The real deal: Two nights' accommodations in two-person tents (one at a base camp, the other in the backcountry), all meals, entrance fees and the services of two naturalist-guides for $595 per person — all taxes included.
When: June 19, July 17, 31, Aug. 14, 28, Sept. 11, 2009.
The fine print: Airfare is not included. For REI members, the price is $550 per person. We recommend joining REI as membership costs only $20 per person and is good for life. Gratuities are extra. Group size maxes out at 10 people. A note on gear: Tents and kayak equipment are included, but a sleeping bag and a backpack are not. Read these guidelines before you book any Real Deal.
Book by: No deadline; based on availability.
Contact: REI Adventures, 800/622-2236, rei.com/adventures.
Why it's a deal: Consider that the package breaks down to $298 per person per night ($275 for members) and saves you the time and effort of coordinating professional hiking guides, kayaking gear, the campsite, the tent and meals. Novice hikers and kayakers should find such a package particularly helpful and valuable.
Itinerary highlights: The trip begins and ends in the Ozette campground in Olympic National Park, on the northern tip of Ozette Lake, which is just about three miles from the Pacific coast. After meeting your group, you'll start with a kayaking tour on the northern part of the lake and then make camp. Over the next 36 hours, you'll hike about nine miles total on the Ozette Loop, which will take you past the coast, tide pools, ancient rock art and an indigenous whaling village that has been noted as an important archaeological site. All your meals are included — enjoy sandwich spreads, fresh fruits and pasta dishes for dinners.
Congress designated 95 percent of this national park as wilderness, so you'll be seeing the largely untouched backcountry of this beautiful region (and very few other people). You could spot bald eagles, rhinoceros auklets, or any of the other 250 species of birds that call the park home; the Olympic torrent salamander can only be found here.
Before you go: Transfers to the campground aren't included; Ozette Lake is about 114 miles west of Seattle. Read more on Olympic National Park on the National Park Service's Web site.
