09/09/21 Thursday Mt. Rushmore Trip Day 9
Beaver Lake Campground
Custer, SD
Site I
We left in the afternoon for Mt. Rushmore. As you get off the highway and deeper into the forest the landscape is just green and gorgeous. As you drive toward the monument, at some points you can see parts of it. There is one sign that tells you a pull out is ahead for a profile view. The profile of President Washington is what you see, a clear view above the trees. We drove right into the parking lot and there was no line. As you walk up the grand terrace to see the monument you walk through the hall of flags. The view is impressive when you look down the hall and see the monument. Just unbelievable. We rented a story wand. There is a trail you follow and stop along the way to listen to different stories and history of the presidents and the monument. The trail is easy with lots of stairs but it's worth it. The Sculpture Studio was closed so I couldn't get my National Park Passport stamped. I told Barry we have to come back tomorrow morning. Your ticket is good for a year which the website does not mention. When you leave the Sculpture Studio you take a path up A LOT of stairs back to the grand terrace. My legs are going to hurt tomorrow.
Photos below are views from a few of the platforms on the trail walk
We left and drove to Keystone for a bite to eat before returning for the lighting ceremony that started at 8:00PM. The program is lead by one of the rangers but I can't remember her name. She talked about the monument, how it stands for freedom and a little genealogy about her family coming to the states from Italy. She is 3rd generation. It was very moving. We then watched a great movie and at the end we sang the Star Spangled Banner. After, the ranger asked all the veterans to come to the stage and help retire the American Flag. There must of been 50-60 veterans that joined her on stage. She choose a few that would take the flag from her and fold it. Very moving and you could hear a pin drop. If you get a chance to view this please do so. You come away feeling very positive about our nation. We headed home and to bed. All those stairs made us tired.
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| Amphitheater where the lighting ceremony takes place |
Just a note about the area. There is a lot to do here for families; Reptile park, Bear park, toboggan ride, zip lining, some kind of coaster, helicopter flights, horseback riding, etc. But for us, we are enjoying the fresh mountain air, beautiful green trees, trees growing out of the rocks, warm breezes at times, large green meadows, driving nice roads that don't have potholes, a great beer here and there and of course Mt. Rushmore. We are very impressed by what this area offers. So glad we came here.
Just beautiful!
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