* IF YOU DIG DINOSAURS, read on. The following sites in Montana, North and South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming are rich with dinosaur fossils. This listing has been dubbed "The Dino Trail."
* Egg Mountain near Choteau, Mont., 90 miles south of Glacier National Park, is a dinosaur nesting site. The Museum of the Rockies there displays life-size replicas of dinosaurs as well as actual fossils from the area dating back 75 million years. The museum is also piecing together the most complete (90 percent) T-Rex skeleton found. It was discovered near Ft. Peck, Mont., in 1989. Also near Egg Mountain is a two-mile long pile of duck-billed dinosaur fossils. Scientists speculate these creatures were killed prior to the Cretaceous Era (65 million years ago) by a cloud of gas, smoke and ash from volcano eruptions.* Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is near Harrison, Neb. It has a new visitors center with geological and Native American displays. The major attraction is sedimentary beds of mud and clay with concentrations of animal fossils.
* You can see paleontologists at work at Ashfall Fossil Beds state historical Park near Royal, Neb. It is open from May through Sept.
* The University of Nebraska State Museum in Lincoln is the state's largest natural history museum and contains the world's largest mounted fossil elephant, a paleontological walk through time and wildlife dioramas.
* The Hudson-Meng Bone Bed near Crawford, Neb., in the state's northwest corner, has skeletons of hundreds of bison. Visitors can view the ongoing dig from early June through late August.
* Last summer, Smithsonian Institution scientists unearthed a huge bed of dinosaur remains near the small town of Shell, Wyo. It is considered one of the best fossil prospecting areas left in North America. Also near Shell is the spot where in 1991 a Swiss digging crew uncovered fossilized remains of an allosaur, nicknamed "Big Al" and considered the world's best specimen of this species.
* Wyoming's Big Horn Basin has been a source of tons of fossils over the past several decades.
* A Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, one of 12 found throughout the world, is being unearthed near Rhame, N.D. You'll have trouble finding this site amid badlands buttes, hills and gullies because its location is a closely guarded secret. Twenty-four volunteers from the town of Bowman are doing this dig under the consulting eye of the Denver Museum of Natural History and the North Dakota Geological Survey. The fossilized skeleton will eventually be displayed at the tiny town's Pioneer Trails Museum.
* The visitors center at the Mammoth Site near Hot Springs, S.D., is designed around the sinkhole where woolly mammoths were trapped and died 26,000 years ago. The sinkhole is also a working paleontological site. Walkways near the digs give you a close-up view of fossilized mammoths left as they were found.
* A hunting camp dating from the late and middle archaic period has artifacts from early Native American tribes. The area is near Custer, S.D.
* LAST YEAR WAS THE 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail. The largest mass migration in our country's history took place on that trail between 1842 and 1860. The Oregon Trail and other significant trails link Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming - states that are rich in Old West history. Two free publications can help you appreciate and follow that history. They are Old West Trail Country's "Explorers Map" and the "Explorers Journal." The Journal describes attractions along the Old West Trails including national parks, historic landmarks, forts and museums. It discusses the history of the Oregon Trail, the the Lewis and Clark Trail and the National Parks and Monuments Trail. It lists travel and tourism departments to contact for more detailed information. The map graphically shows the routes with lively characters, landmarks and historical sites illustrated along the way. Both are available free by writing to G.L. Ness Agency, 303 North Broadway, Suite 603, Dept. DN, Billings, MT 59101.
* "COLORADO CABINS, COTTAGES & LODGES - Discover Scenic Vacation Hideaways," by Hilton and Jenny Fitt-Peaster, is available at bookstores or by calling (800) 886-9343. The price is $12.95 plus $3.50 for shipping and handling. It tells about places that provide romantic and unique getawys. For example: Avalanche Ranch near Redstone and Marble Quarry is a restored 1913 farmhouse with four bed & breakfast rooms and cabins with full kitchens, sleeping lofts and private yards. The Victorian Village near Georgetown has cottages for two with fireplaces and panoramic views. The Inn of Glen Haven exudes the charm of an English country inn. The 336-page book lists 230 resorts and shows their rates.
WORLD WIDE CRUISES IN Ft. Lauderdale, Fl., offers vacationers a toll-free hotline to check for last-minute bargains (from two to 60 days prior to departure). It is (800) 882-9000. Discounts can range from 25 to 60 percent off published rates. As always, we advise you to shop around before you book a cruise. Questions to ask include whether the price includes roundtrip airfare from Salt Lake and transfers from the airport to the cruise ship and back.
* BICYCLING IN CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND. Tourists can now bicycle through the streets of this university town for free. The Community Bike Scheme has a fleet of 500 bikes painted a bright shade of green and available from 26 "bike parks" throughout the city. There is no deposit. You just use the bikes within the city limits and leave them at the "bike park" nearest your destination. "Bike parks" are located at convenient locations including rail and bus stations. Many of the bikes used in this program are reconditioned. They were donated, found abandoned or left unclaimed at police stations. For information, contact the Cambridge Tourist Information Centre, Wheeler St., Cambridge, or when in Britain call (0223) 416577.
* THE 1992-94 EDITION OF "Touring With Towser" is available by sending $3.25 worth of coupons good for discounts on Quaker pet foods, treats and posters, and a check or money order for $3 payable to Quaker Professional Services, Touring With Towser, Dept. PGP, 585 Hawthorne court, Galesburg, IL 51401. THE 80-page directory lists U.S. hotels that welcome pets.