Mount Rushmore...

 On of our main goals when heading out to western South Dakota was to see Mount Rushmore...this may see strange to many of you...but its been a dream of mine for years and years...the dream was about to turn to reality in just a few minutes...I was on the edge of my seat! A nice woman at one of the many visitor centers we had been to told us to talk a different route into the area...this way you could view the mountain as you were approaching...

 Oh I am so glad we listened to her...there it is!!!

 We had to drive a bit further through some tunnels...

 And bridges...

 Getting closer...

 A bit further to go...

 We met a friend on the way...

 We made it!!!

 What an awesome sight to behold...yes...Mount Rushmore looks great too...

 I can't believe we made it...I thought I was going to cry standing there and staring...such an incredible journey getting here...such a beautiful place...such an amazing story...

 In 1925, Gutzon Borglum was invited to the Black hills by state historian, Doane Robinson...he came with his son, Lincoln.Originally, Mr. Robinson wanted western heroes up on a different peak...can you imagine how that would have turned out?? Anyway...Mr Borglum thought the original peak was unsuitable for carving and they chose this spot. Mr. Borglum suggested that for such an impressive peak...there should be national heroes...

 The reason these four were chosen were because Washington was the first President and many consider him the father of the country...Thomas Jefferson because he doubled the size of the country with the Louisiana Purchase...Abraham Lincoln held our country together and Teddy Roosevelt supported the building of the Panama Canal...expanding world trade and a friend of Borglum as well as a friend to National Parks.Construction started August 10, 1927 and shut down October 31, 1941...Mount Rushmore has never been finished for a couple reasons...the first being that Borglum died suddenly in March of 1941 and secondly...the project ran out of money due to WWII.

 The faces were dedicated in different years...the first one being Washington in 1936...Many wonder how Mount Rushmore got its name...it was named for a young attorney, Charles Rushmore, in 1885...he was thinking of mining in the area...asked about the mount and what its name was...they ended up naming it after him. Isn't this an awesome place...I still pinch myself to see if I was really there!

 Can you tell we're a bit on the excited side...it was really cold when we arrived...we didn't care...we stood and stared and stared...

 It was getting late...notice the difference in the lighting...the sculpture faces southeast...so it will get morning sun...The faces were carved in this order...Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and then Roosevelt...can you see Teddy Roosevelt,s glasses? Pretty cool...huh!!

 We met another friend who has been hanging out here for quite some time...that is a radio collar on him...to track him...

 Another pretty exciting thing...although this is as excited as he seemed to get...was meeting...Don "Nick" Clifford...he is the last living person who worked on the carving. He is a native of Pierre, South Dakota...and we purchased his book and he was kind enough to sign it and pose for a picture...he is 92. I have read the book cover to cover...very interesting facts in there!

I leave you with my final look at the monument...so sad to leave...but there was more vacation to be had...more exciting things to see...but nothing would be as anticipated as this was!!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!