Mount Rushmore

We were up and out of the Spokane Creek Campground fairly early on so we would have time to really explore Rushmore before heading out to Bear Country for the afternoon. We took Iron Mountain Road (otherwise known at 16A) through Custer State Park, up and over Iron Mountain itself, finishing just beneath Mount Rushmore. The road is part of a scenic byway system and if you’re driving in this area of the Black Hills, is a must-see. There are winding steep roads, lots of wildlife and a few tunnels that provide beautiful framed views of Mt. Rushmore. One of my favorite parts of the trip was the ‘Pig Tail Bridges’ built in the 1930s and 40s and on the National Register of Historic Places in South Dakota. A "pig-tail" is a bridge where the road loops down and under the bridge, just like a piggy's tail. If you enjoy driving or taking scenic photos on the road, this is the place to be. If you or someone driving with you easily gets car sick, this is not the place to be. When we arrived at Rushmore, a light rain had begun to fall. We ducked inside to the reasonably priced restaurant for a delicious bottomless coffee (The Clark Camping Coffee James brews leaves a lot to be desired - sorry honey. What it lacks in flavor, it makes up for in coffee dregs. You hear what I'm sayin'? On top of that, I figured the hot coffee would keep my hands warm while we walked around outdoors. It was unseasonably cool – about 60 degrees - a far cry from the 90s they had been experiencing recently.). We grabbed a Junior Ranger book for Emmett so he could get to work on his last badge of the tour, and headed out towards the Avenue of the Flags that leads up to the monument. First impression – wow. I was somewhat surprised with how enthused I was. Although the sculpture itself is impressive, I think it was the work that went in to building it rather than the finished product that impressed me most. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum never saw his masterpiece finished. Working at such high altitudes, the low oxygen levels took its toll on Borglum’s already-deficient heart. His son Lincoln finished the work but his father probably would not have been pleased with the finished product. The elder Boglum intended to carve full busts of each of the 4 presidents (just Washington is complete) and the debris from the blasting that rested at the base of the mountain was to be removed when the monument was finished. One thing I had not heard of before my visit was the ‘Hall of Records’ located behind Lincoln. Borglum believed the hall should hold important documents, such as the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, as well as other important documents and records that catalogue America’s history. Once we finished viewing the monument, the Lakota Indian exhibit and the sculptor’s studio, we brought Emmett to collect his Junior Ranger badge. There we met a Ranger who was a Millis native, a very friendly guy who we chatted with for some time before heading out to Bear Country, where we were finally able to see the black bears and grizzlies we missed out on at Yellowstone (thank goodness).