It would be really hard to name a favorite stop on our bike trip out west but Mount Rushmore was most definitely one of them. The history of the area intrigued me. I loved stopping to read all the plaques that tell the tales. I loved the mountains, the trees, the cool air, all of it. I regret to say that my photography skills are no match for the beauty of this monument. (The above photo was "borrowed" from the internet.)After riding for two days in extreme heat with temperatures soaring to 114 degrees, we were more than grateful to get to some higher elevation where it was much cooler. From this point forward, the trip just got more and more beautiful.
I always tried to take pictures of the signs as we entered the parks so I would be able to sort the albums later. Getting MHS to slow down for a decent photograph was not always easy. I found that a nice jab to his middle usually worked well.
This was our first view of this spectacular monument to Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln. Around this corner is the entrance to the park. We didn't enter the park during the day but instead chose to take a ride through the mountains and return that evening for the presentation.
We encountered lots of bikers on our trip. No wonder as it was some of the best riding in the world, I'm told. There is an unwritten bikers' code that you always wave to another biker. Not an elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist princess wave but a low, subtle, 45 degree, straight arm, two finger kind of wave.
The views from this overlook were gorgeous.
See what I mean. If you've never seen it, this gives you an idea of just how big this thing is. You can see it from miles away.
If you look closely (and you may have to enlarge it), you can see the monument thru the tunnel.
I love these old wooden bridges.
President Roosevelt peeks through to say, "Bully for you, Smart Mouth Broad!" I can't be sure but I think I saw him wink at me.
When it started to get dark, we headed to the park for the show.
The Biker Nazi and The Saint lead the way.
This is the view looking up from the moving bike.
The entrance to the amphitheatre has this very impressive flag display. You can see the Presidents overhead watching us walk in.
After the flag display, these mountain goats are just roaming free right there. Y'all know how I love goats.
At the end of the history of Mount Rushmore presentation, the park ranger asked for all of the United States Military veterans to come to the stage. Once everyone was there, a round of applause erupted and it went on forever. It was awesome and brought tears to our eyes.
The monument stays dark throughout the whole presentation and then is lit at the end.
Breathtaking!
