hike down into
the Canyon if you wish. Your tour will be co-led by Wayne Ranney and Brue
Aiken. Wayne is the author of Carving the Grand Canyon, and one of the
pre-eminent geologists in the Southwest. Each couple will receive a signed copy
of Wayne’s book. Bruce, whose paintings were created over a 30-year
period while he and his family lived at the bottom of the canyon, is an amazing
storyteller. He is the author of Bruce Aiken’s Grand Canyon: An Intimate
Affair. Each couple will receive a signed copy of Bruce’s book of his art.
After lunch, if there is
time, you’ll visit the historic buildings on the Canyon rim, including the
photography studio of the Kolb Brothers (not open to the public), first to
photograph the Canyon in the late 19th century. You’ll then return to Grand
Canyon Airport to board a helicopter we have reserved for a private 45-minute
flightseeing tour over the Grand Canyon, with headset narration by your
pilot-guide.
After your helicopter
flight, board your private jet for your 20-minute flight to Page, followed by a
30-minute transfer to Amangiri. After checking into Amangiri, we will reserve
your choice of dining options in the Amangiri restaurant:
Choose, seating indoors in the
main dining room; seating outdoors on the
pool patio adjacent to the main dining room; seating at the counter
to watch the chefs at work in the main dining room; private dining in a room
adjacent to the dining room, or private dining on the
Desert Terrace distant from the dining room.
Overnight at Amangiri in
Girijaala Suite or Desert View Suites
Stay in the Girijaala Suite with panoramic
views of the surrounding mountain ridge and an over-sized desert lounge. The Girijala Suite has same amenities as the Amangiri Suite, is more conveniently located close to the spa and lounge/restaurant, and has a superior mesa rather than desert view. Guest
entry is through a private courtyard with stairs leading up to a sky lounge
offering a large day bed. Broad stairs lead from the entry courtyard to an
expansive swimming pool and terrace. The swimming pool, with spectacular views,
measures 46x12 feet and the terrace provides four sun-loungers and built-in
lounge seating with a dining table. The interior follows the layout of the
suites, however the dressing room features two spacious bathing areas separated
by a breezeway connecting the desert lounge with the swimming pool; one
featuring twin rain showers and the other a comfortable soaking tub.
All suites offer
air-conditioning for summer and under-floor heating for the cooler months.
Entry to each suite is via a private courtyard that features a Douglas Fir
timber screen and includes a dining table, two chairs and a sculptured light
form. A glass wall with a central door opens to a combined bedroom and living
area which includes a writing desk and a king-sized bed. Beyond the bed is a
sitting area which features a low-set sofa, a coffee table, reading chairs and
a side table. A soaring timber cabinet separates the bedroom and living area
from the dressing room, and houses a television and combined CD/DVD player.
Concertina glass doors open from the sitting area to a spacious desert lounge
that frames the view of the natural landscape beyond. Breakfast and Lunch
included.
Day 4:
Colorado River - Glen Canyon Float Trip / ‘Horses & History’ Native
American Storyteller with Private Campfire Dinner
Your private river trip departs Amangiri after breakfast at 8:45am. You’ll be transferred to the put-in point on the Colorado
River at Glen Canyon Dam (the drive will take about 30 minutes). Upon arrival
at Glen Canyon, you’ll board your private raft for a trip down the Colorado
River. With the sheer rod rock canyon walls soaring from 800 feet to 1,600 feet
above you, you’ll journey downstream, where you will experience one of the most
dramatic stretches of river found in the western United States.
While underway, your
guide will tell the area’s story of soaring sandstone cliffs, crystal
blue-green waters, abundant wildlife, former inhabitation by native cultures,
exploration by Major John Wesley Powell, and the Colorado River’s modern role
in the Southwest’s water and power delivery system. Your trip will also include
a stop to view ancient petroglyphs left by Ancestral Puebloans. The raft trip
will take approximately three hours. You’ll have a picnic lunch on the river at
a scenic pullout.
