Yellowstone 8/16/18 (Mt. Rushmore)

Since we were not moving from point A to point B today, we had a little later start with all aboard being at 8:45am.  We drove only about 20 minutes before we got our first glimpse of Mt. Rushmore.
Although the faces carved in the mountain are impressively large, the park itself is relatively small.  It does not take long to explore the broad walk path.  Most of the walk of presidents was closed for repairs.  After 14 years of work, the project was completed in 1941.  Ove 40 scupltors helped Gutzon Borglum complete the 60 foot high faces.

Lunch was on our own at either Mt Rushmore or our next stop, Crazy Horse.  We chose to have a small snack at each location and made our way to the gift shop and food area.  Choosing to share nachos, we sat with a view of the mountain as a backdrop and enjoyed the day.  The bus pulled out at 11:30am for our next stop only 30 minutes away.

Crazy Horse is the worlds largest mountain sculpting project.  Started in 1948 by sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, it will depict the Lakota warrior Crazy Horse pointing out over his horse.  We were given a tour to the base of the mountain by Joe, a local guide from the site.  He talked about the size of the project, 641 feet by 563 feet, and timing; no completion date has been set.  Some believe it may take another 50-100 years to complete.  The grounds also have a nice museum, gift shop and dining area.  The museum had displays of many Native American artifacts as well as some life-size models. We enjoyed the second half of lunch in the outdoor dining area before heading back to the hotel.

During the drive back, we cruised the streets of downtown Rapid City.  Know for the their life-size bronze sculptures of the presidents on each street corner, Tristan drove slowly so we could get a good view.  Although Deb offered to drop of anyone who wanted to spend time in downtown (and pick them up in 45 minutes), everyone opted to return to the hotel.

We had about an hour to relax and for us, we used the time to finalize our packing for the next morning.  We had our last group dinner at the hotel and then made our way back to Mt Rushmore.  Our final activity of the day was attending the evening illumination of the Monument.

At the base of the Monument is a fairly large amphitheater seating area.  When we arrived, it was filling up fast.  The show consisted of a brief presentation, followed by a movie.  God Bless American and the National Anthem played and everyone stood and sang along.  All veterans were invited to the stage for a big thank-you for their service from the audience.  Thank you, Howard Frank (our neighbor and traveling companion).  They also particapted in retiring the colors (lowering the flag).  I think everyone was ready to turn in when we got back to the hotel.

Pictures 8/16/18

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