October 7…. Rushmore

It was a short trip today since the morons in Washington can’t get their jobs done properly. 😡

We visited Mt Rushmore National Memorial today, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The parking deck and gift shop are still open because they are run by an independent concessionaire but the museum and visitor center (some of the best parts) are closed due to the shutdown.

Sculpted by Gutzon Borglum, the memorial was conceived as the “Shrine of Democracy” to represent the nation’s birth, growth, development, and preservation.

Leading from the parking deck to the Grand View Plaza is the Avenue of Flags, including flags from each of the 50 states and DC, with plaques giving the date the state joined the union.

Carved over 14 years from 1927 to 1941, the carving includes four presidential faces, each about 60 ft tall. (Crazy Horse’s carved face is almost 90 ft tall).

George Washington represents the founding of the nation.

Thomas Jefferson represents the expansion of the nation.

Theodore Roosevelt represents national development. Interesting trivia…. TR was the first president to travel outside the USA.

And Abraham Lincoln represents the preservation of the nation.

I came here back in 2018, and if you ever get a chance to come, be sure not to come during a gov’t shutdown so you can visit the Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center. The museum has exhibits detailing the creation of the original small sculpture and the transfer of it to a mountainside, and includes actual filming of work being done. 400 workers (including Korczak Ziolkowski for a bit), dangling from cables, running air-powered jack hammers, drilling holes for dynamite and blasting. Amazing that no one was killed.