Prescription for indigestion


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Posted by Ballpark Frank (64.79.35.96) on 10:51:00 07/18/17

In Reply to: Time to do the Lake cruise? posted by Amber

Amber,

I have eaten in the Lake Hotel dining room a number of times over the years. While the service is not ALWAYS slow, it is slow most of the time, in my experience. You have a number of options:

1.) Show up early, like around 5, and see if you can sweet talk your way in. You might get lucky, but you better have a backup plan in the event you don't get in early.

2.) Cancel one of the activities. You can eat dinner at Lake Lodge cafeteria, just down the road. It features 4 or 5 dinner options, along with salads and wraps. You can get in and get out quickly. I just would not tempt fate by showing up at 6:00 p.m., and risking a head-on collision with a couple bus groups. It does happen, but thankfully, not that often. The other option is to cancel the scenic lake cruise, and drive up to Lake Butte Overlook to enjoy the sunset.

3.) You could just take your chances. Even if dinner was not super slow, everyone would be stressed out and looking at their watches. That does not sound like a good time to me. Going for a ride on a boat with a nervous stomach, induced by clock-watching anxiety is not my idea of a good time.


Here's a quick editorial based on observation:
Xanterra, in their efforts to deal with contention for dining room seats inadvertently creates stressful situations for patrons. I see people visiting Yellowstone on vacation get put in positions where the stress they are trying to escape creeps back into their lives. I rant about this periodically. I can't tell you how many times I have been at one of the overlooks in Hayden Valley or up on Dunraven Pass, watching bears or wolves (or both) put on a show, and witnessed visitors having to leave prematurely because they have dinner reservations. It appears that Xanterra's reservation crew neglects to inform callers that they have the option of eating at the cafeterias. The worst of it is seeing a family who has been waiting for an hour or two in hopes that charismatic megafauna would show up. A bear or wolves finally appear, just in time for mom or dad to announce to the kids that they have to get in the vehicle and head for dinner.

Do yourself and your family a favor. Develop a plan that maximizes enjoyment and minimizes stress.



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