We just returned from our Easter vacation in the Black Hills, and we knew going in that there was no guarantee that we were going to have good weather in a month as fickle April. But fortune smiled on us and we were greeted by the warmest temperatures so far this year. It rained on our last full day at the cabin, but even that provided a good excuse to lay-up and relax in the hot tub, and recover from three days of exploring the Black Hills. Also, the fact that it was Easter Sunday meant that not much, if anything, would have been open anyway. We played board games (thoughtfully provided by the owners), and watched movies, and made banana splits instead.
As for the Bear Paw Den; it was exactly what we had hoped for..... a secluded little hideaway for our family of four. In fact, given that the cabin is surrounded on three sides by cliffs, it couldn't have been much more secluded, or picturesque. The cabin is cozy, clean, and well-provisioned with everything visitors could need in terms of basic kitchen utensils, appliances, and dinnerware. Linens, towels, and extra blankets (super soft, and comfy) were to be found in abundance.
We were greeted in the mornings by birds singing, and deer nibbling on the new spring grass around the house. At night, we were serenaded by the many wild turkeys roaming the hills behind the cabin. Our kids had a great time exploring the property, and playing fetch with our dogs on the spacious lawn. Our ten year old son practically lived in the hot tub the rest of the time.
The town of Hot Springs is a collection of amazing turn-of-century stone architecture, funky little shops and galleries of all kinds, and friendly, down-to-earth people. We would recommend "The Vault"; a cool little bar and grill that had amazing food (try the 'Stewies Cheesesteak' sandwich if you like a little bit of spice in your life), and which was kid-friendly. They even had kid's karaoke from 6-8! We also ventured about ten miles out of town to check out Cascade Falls, a beautiful little oasis of warm springs that is, no doubt a local secret, but which we happened across by just driving around the area.
Probably the only down-side to our trip was that we never were able to get ahold of the owners during our stay, and so, were never able to get the password to the wifi network. But even that just ensured that our kids weren't going to spend the whole trip looking at a screen. It was a perfect vacation! 5 stars!!!!!