I woke up this morning to the calls of the local wildlife: a German Shorthair named Cooper at the next site barking into our ears.
After pancakes at the campsite, we headed back into Custer State Park -- to the Blue Bell Stables -- for a horseback trail ride. We saddled up and headed on out through the trees and along a creek. Gorgeous scenery. Sadly, Clare, Charlie and Natalie rode in front of me, so the best photos I have of them include lovely views of horses’ asses. Sorry.
After the ride, we had lunch at the rustic Blue Bell Lodge -- with a lovely family from Woodbury, Minn., who had gone on the trail ride with us. We spent some time getting to know them -- their kids are ages 10, 8 and 6. And Clare was tickled to find out that their 6-year-old, Nick, is exactly 11 hours older than her.
On Saturday, on our way to our hike at the Cathedral Spires, we drove past Sylvan Lake, in Custer State Park, and made a mental note of the nice little swimming beach there. We went back there this afternoon, hoping to spend a few hours relaxing on the shore while the kids played in the water. Unfortunately, the wind picked up and the clouds, which had been gathering all day, started spitting rain just as we pulled into the parking lot. A few raindrops didn’t stop our kids, though. They eagerly changed into their swimsuits and charged into the water. Five minutes later, they charged back out, teeth chattering, goosebumps popping. The air temperature was, after all, a chilly 65 degrees by that point. They changed back into their clothes, and we spent the rest of the afternoon hiking around the lake and climbing on the huge rock formations that rise up along the shore.
Lucky us -- another leisurely dinner and beers around the campfire. I could get used to this.
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