You’ll arrive back at
Amangiri at approximately 1:30pm. The middle of the afternoon is free to enjoy the
spa, go for a walk or simply relax and enjoy the panoramic views.
In the late afternoon we
have arranged for a private reception and dinner with a Native American tribal
elder storyteller. It begins with a 45 minute horseback ride to Raven’s Nest,
located on the Amangiri property (for those who choose not to ride via
horseback, a vehicle will transfer you). Upon arrival at Raven’s Nest, set in a
cave of entrada sandstone, you’ll have 45 minute reception with a Navajo tribal
elder who will tell stories and perform a native dance. A chef from Amangiri
will then prepare a campfire dinner at Raven’s Nest which you’ll eat in a
rustic yet comfortable alfresco setting. After dinner, you’ll return to the
resort via vehicle.
Overnight at Amangiri. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
included.
You will be traveling in
a motorized raft, since this section of the Colorado River is flat water and
the trip would be too lengthy using the current and paddling only. To conclude the float trip, the raft
will motor upriver to the put-in point, which cuts the return time to the lodge
significantly.
If you wish, schedule
spa treatments at Amangiri in the early-to-mid-afternoon.
You can go to the dinner venue by horseback or vehicle, and can split your group. For example, in this case the three women decided to arrive via horse while the men came in a vehicle.
Day 5:
Fly to Jackson, WY via
Private Jet / Optional Visit to Jackson for Shops, Galleries, “Watering Holes”
and the Museum of Wildlife Art / Amangani Resort
After breakfast, you’ll check
out of the resort and be transferred to Page where you will board your private
jet for the one hour and 15 minute flight to Jackson, Wyoming.
Upon arrival in Jackson,
you’ll have a private transfer to the Amangani Resort, followed by a
complimentary lunch at the resort. The five-star Amangani is perched on the edge of East Gros Ventre Butte
surrounded by the stunning Teton Range and overlooking the beautiful meadow of
Jackson Hole.
Your afternoon is free
to enjoy the spa and pool or to travel 20 minutes to Jackson to visit the
shops, galleries, local bars and the world-class Museum of Wildlife Art.
For dinner tonight, you
can either dine at the resort’s main dining room (The Grill at Amangani) or
down the hill in Jackson. We
recommend Rendezvous Bistro and Trio, both in Jackson or Osteria at Teton
Village. If you decide to dine in town, Revealed America will assist you with reservations.
Overnight at Amangani in the 676 sq. ft. Grand Teton Suite. Grand Teton Suite: top-level
suite has breathtaking views of the Grand Teton and surrounding mountain range.
The suite has a king-size bed in the bedroom/living-room area and a separate
bathroom/dressing room area with a sunken tub, and a separate shower. The Grand
Teton Suite is 625ft. All Suites are carpeted, air-conditioned and include a
bedroom/living room and a spacious bathroom/dressing room. The living area
consists of a king-size bed, metal fireplace, a window-side daybed for
lounging, a black resin-and-terrazzo dining table, woven cowhide chairs in faux
wolf fabric and a pine-stump table.
Amangani Suites: all suites also offer a
minibar, a CD player, a TV, DVD player and a two-line phone with data plug-in
and high-speed Internet access. Wireless Internet connection is also available.
Living area walls are decorated with back-lit cedar or fir planks. Sliding
glass doors lead to a deck with a wrought iron table and chairs. All enjoy
mountain and valley views. A deep soaking tub with a window view highlights the
large bathroom/dressing area and the twin vanities and shower room are trimmed
in slate. Double dressing areas include a full-length mirror, as well as
drawers, shelves and open closet space for two. The floor is of clear-heart
redwood.
Breakfast and Lunch
included.
A driver-guide will be
on-call in the afternoon and evening should you choose to travel to Jackson for
sightseeing in the afternoon or for dinner in the evening.
If you wish, schedule
spa treatments at Amangani in the afternoon.
