Be it high gas prices, unease over travel, or simply the end of summer vacations, there is a higher than usual number of vacancies in the lodges at Yellowstone, so if you're looking for a last dash into the parks before fall sets in this might be your opportunity.
    Xanterra Parks & Resorts officials aren't exactly sure why they have so many vacant rooms. But they think gas prices, which have eclipsed $3 a gallon in many parts of the country, the typically slow post-Labor Day period, personal financial considerations, and general fear over traveling in these troubling times have conspired to produce the glut.
    Whatever the reason, there are rooms available in the park's nine lodges if you've got the time to head to Yellowstone. Rates range from $61 a night for a room without a private bath to nearly $200 a night for more plush accommodations.
    No word if you can negotiate a lower rate, but it might be worth the effort. You can reach the reservations desk at 307-344-7311 or 866-439-7375.
    And frankly, fall is just about my favorite time to visit Yellowstone, as the elk begin to rut , fall colors paint the hillsides, and both crowds and insects are gone. In fact, I'm heading up there in a couple of weeks.