Mount Rushmore!

The Lodge at Palmer Gulch was just 6 miles away from Mount Rushmore which was a great treat. It seems like we haven't been less than a half hour away from anything on this trip! It was a pretty drive up to the monument. Poor Maddie has had enough of the, “Ooh Maddie, look at that (fill in the lovely bit of scenery).” But I really wanted to make sure she saw Mount Rushmore as we approached it. So I bet her a dollar I would see it before her. Not surprisingly, my kid will scan scenery like Ansel Adams an a Yellowstone photo shoot for a buck. (I'm sure she gets it from her Dad!) Unfortunately for Maddie and being the bad Mom I am – I saw it first and blurted it out, because I was so surprised to see it full-sized. No dollar for Maddie, but oh the scenery she enjoyed – priceless!

Parking at the Monument was very easy. A $10 parking fee, is required but it is good for a calendar year. You'll want to come back for the night program so this fee makes a little sense Plus other options are limited unless you come by bus or shuttle. The shuttle from our Lodge was $6 per person and I have no idea what a bus tour would cost.

The park built around the monument is beautiful and very easy to get around. The National Parks office where Maddie picked up her Junior Ranger booklet was just inside the entrance. Across from this office/shop was a place to get an audio tour. We didn't choose this option but did the Ranger led tour instead.

The monument itself it just incredible. This was the first time any of us had seen it so that was neat. At first glance it doesn't look as big as it should, but then you realize how far away from it you are and that humans were actually up there creating it. And doing all this back in the 30's – unbelievable.

The Ranger and the exhibits focused a lot on the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, who designed and created, (supervised the creating of), the faces. He had almost completed the Stone Mountain, Georgia sculpture of the Confederate Generals when he had a falling out with the Daughters of the Confederacy. They fired him, blew up the work he'd completed and started again. His work was ruined, but he had a lot of experience to bring to Mount Rushmore. Most of the “sculpting” was done with dynamite charges. They blew of big and little chunks until they got to granite they could carve. 400 men worked on the monument for 14 years.

The trail around the base of the monument leads to Borglum's sculpture studio which is worth the walk. The studio itself is beautiful and offers a unique view of the mountain.

We had lunch at the cafe, which was typical cafeteria food but convenient. Maddie finished her Jr. Ranger material and got her official badge. There is a huge gift shop in the park, but I would recommend buying anything you can through the National Parks office. Hopefully the park will get more of the proceeds.

In Washington DC, and now on this trip, we purchase a pin at each place we visit. Maddie puts them on a lanyard and later, does a nice job going through them and telling people the highlights. She then has a nice keepsake and we don't have to say, “no” to a favorite stuffed animal at every park we visit.

In our attempt to balance national park majesty with cheesy touristy family fun, next we proceeded to the Mt. Rushmore Tram and Alpine Slide. For $20 Maddie and I took a chair lift that promised views of Mt. Rushmore, (lie), up to the beginning of a slide cut into the hill that you went down in a little sled. It was a relaxing ride up but since neither of us knew what we were doing on the way down, it was fun, but a little boring. We would have been smarter and more daring the next trip, but that wasn't going to happen.

We went back to the lodge for a break before the night program. We swam and napped, but thought we'd get dinner after the program. Big mistake, the restaurants all closed at 9p.m. They may stay open longer during the high season but check that out before you go. We got back around 9:15.

The night program was awesome. We arrived around 7:15. The actual program starts at 8p.m. With the lighting of the monument at 8:30. Patriotic music is played as everyone takes their seats in an enormous outdoor amphitheater located at the base of the monument. The Ranger gives a short talk and presents a movie about the monument.

At the end of the movie all veterans in attendance are invited to come on the stage and be recognized. I estimate more than 100 veterans gathered on stage. It was very moving. They performed the flag lowering led andthe audience in “The Star Spangled Banner” as the monument was lit and the amphitheater went dark. It was awesome with not a dry eye in the house.

John took some beautiful photos, If you have the opportunity to ever see this, I highly recommend it.