Bear World, Mount Rushmore and Skogen Kitchen

Early the next morning we met for a visit to Bear World, which Darlene and Brooks had found online before arriving in Custer and put on their must-do list for South Dakota alongside Mount Rushmore.

Their son Brooks, who I refer to as BG3 to differentiate him from my brother-in-law, arrived in the late evening with his chi-weenie dog Rizzo, so eight of us split between two cars for Bear World.

Google maps took us past the leftturn for the entrance, and we can only assume that was to avoid potential traffic jams.  Following the directions took us a couple of miles past and then had us turn around.  If you happen to make this trip, don't fall for that.  Just turn when you see Bear World.

Arriving early in the morning resulted in us following the feeding truck.  The ranger tossed out hunks of raw meat, which of course made the animals active.  Watching the wolves in particular proved entertaining.

While there were obviously bears in Bear World, there were also herds of many other animals.

In a way, this was like a combination of San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, but with American mountain animals the focus rather than African and Asian beasts.

We all thoroughly enjoyed driving the road past all those wonderful animals, who often put on shows seemingly just for us.  The one-way road through Bear World has no turn-around spot, so be sure to take your time and enjoy a leisurely pace rather than rushing through.

Before the exit is a parking lot for a zoo with smaller animals on display.

While it is always exciting to see animals in nature, Bear World makes spotting lots of animals a sure thing.  It reminds me of going to a stocked pond to fish versus fishing in the wild.  We all loved the experience and recommend it.

From there, we proceeded to Mount Rushmore.  With dogs not allowed inside, BG3 elected to stay outside of the gates with Rizzo.  As with Jay the day before, we offered to watch the dog so he could go in, but BG3 also refused our offer.  He later said he found some interesting native American sites in a treesy area to the left of the entrance. 

The rest of us walked inside to take in the inspiring view head-on.  The project to create Mount Rushmore is worth learning about at the Visitor's Center, as Julie and I did in 2016, but Darlene and Brooks didn't want to put on masks to go inside, as currently required in national parks and monuments.

The younger folks headed back to the Bavarian Inn while Julie and I rode with Darlene and Brooks to watch the iMax movie narrated by Kevin Costner that we had seen the day before with Gina, Laszlo and Emma.

After the movie, which Darlene and Brooks also appreciated, we then drove around the wildlife trail and through the Needle's Eye before heading home.  By comparison to Bear World, animals spottings were sparse along the road, but we enjoyed the siteseeing and company.  

Unfortunately, I didn't take photographic proof of that, so these wildlife photos are all from Bear World.  In any case, the photos pale in comparison to the experiences.

Brooks was ready to focus on the stock market when we got back from our nature drive, and Sasha had to stay at her virtual desk, so they watched the dogs while the rest of us headed over to the Begging Burrito in downtown Custer for lunch.  Laszlo drove to accommodate those who didn't want to walk one way or the other.  As I recall, more walked down than back up the hill to the hotel.

BG3 actually took his skateboard both ways, impressively pumping his body to propel it forward for climbing uphill with moves that he said have made him a much better surfer any time he returns to ocean waves.

That was a great meal with an excellent waiter.  We had ordered takeout from the Begging Burrito earlier in the trip after being disappointed to learn that they couldn't accommodate dogs inside and only had a couple of outdoor tables that seemed always to be in use.  

We were amused by the names on the children's menu at the Begging Burrito, with meals titled "I Don't Know," "I'm Not Hungry," "I Don't Want That" and the ever popular "I Want to Go Home."

I don't recall what we did that afternoon, but before long it was time for dinner.  I must admit I ate so much at lunch that I wasn't very hungry for what was to be the ultimate gourmet experience of our trip.

Gina made reservations at Skogen Kitchen, purported to be the best restaurant in Custer, a couple of days in advance.  Upon seeing the menu, I almost talked her out of it while verifying she understood that it was an upscale eatery rather than family-oriented casual dining.  Fortunately, I didn't talk her out of it, because everyone loved the experience and meal.

