Trip Planner 2016-17 Trip Planner For Group Leaders | Page 19

SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM Buffalo Jeep Safari Rapid City, South Dakota, is at the heart of one of the United States’ most popular touring regions. There are five National Park Servicemanaged sites located within an hour’s drive of the city, and a number of experiences await groups at the diverse parks, which range from Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park to Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park. According to Lindsey Beasley of the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau, one of the more unique sightseeing options is a Buffalo Jeep Safari. “You can book the safari tour at Custer State Park, a 71,000-acre vacation paradise that’s home to abundant wildlife including bighorn sheep, antelope, deer, elk, coyote, prairie dogs and ‘begging’ burros,” she says. “The park also contains one of the nation’s largest free-roaming buffalo herds, making it common to encounter a buffalo jam while driving in the park.” In addition to riding along Wildlife Loop Road to see the animals, groups can go hiking, biking and horseback riding on the park’s many trails or head to one of the five lakes to do some boating, kayaking or fishing. To learn more, contact Lindsey Beasley of the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau at [email protected] or go to visitrapidcity.com. EXPLORE ST. LOUIS ST. LOUIS RAPID CITY Gateway Arch Since the final section of St. Louis’ Gateway Arch was put in place in October of 1965, the monument on the Mississippi has become one of the most iconic landmarks in the United States. The Arch is the signature part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, a National Park Service site that is currently undergoing a major renovation. The $380 million CityArchRiver project will transform the park surrounding the Arch by creating new spaces—including ones specifically designated for large events—where visitors and residents alike will be able to gather in the heart of downtown. Part of the park is being built over the lanes of Interstate 70 to more seamlessly connect the Arch grounds with St. Louis’ central business district and attractions such as the historical Old Courthouse and the America’s Center Convention Complex. Other key components of CityArchRiver include significant updates to the visitors center and the Museum of Westward Expansion, as well as the development of additional interpretive displays at the Arch’s west entrance. The project, which is being designed by world-renowned landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, is scheduled to debut in 2017. To learn more, contact Renee Eichelberger of Explore St. Louis at [email protected] or visit explorestlouis.com. TOP ATTRACTIONS Crazy Horse Memorial, Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, Badlands National Park TOP ATTRACTIONS Grant’s Farm, City Museum, National Blues Museum, Forest Park TOP FESTIVALS Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup & Arts Festival (Sept. 29, 2017), Black Hills Pow Wow (Oct. 6–8, 2017) TOP FESTIVALS Garden Glow at Missouri Botanical Garden (Nov. 19–Dec. 31, 2016), Big Muddy Blues Festival (Sept. 2–3, 2017) TOP CULINARY EXPERIENCES Fort Hays Chuckwagon Supper and Music Show, eating grass-fed buffalo TOP CULINARY EXPERIENCES Anheuser Busch Brewery Beermaster tour, Ted Drewes frozen custard ntaonline.com 17