Prehistoric Squire Boone Caverns, Indiana, Now Offers Nighttime Lantern Tours; Zipline Canopy Tours

Squire Boone Caverns has just launched two new outdoor adventures for visitors to southern Indiana’s Harrison County. A brand new high-flying zipline canopy tour takes visitors soaring above the caverns on six nonstop tree-to-tree ziplines and a swinging suspension bridge. Squire Boone Caverns Zipline Adventure is open daily April 1 through November 15, with various tours offered each day. Tours are $59 for visitors age seven and up, with discounts for groups of 10 or more. Reservations and complete information are available at http://www.squireboonecavernsziplines.com or (812) 732-1200.

Just 20 minutes outside of Corydon, Indiana’s Squire Boone Caverns has also just added a unique new nighttime tour for travelers, with the first being offered June 8 at 7:00 p.m. The Squire’s Lantern Tour leads groups through complete darkness, guided only by the soft light of lanterns. As gifted cavern guides tell the history-filled tales of Squire and Daniel Boone’s cavern discovery, visitors are led to through this dramatic underground marvel. At the cavern’s shadowy dead-end, the cave lights ignite, illuminating the interior and giving visitors a completely different experience as they make the return trek out of the cavern. These nocturnal tours are $16 for ages 6-11 and $25 for guests age 12 and up. The tours are limited to just 12 guests at a time and are offered by reservation only, once a week throughout June and July. Explorers can book reservations by at (812) 732-4381 or squireboonecaverns.com.

Squire Boone Caverns welcomes thousands of guests each year as they’re wowed by dazzling cave formations, picturesque underground waterfalls, rushing rivers, vast ceilings and the unique history of this ancient wonder. Beyond a variety of cave tours, visitors to Squire Boon Caverns experience a variety of activities, including a gift shop, picnic areas, a playground, nature trail, gemstone mining a working grist mill and a historic village offering everything from candle-dipping and soap making to a candy shop.

Beyond the region’s stunning caves and caverns, Corydon visitors are provided with a variety of ways to enjoy Hoosier Hospitality, from nostalgic old-time ice cream parlors to the State Historic Site marking Corydon’s place as Indiana’s first state capital. Downtown Corydon, Constitution Elm, a Civil War battlefield and reenactment and tours of one of the nation’s oldest standing early African American schoolhouses attracts history buffs nationwide. Guests can also enjoy diverse dining ranging from fresh seafood to spicy Mexican restaurants and warm country cooking, and accommodations include a historic B&B, affordable modern hotels, country cafes and a riverboat casino. From live bluegrass music to experiencing a roll of the dice at Horseshoe Southern Indiana or savoring the home of the Paula Deen Buffet, Harrison County offers intriguing nightlife activities as well. Information on reservations for all hotels and activities can be found inside the Corydon Visitors Guide.

For more information or to order the Visitors Guide, visit http://www.thisisIndiana.org or call 888-738-2137.

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Smugglers’ Notch Resort is top pick for families in SKI Magazine “Top 50 Resorts” rankings

For the 12^th year, Smugglers’ Notch Resort in northern Vermont has been selected as #1 for family programs by readers of SKI Magazine in the magazine’s annual survey for their “Top 50 Resorts.”

“We are thrilled to again receive this recognition,” says Bill Stritzler, Smugglers’ owner and managing director. “Years ago we focused our mission on being the best resort for family fun, anywhere. Responding to families’ vacation interests and recreational needs is the cornerstone of our operations here at Smugglers’, enhanced by the careful attention our employees pay to customer service.”

Further emphasizing the Resort’s appeal to vacationing families, Smugglers’ received top 10 ranking among Eastern resorts in the categories of overall satisfaction, value, lodging, off-hill activities and service. Smugglers’ also received top 10 recognition for the challenge and variety of its terrain. Smugglers’ three mountains and 78 trails feature 1000 acres of terrain for all abilities, from the novice skiers and riders enjoying Morse Mountain’s gentle runs to the extreme experts taking on Madonna Mountain’s gnarly double and triple black diamond Fab Five trails.

In a departure from traditional ski school instruction, Smugglers’ Snow Sport University offers experiential on-slope learning to students. Accompanied by an instructor-guide, skiers and riders explore terrain appropriate for their ability level, from wide learning trails and gentle cruisers to narrow steeps and woods. All-day children’s camps for skiing and snowboarding instruction start at age 3 for young skiers and riders, and an innovative program based in Smugglers’ Treasures Child Care Center introduces 2 ½ year olds to skiing with fun age-appropriate instruction techniques.

New Zipline Canopy Tour

Responding to increasing interest by families in soft adventure experiences, a year round zipline canopy tour is planned to open at the Resort in December 2010. Participants on the 2.5-3-hour tour, the first of its kind in Vermont, will ride more than 4,000 feet of cable on eight sections of zip line, cross suspension bridges, and rappel from trees. Scenic lookout and tree platforms in a mature forest consisting of stands of hemlock, white birch and sugar maple will yield stunning views of the Resort, Mount Mansfield and the Green Mountains. In keeping with the Resort’s commitment to environmental stewardship through nature-focused programs that combine learning and fun, Smugglers’ canopy tour guides will highlight the ecology and natural history of the area to participants.

For additional information on Smugglers’ Notch Resort, visit http://www.smuggs.com. The Resort’s vacation planning and information phone number is 1-800-451-8752.

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