Wednesday, July 4 – We headed out early to Mount Rushmore. We know what you might be thinking.....why would they visit Mount Rushmore on the Forth of July? Isn't that like going to the mall on Black Friday? Well, what better day to visit one of the Nation's most patriotic memorials than on it's birthday.
Surprisingly the crowd wasn't too bad. The Mount Rushmore National Memorial knows how to handle crowds, that's for sure! Add to that, the fact we arrived at about 8:30 a.m., the crowds didn't get heavy until we were leaving about 12:30. We did decide to wait until tomorrow to go back to see it at night.
One observation we made is the crowds are spread out among several displays. Once parked in one of the two parking garages (Entrance to the park is free, you only pay to park - $11. The America the Beautiful pass does not cover parking.), you enter the Avenue of the Flags. We found the Ohio Flag (our original home state) and the Texas Flag (our new state) right next to each other.
Ohio flag
Look at the background for the Texas flag.
The Grand View Terrace is very well done providing magnificent views of the Memorial. This is the same area where the night viewing is held. It has stadium style seating.
We then walked the path to the foot of the Memorial and took additional photos to add to our zillion for the day.
This is what the first draft of how the Memorial was to appear.
We can't believe these workers walked up 700 steps BEFORE they began work.
These are the dimensions of each head.
Great explanation on why each President is on the mountain.
George Washington…Birth of the Republic President.
Thomas Jefferson…The Expansion President.
Theodore Roosevelt…The Development President.
Abraham Lincoln…The Preservation President.
Paul having some fun…Tickle, Tickle, Tickle.
Next was the circular Presidential Trail that has stops for more interesting photos, Ranger Interpretive stations, the Lakota and Dakota Indian Heritage Village, a view of the compressor house, the Sculptor's Studio and the stairs to return to the Information Center and Bookstore.
Indian Heritage Village
Being 4th of July, they even had George Washington and others there to greet the tourists. Marsha joined the kids to talk with George.
FAST FACTS:
- Carving dates – 1927 – 1941
- Total cost - $989,992.32 (Nothing like being down to the penny!)
- Namesake – Charles Rushmore (Fellow mountain was named after.)
- Sculptor – Gutzon Borglum
- Main tool – dynamite (used for 90% of the stone removal)
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The rock – Harney Peak Granite
With the wild fires here in the West, one is frequently overwhelmed with the Pine Beetle infestation and the accompanied destruction. Like Colorado, the Black Hills of South Dakota, and much of the Nation, has experienced tremendous destruction from this tiny beetle. There are so many dead trees as you look over the forest.
All the brown you see in the forefront and background are dead pine trees.
To protect the Memorial's forests from this epidemic, Mount Rushmore embarked on a thinning program to remove the dead tress and the fire threat. The areas thinned look pretty good, and we pray the efforts will be rewarded with the saving of these forests.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!
