Question: Richard Luchtefeld asks: We are planning a fall 2009 trip to South Dakota, Wyoming, and maybe to Montana to see national parks, landmarks, etc.  What ideas to you suggest.

Answer:  Suzy Peterson, travel planner at the Sioux Falls AAA office says that the fall is a great time to visit these areas because of prime fall foliage viewing.  The parks are open but you may find that some of the shops may close or have shorter hours after Labor Day.  From Rapid City, go west in the Black Hills, and you can easily spend three days or more there. Visit Bear Country USA, a drive-through wild life park where you will see elk, bighorn sheep, buffalo and more in a native habitat. Be sure to get out at the Visitors Center to see the baby cubs at play.  It’s my favorite recommendation and you can see the babies climbing trees and playing among themselves.  Bear Country is a AAA GEM attraction. On your way to Mount Rushmore, stop in Keystone which is a quaint town with lots of little shops.  It was established as a mining town and caters to shoppers, but you will find great places to eat – you’ll even find buffalo and mountain trout on the menus! Just south of Keystone, visit the Mount Rushmore Visitors Center during the day or at night when the statues are lit.  Do both if you have time.

From Keystone, travel toward Custer on US 16A, also called Iron Mountain Road which AAA designates as a scenic byway.  Here you will feel like you’re driving around a corkscrew.  Visit Custer State Park on US 16A, and then stop at Wind Cave National Park on US 385.  Both parks are GEM attractions with large wildlife like bison, elk, and antelope.  From there, take SR 87 north which is Needles Highway Scenic Drive, another AAA-designated scenic byway and full of hairpin curves and tunnels.  The fall foliage and wildlife along the way should be spectacular but note that this road closes after the first snow, often late October.

From there, I would suggest a stop at the Crazy Horse Memorial (another GEM attraction) where you can see the work still in progress on this mountain sculpture.  The Ziolkowski family is very involved in the project, and once completed, it will be the largest statue in the world.

Continue on Hwy. 385 north toward Deadwood and then take Route 14A which is Spearfish Cannon Scenic Highway.  This route is gorgeous in the fall. If you are a motorcycle enthusiast, stop in Sturgis.  The rally is held in August, but you can see lots of memorabilia year-round.  Even if you don’t ride a Harley, you can say that “you have been to Sturgis.”

In Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park, a GEM attraction, is abundant with its own natural beauty and wildlife.  Several of the roads in the park are AAA-designated scenic byways.  Park roads are open to automobiles from May through October (weather permitting).  Don’t miss Old Faithful.  This geyser erupts every 80-90 minutes.  You can check the daily geyser predictions at the Visitor Center.  Also, the Old Faithful Inn and Lower Hamilton Store are historic landmarks.

Stop at Devils Tower National Monument (another GEM attraction) just across the border in Wyoming.  You won’t believe how large the tower is – over 800 feet from its base.  And don’t miss the prairie dog colony near the entrance.

If you visit Montana, visit Glacier National Park and drive the Going-to-the-Sun road. It’s a beautiful 50-mile scenic drive through the park.  This road can close mid-October due to snow.

Some telephone numbers to keep handy for fall foliage information include (800) 732-5682 for South Dakota, (800) 225-5996 for Wyoming, and (800) 847-4868 for Montana.  Phones are generally staffed starting in September.