When we were first planning our big trip and had the idea to road trip around the USA for our first leg, we initially thought of driving south and then west – visiting friends and family along the way. We talked about it, but neither of us were too excited for that version of the road trip. It was a route that we had driven before, taking us to the same cities and states we had visited in years past. After a bit of time thinking about it, Jon said that we should throw that idea out the window and come up with an itinerary that excited us, with cities and sites that we had never been to before. As soon as he mentioned that, my first reaction was Mt Rushmore – it was the type of place I had always wanted to see, but never would have planned a specific vacation to visit. In other words, ideally suited to the new idea of a road trip which would include the new, quirky, and different.

Mt Rushmore from a distance

While we spent 6 days in the Black Hills region of South Dakota, we selected one day to see Mt Rushmore. The day was perfect – high 70’s and sunny. It was a Tuesday, so we hoped that it wouldn’t be too crowded. After waking up and having breakfast at our campsite, we drove on Iron Mountain Road, an 18-mile road that twists and turns between Custer State Park and Mt Rushmore. It’s a beautiful drive, capped by an overlook at the top of a mountain. From there, we caught our first glimpse of Mt Rushmore. It was off in the distance, but close enough to see the four individual faces of past Presidents. As we drove closer, every view of the monument got us more and more excited.

Avenue of the Flags, leading up to the monument

We paid our $11 parking fee (good to the end of the year; no charge to enter the site itself) and entered. Our first stop was the visitor’s center to pick up a brochure with a map, and to see what time the lighting ceremony would be that evening. As we exited, we walked down the Avenue of Flags – each state represented in alphabetical order. We easily found Michigan, but had to look twice for Ohio – the flag wasn’t one that I was familiar with. Walking down the Avenue of Flags, we came upon the Grand Viewing Terrace. This was the iconic spot from which to view Mt Rushmore. It was crowded, so we had no problems finding someone to take our picture.

Lincoln’s eye on Mt Rushmore

A ¾ mile trail leads closer to the mountain, so that you can get an up-close view of the monument. We took our time, stopping every few feet to take pictures. Each angle represents a different view, and we wanted to make sure we captured them all. Along the trail, we learned different facts about the monument itself and about the Presidents featured. For example, their eyes are 11 feet wide and their heads are 60 feet tall. The four Presidents were chosen to represent four themes of the USA: birth (George Washington, the birth of the USA), expansion (Thomas Jefferson, the Louisiana Purchase), development (Theodore Roosevelt, Panama Canal and conservation in the USA), and preservation (Abraham Lincoln, equality for all Americans).

We took this picture ourselves, propping our camera on a bench since we didn’t like any of the other pictures of ourselves that other people took.

In the gallery, we watched a short film about the creation of Mt Rushmore. The idea was first conceived in 1927 and work began under the lead sculpture of Gutzon Borglum. Dynamite was used to sculpt 90% of the monument, and then jackhammers, drills, and smaller sculpting tools were used for the remainder. The sculptures are carved in a granite surface, so hard that it will erode approximately one inch every 10,000 years.
Later that evening, we returned to Mt Rushmore for the lighting ceremony.

Mt Rushmore at night, after the lighting ceremony

Around 7:30pm, we arrived and found seats in the amphitheater, passing the time by eating sub sandwiches until the program began. At 8:00pm, a park ranger gave a short speech about the importance of the monument and then a 20-minute film played on the screen outside. The film went into detail about each of the Presidents and why they were selected for the monument, discussed the building and sculpting, and the legacy that the monument leaves us today.

At the lighting ceremony, all military men and women were invited on stage to be honored

At the end, the song “America the Beautiful” played and the lights came on, illuminating the monument. Everyone stood and sang the “Star Spangled Banner,” and then the flag was lowered and put away. Finally, the park ranger invited all active and retired military to the stage, to a long applause by the rest of us in the audience. Each person gave their name and branch of the military where they had served. For me, this was the most emotional part of the evening, especially after the build-up of the monument lighting ceremony and singing by the crowd. It’s awe-inspiring to see so many people who had dedicated their lives to our country at such a patriotic site.

Our time at Mt Rushmore was exactly what we wanted, and more than we could have imagined. This is just the first of many more places we will visit, some more popular and well-known than others, and I am excited to see what the rest of this trip will hold for us. But for now, we have positive and ever-lasting memories of the first “big” stop along our journey.