Day 6:
‘Breakfast with the Eagles’ Private Snake River Float / Afternoon Private
Horseback Ride in the Shadow of Teton Range / Dinner in Jackson
You’ll wake up early for
a drive to experience something truly special – a trip down the beautiful Snake
River in a traditional wooden Mackenzie River dory. Early morning provides a wonderful opportunity to observe the
area's diverse wildlife and enjoy the solitude of a private scenic float. The
Snake River corridor is home to myriad bird and mammal species, including
eagles in the trees along the river. You’ll also see a wide variety of
wildflowers and beautiful stands of mature trees. After the river float, you’ll
stop at our private riverside tipi camp and enjoy a delicious brunch. The trip
takes a total of four hours.
You’ll return to your
hotel in the late morning. Enjoy a light lunch at the hotel in the early
afternoon. In the mid-afternoon, there is a horseback ride option. You will be transferred to Spring Creek Ranch Stables, located on the same
ridge as Amangani, for a one-hour private horseback trail ride. The views of
the Teton Range, the National Elk Refuge and Jackson are stunning. At the
halfway point, you’ll stop to stretch your legs and have a snack. You can also enjoythe view and drinks at the Amangani Lounge, or at a
watering hole in Jackson.
For dinner tonight, Revealed America wil assist you with reservations at Local in downtown Jackson, highly recommended
for its steak and game menu.
Overnight at Amangani. Brunch included. If you wish, schedule
spa treatments at Amangani in the afternoon.
Day 7:
Fly to West Yellowstone / Full Day Private Guided Tour of Yellowstone National
Park / Return to Jackson
This morning, you’ll be
transferred to the Jackson Hole Airport to board your private aircraft to fly
to West Yellowstone (flight time is approx. 50 minutes with flightseeing). The
flight will give you an incredible ‘bird’s eye’ view of both Grand Teton and
Yellowstone National Parks. One of your two private guides will ride with you
on the plane to provide interpretation.
Upon arrival at West
Yellowstone, you’ll be met by your other private guide. You’ll have a full day
today with your two guides to explore Yellowstone, with stops at many of the
park’s signature destinations, including Old Faithful, wildlife viewing
habitats, Lake Yellowstone and more. Your guide will interpret the wildlife and
geothermal features for you and lead you on off-the-beaten track hikes. Your
guide will choose a beautiful area to prepare a gourmet picnic lunch, giving
you a chance to relax and enjoy the beauty surrounding you.
After lunch you’ll
continue your journey south through the park. Your guides will provide bottled
water, binoculars, spotting scopes and snacks as you go. You’ll return to your
hotel between 5:00 and 6:00pm. After a long day, we recommend you dine tonight
at the Amangani Grill which specializes in local, sustainable ranch meats,
fresh fish and seasonal farm-to-table produce.
Overnight at Amangani. Breakfast and Lunch
included.
The flight from Jackson
to West Yellowstone provides more than flightseeing – It saves more than two
hours of driving on the same road you will take when returning in the late
afternoon. Three airplane options
for flight from Jackson to West Yellowstone: Your own jet, a Kodiak 100 single engine
aircraft at an additional cost of $2,500, or a Beechcraft King Air 200
twin-engine aircraft at an additional cost of $5,500.
Day 8:
Early Morning Wildlife
Tour with Professional Photographer Daryl Hunter / Depart Jackson via Private
Jet
Professional
photographer and guide Daryl Hunter will meet you at your hotel at daybreak to
travel the nearby Moose-Wilson Road to view moose, elk, beaver and black
bears. Daryl has had his images
published in National Geographic, Audubon, Outdoor Photographer, Outside
Magazine, Snow Country, Outdoor Life, Esquire Sports, New York Dailey
News, and countless others. Your wildlife adventure will continue to
view sites for the buffalo and antelope herds and other wildlife along the Gros
Ventre River and Antelope Flats. The hotel will provide you with a breakfast
box to take with you that will include beverages, bagels, pastries, breakfast
sandwiches, fruit, etc. Daryl will also provide rolls, coffee and hot chocolate
that will be served en-route.
Following your four-hour
wildlife tour, return to the Amangani to freshen up, eat lunch and check out
before departing for the Jackson airport to board your private jet for your
homebound flight. Breakfast included.
