Mt. Rushmore

One of our reasons for coming back to the states was to see a part of the US we had not seen before. So a long Thanksgiving weekend meant a road trip. We looked into several National Parks but most were too far away, closed, or we were not in the mood for. Mike decided on Mt. Rushmore outside of Rapid City, SD. We left on Wednesday morning on a beautiful day.

The landscape color actually reminded us of Egypt, the sand colored grasses, the leafless trees of brown, and of course nothing in sight for miles. It was an easy drive with great conversation, music, and sights to see. We passed many ranches with thousands of cows, horses, and tumbleweed covered fences.

We drove through the Black Hills Mountain Range which received their name because of the dense trees that make the mountain look black from a distance. Sadly a forest fire in 2000 consumed over 93,000 acres of forest. We could see the devastation as we drove through over 8 years later. The tress fell like pick up sticks and were sad to see. The animals were struggling to find food as the ground was still charred and there were no birds in sight. We did see a scrawny mule deer very close to the side of the very winding road.

Around 3:30 Mike tells me that Mt. Rushmore closes at 5 but we have plenty of time still. Sunset is at 4:30! Driving down the main road into Custer, the closest town to the Park, we noticed the Closed for the Season signs posted on the 20+ establishments and decided to guess how many cars will be at the park. I guessed one car, the Park Ranger, and Mike picked 10. As we drove the last few miles we counted the cars leaving. There were about 6 cars and Mike was losing fast. We had 6 parking lots to chose from. There were about 4 families there. So basically we drove 6 hours to get to the Park a half hour before the visitor center closed...we did leave a lot later then we planned. The actual park is opened until 10 though so we got a nice sunset and some night photos.

How many of the 4 presidents can you name?

Washington and Lincoln I know you know so they do not count.....so who are the other two.....?

Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt

Why these 4?

Washington: because he led the colonist to Independence and laid the foundation for our current democratic society.

Jefferson: because he was the author of the Declaration of Independence which inspires democracy around the world.

Roosevelt: provided leadership when America experienced rapid economic growth as it entered the 20th Century. He was instrumental in negotiating the construction of the Panama Canal, linking the east and the west.

Lincoln: held the nation together during the Civil War and preservation of the union.

These photos gives you preception of the size of the mountain.

Rocky mountain goats are not native to the area. 6 goats were given to Custer National Park in 1924 from Canada. The creatures escaped their pen and have taken refuge on Mt. Rushmore. There are over 200 of them now. The light was not good for great photos and

the beasts move fast!

They turn on the lights at 5pm. The sky looks so blue!

When we first came through you could see the Avenue of Flags much better. This gives you the idea of what it looked like even though it is dark. The flag walkway was built upon a visitors request for America's bicentennial in 1996. There are 56 flags that represent the 50 states plus the District of Colombia, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands. As Mike and I walked down the Avenue we looked for the Maine and Mass flags. It is amazing how many flags look a like. We finally found them. As I researched later I discovered the flags are represented alphabetically. Knowing that ahead of time would have helped!

The coat of arms of Massachusetts consists of a blue shield which represents the Blue Hills of Canton and Milton, Massachusetts with an Algonquin Native American, named Massachuset. The Indian is dressed in a shirt, leggings and moccasins. He holds a gold bow in one hand and a gold arrow in the other hand. The point of the arrow is pointed down denoting a friendly demeanor. In the upper right hand corner of the shield is a silver five-pointed star representing one of the original 13 colonies. Above the shield on a gold wreath is a right arm, bent at the elbow and grasping a gold broadsword.

The motto of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem, is printed in gold on a blue ribbon. It can be translated as "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty." This motto is supported by the ruffle sleeved arm grasping a sword that is depicted above the shield.

The Maine State coat of arms displays upon a shield, a pine tree, a moose, land and sea. Flanking the shield, a seaman rests on an anchor and a farmer rests on a scythe. Above the shield the Maine state motto, "Dirigo" (I lead), is displayed in small upper case letters on a banner beneath the North Star. Below the shield, on a blue banner, is the name of the state, "MAINE."

Want to know about your state flag? Go to Netstate, that is where I went.