When I travel, I love to find the spots locals frequent and places with historic significance – or both. I enjoy learning about the areas I visit and experiencing the past and present as the locals do. A hotel that dates back 100 years or more is so intriguing to me and I am fortunate to have several in my sales territory that spans Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota and North Dakota.... Read More

 
As I travel for my work, I’m always on the lookout for the unique and memorable stop so here’s a few if you are traveling in The Dakotas:

Anyone would probably describe Crazy Horse Memorial in Custer, South Dakota as big. When our guests this summer, three teenagers from a town near Venice, Italy saw this memorial all they could say is “it is very big.” ... Read More

I’ll never forget the first time I went to the Black Hills of South Dakota  and saw Mount Rushmore. I was on a quest to visit all 50 states and I had three left- South Dakota, North Dakota and Hawaii.

I’ve heard a saying that you go to some famous places three times in your life: As a child, with your children and on a senior bus trip.... Read More

  
These featured AAA Drive Trips involve two National Parks, the subject of the AAATravelViews presentation at the May 12 Virtual Travel Show. Click on the Drive Trip's name to access the complete printable itinerary.

The 281-mile Mount Rushmore-Badlands National Park Drive Trip goes through the Black Hills area of South Dakota.

AAA Road Reporter Mike Robb says, "This is definitely a trip that is best taken from June to October. The Badlands are well worth seeing, but be ready to pay the $15 National Park fee at the park gate.  ‘The loop’ is a very interesting drive and well worth the round trip from Rapid City.   Wall, (otherwise known as ‘Wall Drug’) South Dakota is an interesting little town though it can be crowded - after Labor Day is the best time to visit the area. There are a lot of old frontier buildings there as well as a myriad of shops and gift/souvenir stores.   S.R. 44 which links the Badlands & Rapid City traverses some rather mundane rural South Dakota farming country but is an interesting drive in itself with some nicely groomed fields and pastures and very neatly arranged (row-after-row) hay bails.    This offers a nice contrast to the attraction areas. Since most folks take the interstate both ways, S.R. 44 is not very crowded which makes for a more pleasant drive.

Rapid City is a nice frontier town of some 60,000 people and South Dakota’s second largest city.  The downtown has a lot of old historic buildings and landmarks.   Skyline Drive, is a 2-mile scenic drive which offers some great vistas and views of Rapid City. It runs south out of the city and to the west of US 16. The Black Hills are a great place to see and a great little corner of South Dakota, with Mount Rushmore, Keystone, Crazy Horse, Jewell Cave are among the more notable attractions. During the annual Sturgis Bike Rally held in first/second week in August, it is very busy.  It can also get very hot  in this area in July and August, 100+ degree temps are not uncommon at all. For moderate crowds and temperatures, September and early October are best."

The 454-mile Great Smoky Mountain National Park Drive Trip begins in Knoxville, Tennessee and goes through Gatlinburg and Asheville, NC. The Road Reporter's take: 

"A very scenic drive trip that will take 4-5 days to really enjoy the better features along the way. The best time to take this trip is from May to October. The fall is my favorite because the changing colors in October and early November can be spectacular. It can get snowy during the winter months so I recommend avoiding that.  The Biltmore Estate in Asheville is almost a day in itself. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is an interesting experience - I’ve done it 3 times and enjoyed them all. There is one special trip that goes another 10 miles further west (to Murphy, NC) than the other traditional trips which terminate at Andrews.  Intended to continue on to Ducktown, TN this narrow gauge line never made it that far west.

Pigeon Forge/Dollywood is quite interesting but it is the most 'touristy' area on the entire trip. For a more laid-back environment, I’d recommend Cherokee, NC (more traditional and down to earth). The Blue Ridge Parkway is a nice alternate route to take from Asheville to Dillsboro, NC (in lieu of I-40 and US 23). The drive from Ducktown, TN to Cleveland, TN is very scenic and passes by a number of roadside lakes.    One can either take I-75 back toward Knoxville or take US 411 and US 129. Note that there is (and has been) an extensive construction project (interstate widening) along I-40 in Knoxville.   This has been ongoing for about seven years now and is scheduled to wrap up in late 2009/early 2010."

Have you driven these areas? Tell us your experiences and suggestions in the comment box below. 

See other featured Drive Trips.