Famous Rock Group

Mr. M and I had an awesome trip to Bike MS Washington in September. (A Really Good Blogger would have told you all about it weeks ago, but this blogger was seriously slacking off - hence the very delayed report.)

It's a long drive from Wisconsin to Washington State, and we allowed for plenty of stops along the way. One of those stops was in Rapid City, South Dakota, where we were privileged to see a very famous rock group - possibly the most famous American rock group ever.

We drove up a winding mountain road...

And through a rocky tunnel...

Suddenly, after rounding a curve, the Famous Rock Group burst upon our sight! We could hardly believe we were seeing them in the flesh.

These are the kind of Presidents I like :)

A little farther up the road, we turned off for Mt. Rushmore National Park. We paid the parking fee, and headed towards the entrance.

The grounds of the park are very thoughtfully laid out; nearly every point is a vantage point, designed to highlight the amazing central sculpture.

Approaching the very beautiful Avenue of Flags:

Each state is represented by its flag, and carved on the pillar beneath are the state's name, order of admission, and date of admission into the Union of States.

But the Rock Group is definitely the main attraction.

Selfie with Famous Rock Group

Just as Rome wasn't built in a day, the carving of Mt. Rushmore took many years and many hands:

The detail on the sculptures is amazing. Look at Teddy's pince-nez, and the lifelike glimmer in Abe Lincoln's eyes:

After marvelling from the Viewing Terrace, we walked the roughly circular Presidential Trail, which winds across the base of the bluff, offering spectacular, many-angled views of each President's face, with signboards giving details of the life and achievements of each.

There were also plenty of gorgeous rocks, trees, and views across the Black Hills, looking out over the South Dakota plain.

And wildflowers. :)

Seeing Mt. Rushmore in the flesh is like seeing Big Ben or (I imagine) the Eiffel Tower or any other iconic landmark for the first time. There's a sense of delight and wonder at finding that it's really real. And despite the myriad of photographs already taken by others, it's irresistible to anyone with a camera. It's huge; it's heart-warming; it's beautiful and noble and stirring and awe-inspiring and, quite simply, captivating.

I've always loved my country, but seeing Mt. Rushmore somehow made me love it just a little bit more. We felt blessed to visit this National Memorial, and a little sad when we had to say goodbye and head back down the mountain.

We hope we can go back someday. It's definitely worth the trip.

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