Somewhere in the Black Mountain Hills

Mr. B and I just returned from our visit to the Black Hills of South Dakota, a lush mountain range rising from the Great Plains, ripe with sorrowful history, whose rocks gave up the gold that both created the west and destroyed it. A place of incredible majesty, with views that will take your breath away. We travelled miles of forest, tall, dark ponderosa pine as far as the eye can see. We marveled at the colors in the ancient rock. We saw an actual bison! And the stars, oh my god, the stars. The Hayden Planetarium on acid and steroids to the power of 1,000,000. Insanely beautiful place that makes you reconsider life and god and the universe.

Just to the south and east of the Black Hills lie The Badlands, a 244,000 acre national park surrounded by Buffalo Gap National Grasslands to the north and west and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to the south. A blend of eroded buttes, steep slopes, slick clay and deep sand, interspersed with mixed-grass prairies, it is the polar opposite of the Black Hills, though just as awe-inspiring.

Called mako sica (bad land) in Lakota and mauvaises terres a traverser (bad lands to cross) by the French trappers, it was as forbidding as the hills were inviting. And no wonder, it's hot and sunny and open and dry with potentially extreme weather and potentially deadly wildlife (though I'm not too scared of the prairie dogs; they're just too darn cute!).

A land of enormous spiritual and historical significance to the Oglala Sioux (Ghost Dance, Wounded Knee, and Leonard Peltier for starters), it is scientifically significant as one of the world's richest fossil beds, with colorful bands of sediment deposits dating back 69 million years. It has been eroding for a half million years and will someday be completely gone. And, it is also one of the most amazingly surreal and beautiful places you are likely to ever see.

My pictures don't even begin to do it justice.

At the entrance to the Badlands, is Cedar Pass Lodge, where Mr. B and I stopped for sustenance before traveling this wild terrain (fear not, dear reader, we were completely safe in our rented Chevy Tahoe). And since we were in South Dakota, we had Indian Tacos. The Indian Taco is essentially fried dough topped with meat and cheese and is therefore not, by any stretch of the imagination, health food. The fried dough, known as fry bread, can be made myriad ways and is, depending upon which Native American tribe makes it. Common at PowWows, it was named the official state bread of South Dakota in 2005.

The Indian Taco at Cedar Pass Lodge is a sort of a cross between a burrito, a taco and a flat un-sugared zeppole. It's homey and filling, the dough being pillowy and soft with a perfectly browned exterior, the fillings familiar and comforting. When you try it (and you ought to), feel free to experiment with your seasoning and toppings. (And don't forget that the fry bread itself makes a nice dessert when drizzled with a little honey!)

Cedar Pass Lodge Indian Tacos

The Badlands, South Dakota

serves 4

Fry Bread:

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder
1 cup water (or enough to make a soft dough)


Mix all ingredients together until well-blended and soft. Using a large spoon, drop dough onto floured surface and pat down to about an inch thick. Fry in 1 to 2 inches of oil at 350 until golden brown. 


Meat Topping:
1 lb. ground buffalo meat (or beef)
32 oz. refried beans
1-2 packages taco seasoning


Brown meat in a skillet, stir in refried beans and taco seasoning and blend. When heated through, spread meat mixture on top of fry bread. Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and onions, black olives, and grated cheese (the usual suspects: cheddar, Monterey Jack). Finish with sour cream and salsa.