We're going big with photos, just like this landscape.
Montana.
Rory takes in the landscape from where we've come from. Just look at those mountains.
Drum roll please .... Wyoming and Speed Limit 80. Time to move on down the road.
Coal train.
These little yellow flowers were in bloom much of the way, looking to me, much like Mustard.
Just before leaving Montana, I decided that we were so close to Mount Rushmore that we could make it by. Since I hate driving out-and-back, I took the small highway "short cut" to Rushmore - Hwy 16 - that wound through Jewel Cave National Park. Beautiful site, unfortunately, under road construction, with over a dozen miles in gravel at 25 mph. Not the fast route anymore, but great for photos.
This route allowed us to see...
the Crazy Horse Monument from the road. The Crazy Horse Memorial was begun in 1948, and is far from completion, as evidenced by the finished design model below:
As the story goes, the polish sculptor died in 1982, and work was resumed under the command of his wife. She smartly organized work towards the completion of the face, in an effort to draw additional interest and funding from nearby tourists visiting Mt. Rushmore's visages. At this rate of completion, Rory will be an old man when it is finished. It was fantastic to see it in process. Next stop: Rushmore!
Views from the approach to Rushmore.
This mountain was known to the Lakota Sioux as Six Grandfathers. The mountain was part of the route that Lakota leader Black Elk took as a spiritual journey which concluded at Harney Peak, the highest natural point in South Dakota.
Rory's anticipation grows in this backseat selfie.
Yep, we're at the gates. Almost got the whole sign.
Second drum roll please....
Mt. Rushmore!
We'd made it! 3 million visitors annually and now we're two more. Congress approved the commission in 1925, with President Coolidge insisting on depictions of President Washington, along with two Republicans and one Democrat President.
This above shot was taken from the lookout at the pavillion. Rory noticed people walking a trail from here and we headed off to get a closer look. The following shots are what we saw from the trail. Start on the left side, and you'll end up with an easier walk, finding stairs only at the end, descending back down.
Taken from small cave along side spur of path.
Mount Rushmore was in construction from 1927 - 1941, with efforts concluding because of WWII. The project cost just short of 1 million dollars to construct. No one died during the construction.
My selfie with Washington.
In the gift shop, Rory and I got the chance to meet one of the stone masons who worked on Mt. Rushmore from 1938 - 1940. Nick Clifford has written a book, co-authored by his wife, who wrote down all of the Q & A that folks were asking Nick over the years. Nick is 93 and still lives in the area. What a jewel.
Bye, bye Rushmore.
Hello Wall Drug. Can YOU tell the difference?!
My fun times companion, Rory, steps foot into Wall Drug.
Interior chapel - very good idea.
Original apothecary sign.
Our first bison.
We loved it. We saw it all, except for the free water, which was just a few steps away from here. The sun was setting and we took off, a little frightened by Wall Drug, and pretty clear that we were ready to leave, new Spanish capgun in hand for our next adventures. (See Rory's prior post on Wall Drug + Camping adventure with Mosquitoes)
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