CRATER LAKE'S NEW ANNIE CREEK RESTAURANT & GIFT SHOP SET TO OPEN JUNE 2, 2006
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK, Ore. – April 24, 2006 – The new 10,443-square-foot Annie Creek Restaurant & Gift Shop in Crater Lake National Park will open June 2 in the Mazama Village area of the Oregon national park.
Xanterra Parks & Resorts began construction of the $3.7 million full-service restaurant and gift shop last year as part of the park’s concessions facilities improvement program. In the concession contract it signed with the National Park Service in 2002, Xanterra agreed to oversee and fund the construction project.
“Prior to the construction of the Annie Creek Restaurant, visitors staying in a cabin or at the Mazama Village campground had to drive seven miles to Crater Lake Lodge in order to enjoy a full-service meal,” said John Hawkings, Xanterra Parks & Resorts’ general manager for Crater Lake operations. “We think Annie Creek will not only contribute to a greatly enhanced experience for our guests, it is also an excellent example of responsible, sustainable development in a national park.”
Situated in a dense lodgepole pine forest, the building was designed to complement the classic national park architecture evident in the Crater Lake Lodge while using a variety of environmentally sustainable construction techniques. For example, the company took steps to preserve trees that would be targeted for removal under normal circumstances, and steps were taken to reduce the impact of the construction footprint. The building is targeted for LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) by the U.S. Green Building Council. The building’s sustainable architectural design includes use of sustainably harvested wood products, state-of-the-art HVAC systems, an airlock vestibule to limit air infiltration, energy used to reheat interior spaces and formaldehyde-free and post-consumer recycled materials. The building will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy purchases and has fixtures to help reduce water consumption by 40 percent.
Annie Creek Restaurant & Gift Shop has 98 seats inside and 36 seats in the patio area. The restaurant will feature buffet-style dining with a selection of pizzas cooked in a traditional-fired oven, pasta, fresh salads, soups and desserts. Wine and beer also will be served.
Reflecting Xanterra’s commitment to sustainable dining, the restaurant will serve locally produced, organic and other sustainable foods whenever possible. The restaurant is expected to serve between 300 and 700 people a day.
The gift shop will feature apparel, collectibles and artwork reflecting the park’s geology, wildlife and flora and fauna as well as numerous regionally and locally created artwork and other products. Examples include paintings by local artist Sharon Rainus, jewelry by Helen Knaupp, Pendleton blankets, Oregon-produced wines, and crafts created by the Klamath Tribe.
The restaurant is named for Annie Creek which runs adjacent to the Mazama Village area. The 19-year-old sister-in-law of the commander of nearby Fort Klamath, Annie Gaines accompanied a party of explorers from the fort and in 1865 became the first woman known to have descended the caldera walls to the shores of Crater Lake.
Located off State Highway 62, Mazama Village also includes a campground, 40 cabins, service station, camper store and laundry. In the past, visitors staying the Mazama Village area had to drive to the Crater Lake Lodge for full-service dining. The restaurant is seven miles from Crater Lake Lodge and is also an easy drive from Medford and Klamath Falls.
The 183,224-acre Crater Lake National Park was established in 1902 as the country’s fifth national park. The park was created to protect Crater Lake, located in the caldera that resulted from the collapse of a volcano. At 1,947 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest and clearest lake in the country. It is surrounded by lava walls 500 to 2,000 feet high.
The four-story stone-and-wood Crater Lake Lodge is located 15 miles from the north entrance to the park and seven miles from the Annie Springs entrance station near the south entrance. The lodge’s striking Great Hall boasts a massive stone fireplace that is its architectural trademark and a world-renowned example of the elegance and rustic grandeur of early national park lodges.
Crater Lake Lodge will open May 24, and the Mazama Village cabins and other services will open June 2. The campground opens June 16, weather permitting.
For reservations at Crater Lake Lodge or Cabins at Mazama Village or for more information, call (1) 541-830-8700 or visit www.craterlakelodges.com.
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Xanterra Parks & Resorts (consisting of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. and Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.) operates lodges, restaurants and other concessions at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra Parks & Resorts is the country’s largest national park concessioner. Xanterra operates concessions in the following locations: Yellowstone, the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Petrified Forest and Everglades national parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.; Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and eight Ohio State Parks. Its affiliate Xanterra South Rim, L.L. C. operates concessions at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Long committed to the preservation and protection of the environment, Ecologix, Xanterra Parks & Resorts’ environmental program, includes a variety of proactive environmental stewardship programs in each location. Xanterra has been repeatedly recognized for its environmental leadership in the hospitality industry and is the recipient of many honors, including major awards from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Travel Industry Association, Colorado Department of Public Health, State of Arizona and Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
For more information about Xanterra, links to individual properties and reservations numbers, visit: www.xanterra.com.
Xanterra Parks & Resorts
6312 Fiddlers Green Circle
Suite 600 North
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Media contact:
Mona Mesereau
720-842-5271
mona_mesereau@msn.com