Black Hills Weekend

My husband and I had visited Bear Country USA on our honeymoon 15 years ago and loved it then. We were so excited to take our kids: ages 10, 8, 6 and 2. They loved every minute of the drive-through part. My six year old said, "This is just like animal planet!" She was talking about how we were so close to all of the animals. I had our 2 year old on my lap so she could see better, and a big black bear came up and licked the window... my 2 year old licked the glass on the other side and we all laughed so hard it scared the bear away!

The best part about the tour was the walking area at the end of the enclosure. It is all new since our honeymoon. We saw the baby bears, otters and probably the best Grizzly Bear exhibit I have ever witnessed. It had a huge waterfall, a stream and pond with a big log stretched over the top. From atop the log lounged the bigger grizzly -people watching I guess. There was also a cave, a sandbox, trees (that one of the bears was climbing) and a big grassy area.

There was a day-camp going on at the time for kids age 8-12. Next summer I will plan ahead and see if I can get my two oldest into the camp... the campers were playing games and giving ice-treats to the animals.

I must also mention how clean the place was: exhibits, snackbar, walking area and especially the bathrooms! When you're potty-training a little tyke, you get to see public bathrooms from all sorts of angles! These must have been the cleanest bathrooms in America!

Definitely a must see for families... and kids of all ages!