Kurt Repanshek: Hi, thanks for joining me to talk about the national parks. Hopefully I'll be able to get to all your questions.

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Sandy Hook, KY: We're planning to visit Yellowstone & Grand Tetons in September. Is this too late to see good waterflow in the upper/lower waterfalls? What about fall colors and/or wildflowers?

Thanks

John

Kurt Repanshek: Hi John,


September in Yellowstone and Grand Teton is perhaps my favorite month in those parks. The summer crowds are on the wane, the season is changing, the wildlife are more active as the elk rut gets under way and you often can hear the bulls bugling around dawn and dusk.

No need to worry about lack of water flow in the Upper and Lower falls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Unlike the falls in Yosemite Valley, which are triggered largely by snowmelt, the Yellowstone River taps Yellowstone Lake, which is a massive body of water that keeps the river "running on high" year-round.

While you won't see many, if any, wildflowers, depending on when you head to the parks in September you might see some great fall color. It typically begins to peak towards the end of the month. If it's an unseasonably dry summer, the leaves could turn a bit sooner.

All in all, though, September is a great time to be in Yellowstone.

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Ashland, Ohio: What national park should I consider for summer vacation this year? I would like it to be somewhat close to Ohio perhaps within 600 miles. It seems like all the great national parks are in the west. I have three kids, 11, 7 and 4.

Heidi

Kurt Repanshek: Hello Heidi,

True, it seems like many of the great parks are in the West, but there are a surprising number in your backyard. Five that fall within your 600-mile radius are Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in Indiana, Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee/North Carolina. All offer something for youngsters with energy to burn.

At the two lakeshores you have plenty of beachfront for swimming and sand castles and other activities such as hiking, bicycling and kite-flying. Too, there are Junior Ranger programs that get kids involved in learning about the lakeshores' natural and cultural histories.

Mammoth Cave has some great cave tours and canoeing on the Green River, Shenandoah some great hiking and biking, and Great Smoky great hiking and water fun in the form of tubing in creeks and streams. Junior Ranger programs are available at these parks as well.

All five also have nice campgrounds and fishing possibilities. Any one should make for a great vacation.

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Penney Farms, Florida: What features do you recommend for seniors in their middle seventies when visiting National Parks? What is the best time of the year for seniors to travel, and best places to stay? We are planning a trip in 2008 and would like to cover the area from Grand Canyon to Yellow Stone. We would probably fly into Las Vegas and rent a vehicle and drop it off in Denver.