You didn’t think we went all the way to South Dakota without paying a visit to our founding fathers, did you? Of course we didn’t.
I love how the whole slow, snaking to Keystone coming up from Custer State Park offers views of the four old dudes. This should show you how great SVV and I are at American history: Neither of us could name the fourth—Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and…? (The answer is Roosevelt. Good ol’ Teddy.)
I’m pretty sure, though, had they been alive that the presidents would envy SVV’s ‘do. They spent all that time working on their own coifs after all (and probably were bald under the wigs in the first place).
The drive up offered varying perspective of the heads. It also offered some interesting roadside observations.
That’s right, folks: Free Wi-Fi, indoor pool and … bison storage! People take their bison seriously in these parts. Kind of like my stomach does (bison burgers, yummmm).
Once we’d arrived at Rushmore, we opted not to take a tour, much to my mother’s chagrin. It was really cold and windy out, and the rain showers came and went. Some fun facts about the stone heads: Each face is a whopping 60 feet tall;,George’s nose is 20 feet long, and his mouth is 18 feet wide. So while, even standing beneath them, they look rather tiny, in actuality their features are quite prominent!
We sat at the overlook for awhile, admired the handiwork, then headed out for Rapid City. I mean, there are only so many shots of these stately gents that one can take, right? That said, I’m pretty sure this one takes the cake.
Speaking of our fur babe, she turns one today! And you better believe I bought party hats and streamers and that we’ll be living it up in our little trailer in Montana for the occasion. If it stops pouring long enough, there might even be a birthday hike in her future. Any excuse for a party….
Aw, Happy Birthday to Ella! Mwah!
Happy bday to the pup!!
Thanks, Danielle! She’s eager to meet you when we pass through OKC in August. She said you have excellent taste in boots =)
Happy birthday, puppy!
I’m afraid I have not-nice-thoughts about Mt Rushmore ever since I saw the Penn and Teller’s Bullshit episode about it.
Ha, I don’t even know what that means, but I definitely would not have made a special trip all the way to South Dakota just to see it! But if in the area, it’s worth a quick stop just to say you’ve done it.
Happy Birthday Ella! She’s so much cuter than those rocky old men. The place never impressed me. sorry to hear you’re still dealing with lousy weather. Should have come south, it’s summer here.
Yeah, I’m with you. We were very “meh” about the whole Rushmore experience to be honest.
In Glacier and STILL pouring with no end in sight.
Never been to Mt. Rushmore! Some of my friends went late last year, and they didn’t have as clear of a view as you did! 🙂
Wow, I guess we should be thankful then, eh? I like the ominous clouds surrounding the presidents. Seems…fitting!
Seriously?! These photos made me smile. Thumbs up for the head shot(s). Very fun.
Thanks, Amie! Our poor dog has become our circus monkey… =)
Gorgeous photos, love the ones of SVV and Ella, happy birthday little girl!
xox
Bwahahah, bison storage! I wonder what you’d find if you opened one of those up? And I hereby recommend that we start a petition to add either SVV or Ella as the fifth face on Mt. Rushmore! Political credentials be damned, they would both look great up there carved in stone. 🙂
Ha! There could be six faces and they could BOTH make the cut! I wish I had a bison to store…
Oh.. Bison burger love it!! Seriously, who need other amenities when they have bison storage. Gorgeous pictures!
I mean, there’s really no need for a hotel even when you can share a room with the bison in their own storage facility! Although, they kind of look like they have leprosy so I might require my own room after all…
That is one photogenic rock, isn’t it?
Such fun pictures and commentary! I love the last one of the dog.
Thanks, Bridget! The dog, on the other hand, was none too pleased about being our circus monkey =) (She looks like she’s doing “contemplative” when in reality I think it was “pissed off.”)
Happy Birthday Ella!
Happy birthday Ella! Bison burgers – yumm-mmmie
I was at Rushmore for about 30 minutes. It really does get old quick. It’s something everyone should see once, though!
I definitely agree! But 30 minutes would be about the max time I could spend there I think =)
Happy birthday, Ella — the sweetest, prettiest, most adventurous little 4-legged girl in the whole world! Tell your humans to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s “North by NorthWest, with Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason — a great film classic, part of it takes place at Mt Rushmore. You get a better idea of the sheer size of those faces when you see Cary hanging on to them for dear life.
She sleeps with her pink blanket every day and thinks of you =)
Yes, I’ve been meaning to see North by Northwest! Scott and I are going to start whittling away at the 100 Best Movies of All Time list from AFI while on the ship this fall, and I’m sure that’s on there.
Maybe a separate, ongoing thread about which movies do the best job of showing various locations around the world?
That’s exactly the kind of stuff I write about in my day job (and thus don’t cover on here because, well, it’s my day job!) but maybe as we whittle down the list, I’ll consider doing a post or two =) Scott made me watch the original Planet of the Apes last week, and the whole time I was picking out where the filming took place: “this scene is totally Powell Lake in Arizona…and now we’re in southern Utah’s canyons, I’m pretty sure!”
I second the North by Northwest recommendation. It’s a fantastic film!
SVV should totally be the 5th face up there!
Happy birthday to Ella! Fur-babe birthday parties are the best. Jack and Cooper send woofs and extra treats!
She got her own birthday chicken cake with huckleberry marinade. She seemed to think birthdays were the bomb after that =)
wow, i have missed so many great posts and pictures in the last days!!
such a cool trip – the US is really full of natural beauty, I am amazed once again!
happy monday 🙂
It is! I think it’s honestly why more Americans don’t travel internationally–it could take you an entire lifetime to just do North America justice!
The pictures are really nice especially the 4 “faces”, Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt (I learn), I did not know the place, worthwhile a trip. Most interesting a Motel 6 with a Bison Storage, that can be useful…
Ahh, great pictures. The last time I went to Mt Rushmore….was when I was in college. I drove from California to Washington DC (where I was attending college). I believe that was in 1987. I must admit, my favorite pix is of your little furry baby with the 4 Presidents. 😉