Gina had been able to secure two of three outdoor tables under tents, so we were able to bring the dogs along.

The menu at Skogen Kitchen was along the lines of what you might find on a fine cruise, but this list of gourmet dishes had pricetags.  While not as lofty as New York City's finest restaurants certainly, for me they were on the pricey side.  That influenced my choice of wine to some extent.  I don't recall exactly which Chilean red wine I ordered, but at around $10 for a glass, it was terrible.  Maybe $15 or $20 would have resulted in an acceptable vintage.

  

Julie's modestly priced Sauvignon Blanc worked for her.  Brooks ordered a bottle of Chardonnay that he and Darlene shared with Gina and Laszlo, which they all praised as excellent, leading them to order a second bottle.

Brooks started with some soup.  He asked if there was bread to go with it, and the waiter apologetically said that a small loaf cost extra.  Presumably this restaurant was too chichi to have a bread basket like we enjoy on cruises.

When Brooks offered some of what was obviously an individual serving, we turned him down initially so that he could enjoy the pitifully wee portion, but at his prodding, we tried some.  It wasn't anything special, just a tiny Italian loaf, and not nearly as good as any of the rolls in the basket served by Princess Cruises at every dinner, much less the artisan bread in whimsical shapes found on Oceania.

I believe Laszlo and BG3 each ordered Big Eye Tuna for appetizers, and again they said that was quite good.

I don't think I let price influence my choice of the Duck Breast in Szechuan Peppercorn Sauce.  After all, in China I had discoverd that I love Beijing (Peking) Duck, but that was a considerably different dish.  Perhaps a connoiseur would have described the duck in China as overcooked or stringy, or perhaps having too much sauce, but it suited me.  Skogen's Duck Breast had the consistency more like a rare steak, which was not to my liking, but more importantly, Laszlo and Brooks, who also ordered the Duck, very much enjoyed theirs.

In retrospect, it is easy to see that the 8 Ounce Filet that both Julie and Darlene ordered would have been the right choice for me.  That's not terribly surprising, because on cruises, which is about the only other time Julie and I go out for a nice meal, entrees she orders often are the most delicious, although I frequently take advantage of the opportunity on cruises to order fish, which we don't have at home.

BG3 went with the 14 Ounce Ribeye and didn't seem quite as happy with his entree, which was larger but not as tender.  Emma, who has very adult tastes and never hesitates to order exactly what she wants, went with the House-Made Raviolis and loved them. I believe Gina enjoyed Devilled Eggs and Shishito Peppers (delicious!), but didn't order an actual entree.

Gina and Brooks both ordered single Scallops on the side and loved them.  Gina mentioned that scallops are her favorite dish, which inspired me to buy a pound of sea scallops to grill for our Labor Day barbecue with Gina, Laszlo and Emma in Pennsylvania.  That also proved to be a hit.

The food in Custer had proven to be quite good throughout our visit.

After the meal, Julie, Laszlo, Gina, Emma and I headed over to the balcony sitting area outside of the hotel's breakfast restaurant, where I played a few songs on the guitar.  BG3 had mentioned while walking to the Mexican Restaurant how Rocky Raccoon's story tookplace in "the Black Mountain Hills of Dakotas."

When I played "Rocky Raccoon," suddenly BG3 appeared rolling by on his skateboard, so perhaps he had been listening awhile and wanted to let us know he was there.  We wish he, Darlene and Brooks had all joined us, but in any case, it was a pleasant hootenanny for me and I hope the others.

In the morning, we would all hit the road, with Laszlo dropping Gina and Emma at the Rapid City Regional Airport on his way to Teddy Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.  Darlene and Brooks headed back to Big Sky.  BG3 stayed around Custer to explore a bit on his own before continuing back home.

Julie and I resumed our long drive in the jam-packed Escape to Philadelphia.