Thursday, August 4, 2011

Mount Rushmore

We went to Mount Rushmore today, so here are some of the pictures I took.

As you leave the garage that is run by a private concessionaire, $11.  This is the front entrance to the memorial.


As you progress to the corridor of the state flags and the gift shop area.


People are everywhere, so any idea of taking pictures without them is out of luck.


So I attempted to take the shots over their heads. The corridor of flags with the presidents above.





The amphitheater below the mountain. 


Inside the gift shop are the portraits of each of the presidents on the mountain.

George Washington


Thomas Jefferson


Theodore Roosevelt


Abraham Lincoln



I thought it was interesting that they explained the accomplishments of each president that qualified them to be on the mountain.  Washington as the founder of our nation.  Jefferson for the Louisiana purchase that doubled the size of our nation.  Roosevelt for creating the national park system, and Lincoln for preserving the union during the civil war.

It occurred to me that many of the younger folks may not even know the presidents names, let alone what they had done for our nation.



This bust is of Gutzon Borglum,  the sculptor that designed this memorial.  The details and story of all of this is interesting but I will let you google the memorial to learn more.

Retired Rod

5 comments:

  1. I saw Mount Rushmore in May of 92 & there were scads of people that day too.

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  2. I don't think it's only young folks that don't know the names of the presidents. :)

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  3. I'm always awed by the work that was involved in sculpting this monument.

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  4. Compared to George Washington and Abe Lincoln, I think most visitors are "young folks"!

    Great pictures of the monument, Rod. Thanks for bringing back the memories of our great visit to Mt. Rushmore back in 2007.

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  5. We were at Mt. Rushmore on July 3 -- it sure is a busy place but an awesome one! Hope you get to Custer State Park while you are in the area! Enjoy!! Martha

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