I guess it’s basically summer now. Maybe not from an astronomical standpoint—equinoxes and whatnot—but once Memorial Day rolls around, it might as well be. It’s when the tourists descend upon the Black Hills en masse.
Tara is not a fan of tourist season. From June through August, our normally quiet little downtown nearly doubles in size somedays with all the people and cars. I view it as a boon to the local economy, but yeah…it is a pain in the ass sometimes, trying to secure a table at your favorite bar or restaurant and having to fight for space with that yahoo from Yonkers and the dunderhead from Duluth. And when the Sturgis Rally rolls around, it’s even worse. We make it a point to either hunker down or get out of town. We become reverse tourists, if you will.
So, when I suggested we take a drive along the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park on Saturday morning, Tara looked at me askance.
“You want to go to one of the most popular tourist spots in the Black Hills during one of the biggest holiday weekends of the year?” she asked.
“Yup,” I replied.
At first she resisted, but then—much to my surprise—capitulated.
“You always agree to do the things I want to without complaining,” she said. “It’s the least I can do.”
Aww! That, my friends, is known as the art of compromise. I always knew being Mr. Joe Agreeable would pay off someday.
And actually, it wasn’t too busy out there. The crowds were tolerable, probably because we left pretty early. Granted, it was nothing like some of our winter visits where we might see five or six other cars the entire day, but it was a lovely day and we saw plenty of the usual wildlife. Including frolicking baby bison.
With plenty of recent rain, the park was nice and green, too.
After spending a couple of hours in the park, we stopped at the Firehouse SmokeJumper Station in Hill City for a bite to eat. We ordered a charcuterie board and a cup of beer cheese soup, washing the food down with beer (Tara) and wine (Mark). It was actually one of the better charcuterie plates I’ve had around here.
I might have ended up joining another wine club while we were there, too. Clearly I was swayed by their Frontenac Gris. I’m a sucker for a citrusy white.
All in all, it was a great day. We haven’t done a lot of exploring in our own backyard lately because we’ve been so busy with the garden, but now that the raised beds are built and everything is planted, we might actually get a little spare time during the weekend.
The rest of this holiday weekend has been much more laid-back. The weather has been absolutely ideal…sunshine, puffy clouds, low 70s, gentle breeze. Last night we did a beer butt chicken on the grill, and ohmygosh…it was so good! We brined it first and cooked it over indirect heat, using a can of peach radler beer. I also had a tray of soaked hickory chips to give it a subtle smoky flavor.
And then, when the sun went down? Check out the colors. It was one of those sunsets that brought the whole neighborhood out to look at it.
Today we are grilling sausages. And I’ve hauled out the corn hole set in anticipation of my parents’ visit next weekend. My dad is obsessed and makes us play every day. Usually kicks our asses, too. A little practice can’t hurt, you know?
Have a great week!
Mark My Words 
You had me at frolicking baby bison.
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I like how the little guy in my video started out following mom, got bored, and decided to play with his friends.
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Sounds eerily familiar.
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That’s a helluva sunset. And great baby bison footage.
I don’t think there’s a time in SoCal where we don’t have tourists. Especially near the beach. But summertime is the worst.
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Good point. SoCal wouldn’t be SoCal without the tourists!
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I feel like there would be fewer biking and rollerblading accidents, though.
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Just as there would be fewer bison-goring-stupid-people accidents out here.
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Frolicking baby bison are worth battling a few crowds..
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There was a baby burro, too!
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Stop. You’re killing me…
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Such a fun drive at Custer. I heard that places like Bryce and Zion had to close their gates because of too many visitors. People are ready to travel! That’s a gorgeous sunset!
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All signs indicate a record-breaking travel season…not just here, but all over. I guess that’s what happens when people have been cooped up for over a year!
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I know what you mean – this was the first weekend I was able to take a break from working in the garden and actually sit and enjoy the garden. Love it when you can finally get to that point, though I’ll probably be back working in the garden next weekend. Those weeds aren’t gonna pull themselves!
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And I didn’t cut the grass, which means I’ll be busting out the lawn mower come Wednesday. Oh, well…it was nice to kick back and just enjoy it all for a couple of days.
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Indeed.
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What a good day.
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I like baby bison. I didn’t know that for sure, but can confirm now. I understand Tara’s pov about tourist season. It’s started around us, too. Great for the local economy, but tedious from the point of view of someone who just wants to drive home quickly. Ha!
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I know, right? How dare they add time to my commute!
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The baby bison are too cute!!! Love the sunset picture and the charcuterie board with beer cheese soup!!! Yum.
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It was every bit as good as it looked, too!
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Corn hole is so much fun, but I find that I’m usually good the first game and I go downhill after that; practice doesn’t help me.
That sunset. *swoon*
Baby bison frolicking. *double swoon*
Your little adventure sounds like a lovely day for both of you and I’m with you on the citrusy wine-yum.
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The only way I ever improve at corn hole is after a drink or two. I’m tempted to stand out there next time with a beanbag in one hand, a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in the other, and see if I can’t finally beat my dad once and for all
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