In this edition: Fun places to go
with your dog! Visit a drive-thru wildlife park or
take a boat tour in downtown Chicago.
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Bear
Country U.S.A, Rapid City, South Dakota
|
Enjoy A South
Dakota Animal Attraction With Your Pooch. |
If you have ever wanted to get close to a
bear or wolve and do so safely, Bear Country U.S.A., a wildlife drive-thru park,
offers a great opportunity to see these and many more
animals.
| This 250 acre park has a variety of wildlife
including wolves, bears, mountain lions,
buffalo, reindeer, elk, goats and more. Your
well-behaved dog can ride in your car as you
take time to drive three miles inside the
park. You will pass through fenced areas that hold
different
species of wild animals. |
Wild
Buffalo in the Black Hills of South Dakota
|
| While you cannot get out of your car
or even crack open your car window, you can still get very
close to these wild animals. And your pooch will get lots
of interesting smells and sights. |
| While you are there, you will find many picture
perfect photo opportunities. The only caveat is that
the wildlife photos you take inside the park are for personal
use only. Because of that, the photos you see here of wildlife are animals that were found
outside of Bear Country, in the Black Hills of
South Dakota and near Yellowstone National Park in
Wyoming. |
Toby
intently watching the wolves at Bear Country
U.S.A. |
Rocky
Mountain Goat near Mount Rushmore, South Dakota |
Once you are done with the wildlife viewing,
the park has a snack bar which serves food like
sandwiches and pizza. Dogs cannot go inside to order
with you,
but your best friend can join you at the outdoor
tables once you carry your food outside. |
| If you are
planning a visit, Bear Country U.S.A. is located in
Rapid City, South Dakota, on
the road to Mount Rushmore. The park is open from late April to
late November. During those months, the hours are 9am to 5pm daily. Rates
are subject to change, but during my visit in
September of 2004,
they charged $12 per adult, $10 per senior over 62
years old, $6 per child ages 5 to 12 and free for
children under 4 years old and dogs. The maximum
charge per vehicle is $40. |
Elk
near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. |
For More Information:
Bear Country U.S.A.
http://www.bearcountryusa.com
13820 South Hwy. 16 (on the road to Mt. Rushmore)
Rapid City, South Dakota 57701
(605) 343-2290
Additional Information: Mount Rushmore
A
trip to Bear Country U.S.A. probably means that you
also came to see Mount Rushmore. The Mount Rushmore
National Monument does not allow dogs except in the
parking garage and in the pet area which is adjacent
to the parking lot. However, you can still see Mount
Rushmore with your dog from the upper level of the
parking garage and pet area, as shown in the picture
below. When entering the park, tell the park staff
that you have a dog and need to park near the pet
area.
Wild Rocky Mountain Goat in the
designated "Pet Area" at Mount Rushmore.
|
Cruisin' With Your
Canine in Chicago
| Shoreline Sightseeing Boat Tours
of Chicago offers two great dog-friendly boat
rides. The one hour Architecture Cruise will take you
and your pooch on a leisurely ride through
downtown Chicago along the Chicago River. Your
tour guide will explain the various building
styles and will also give you some interesting
history of the second largest city in the
United States. |
 |
 |
This company also has a half
hour Skyline Boat Tour on Lake Michigan which departs
from Navy Pier. Well-behaved dogs are also welcome
on board. On this tour, you will be able to
get some great skyline photos of downtown Chicago.
Tours run on the weekends from the end of May
to the end of November. Prices for the
Architecture Cruise are $22 for adults, $18
for seniors, $8 for children and free for
dogs. |
Prices for the Skyline Boat Tour are $10 for
adults, $9 for seniors, $5 for children and free for
dogs.
For more information:
Shoreline Sightseeing Boat Tours
http://www.shorelinesightseeing.com
Illinois Street
Chicago, Illinois
(312)222-9328
Click
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