Mt. Rushmore: A Visit With George, Tom, Ted and Abe

Today's drive began along the Needles Highway (see my previous post), then took us along Playhouse Road to Iron Mountain Road and eventually to Mt Rushmore Memorial. 

At this stop, we got our first sighting of the huge sculpture... you can't make out the faces in this picture but believe me, they are there.


Wayne is looking at a curious marker in the field.
That's Mt Rushmore in the far background.

Iron Mountain Road

Mount Rushmore is the largest monument in the world and it was created during a time of great national challenge and hardship -- the Great Depression of the 1930's.  Gee, I don't know... how can a depression be "great" ....

There are several good viewpoints of the sculpture along the way to the Memorial
This photo shows almost the entire memorial facility too.

Our Mt Rushmore Family Photo

It is dreadfully dry here.  Fire bans everywhere.

We're near the memorial entry at this point

Between October 4, 1927 and October 31, 1941, Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers sculpted the colossal faces of four U.S. presidents into the side of the great granite mountain to represent the first 150 years of American democracy.

The sculptor of Mt Rushmore

Inside the memorial
Approaching the Avenue of Flags

The motley crew...
Landon (as George Washington), Marcella (as Thomas Jefferson)
Me (as Teddy Roosevelt) and the Wayner (as Abraham Lincoln)



There must always be a moment for foolishness!

My favorite of all my photos

At dusk.

 

Inside the Mt Rushmore Memorial Museum

The moving nighttime lighting



Grand finale - Honoring veterans