Huskies at BYU, Washington in the Wasatch

Labor Day Weekend, September 3rd – 5th or 6th, 2010

Huskies arriving in Salt Lake City will find a vibrant downtown with great dining venues, night spots, theaters, and shops. We’re combining the best this downtown metropolis offers with travel into the mountains in the region and the shores of the Great Salt Lake.

Arrive Friday and stay for 2 nights, or extend your stay to take full advantage of the tour. Here is what you’ll be getting with this tour:

• Accommodations at a 4-star hotel in the downtown core, close to restaurants, shopping, and entertainment
• Friday night private party at a local established venue with drinks, food, music, and cheers
• Game day transportation to Provo
• Game tickets and pre-game party near campus, hosted by UWAA
• Sunday morning mountain top experience with brunch above the turning aspen trees
• Optional tour of Antelope Island for the Annual Hot Air Balloon Stampede and Kite Flying Festival.

The itinerary:

Friday arrivals at Salt Lake City Airport. Transfers to downtown Salt Lake Hotels. Friday afternoon is free to explore the downtown area, including the Mormon Tabernacle (acoustics are unbelievable), State Capital Building, Utah Museum of Natural History, Museum of Fine Art, Red Butte Garden, Clark Planetarium, or one of the many Genealogy Centers open to the public. The Salt Lake Bees (AAA Angels affiliate) are playing in town over the weekend. We’ll have tickets for a game when times are announced.

We are having an event at a downtown club scheduled for late evening and into the wee hours. Drinks, music, and a central gathering point for Huskies are on the menu for the evening.

Sunday morning offers an event not to be missed. Our group will be traveling to Snow Basin Ski Resort, a short drive into the Rocky Mountains. Snow Basin provides live music and beverages in the meadow area adjacent to the main ski lodge. From this lodge, we will take a gondola* ride to Needles Lodge, located just below the summit of Needles Mountain. We’ll enjoy views of the Rockies and the turning Aspen Trees on the way to brunch, which is served at the most luxurious ski lodge you have ever seen. After our mountain top meal, we will ride the gondola to the meadow at the base of the resort for live music and drinks. We’ll return to the hotel between 1-2pm. If you are not staying over until Monday, be sure to schedule your Sunday return air flights not earlier than 3:00pm from SLC in order to take part in this event.

Later this afternoon, you’re welcome to join us for a ride to Antelope Island for the Kite and Balloon Stampede. See kite flying competitions and hot air balloons as they lift up over the Great Salt Lake.

Prices for the 3-night land arrangements are as follows:

• Single $640
• Double $495 (per person)

Credit for package, if you are only staying for the two-night program, is $90 per room. You may as well stay three nights for the difference. Credit for game tickets, if you purchase your own, is $30 per ticket. Credit for cash or check payment, instead of visa/mastercard is $20 per person.

An early booking discount of $50 per person applies to reservations under deposit by 12/15/2009.

At the end of March, I will have a drawing for early booking clients for series of prizes. Prizes will include:

Upgrade to a hotel suite for your stay in Salt Lake City (2 upgrades awarded), Limited edition Tailgate at Sea Batik Shirts (10), Road Warrior Jackets and Vests (10)

The earlier you book, the more chances you have to win. Confirm your reservation by December 15th for 15 entries. Confirm by January 15th for 10 entries. Confirm by February 15th for 5 entries. Confirm by March 15th for 2 entries. Drawing will be held at the Spring Football Game in April and winners will be notified by email and phone.

Air Transportation

It’s less than 2 hours by plane from Seattle to Salt Lake. Even more convenient is the fact that the airport is 10 minutes from downtown hotels. Delta, Skywest, and Southwest are the three carriers that provide non-stop service between Seattle and Salt Lake.

You have the option of waiting until I contract for group space with Southwest Airlines for group seats, which will take place in March-April 2010. Southwest provides schedules and fares only 6-7 months in advance of travel dates, unlike the other airlines which post this information 333 days out. I expect Southwest fares to be about $300 round trip, including transportation from the airport to hotel.

The second option is to book airfare now with Sky West Airlines. Flights are open now with fares in the $240-$260 range. I can book this here, or you can book it online with Travelocity, Orbitz, or one of the many online services. If you decide to book your flights now, tickets must be issued and paid within 24 hours of booking the space. Please note that a service fee applies to all airline tickets issued here and other outlets. The fees with NW Travel are $15 per ticket or $25 for two passengers on the same itinerary.

The deposit required to confirm your BYU package is $100 per person for the land portion or $150 per person if you travel on group air space. This deposit is refundable until March 15th. At that point, all payments become non-refundable. Balance of payment for this tour is due June 18th.

Updated: Wednesday, November 25, 2009