Day 22.2 – Mt. Rushmore


If you visit the Black Hills area, it is kind of obligatory to stop in to see Mount Rushmore. Although we were spoiled years ago when visiting before the massive crowds began to travel there, it was still good to revisit the monument. We arrived early to avoid the biggest crowds, and we lucked out with a gorgeous blue sky day.

The visitor center had a movie that showed the process of carving a mountain (see photo of the original mountain to the left). It was interesting to watch the old footage showing the blasts on the mountain. The movie also showed the workers hanging by ropes as they drilled, chiseled and blasted the sculpture. The visitor center has some interesting and informative displays describing why they chose each of the presidents. That was information which I had forgotten from previous visits. 


George Washington – Was known as the “Father of the Nation”, was our first president, and was one of the signers of the Constitution.





Thomas Jefferson – He wrote the Declaration of Independence and was one of the signers of the Constitution.





Abraham Lincoln – He was the President during the Civil War and he worked to bring the country back together after the war.









Theodore Roosevelt – He was a champion of the National Parks and a proponent of developing America’s place in the world.







During our visit we also watched a presentation by a Lakota woman. She described her culture and her choice to become the first woman “Hoop Dancer” which was traditionally only a male’s dance. She was a two time world champion of the Hoop Dance and performed some very intricate moves.

We left the monument after it started to become more crowded. As we were walking out, we stopped to listen to, and chat with, a Cheyenne flautist. We found it interesting that he pointed out the Cheyenne People had treated the Black Hills as sacred ground long, long before the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota people moved to the area. That was the first time we had heard that perspective.

One of the joys of traveling is to listen to and learn about the different people we meet.

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