More and more we sensed that we were creating a truly great thing, and after a while all of us old hands became truly dedicated to it and determined to stick to it.

With nearly three million visitors from all over the world coming to Mount Rushmore each year, we knew we wanted to be there — standing in awe of the art and craftsmanship involved in creating one of the most visited sites in America.

From South Dakota Highway 244 leading to Mount Rushmore, we caught side glimpses of George Washington. Washington’s was the first figure started and the most prominent visage of the four presidents memorialized in an arrangement conceived by South Dakota historian Doane Robinson and executed by sculptor Gutzon Borglum.

The majestic walk through the entrance of Mount Rushmore and the Avenue of Flags added to our anticipation — and pride — as the four 60-foot-tall granite heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln rose grandly before us.

In 1925, federal and state legislation authorized the carving of a memorial in South Dakota’s Black Hills, and sculptor Gutzon Borglum (working on the Confederate memorial in Stone Mountain, Georgia, at the time) was hired to oversee the project that officially began October 4, 1927. Although Borglum passed away prior to the completion of the project, his son Lincoln oversaw the carving until the end and attended the dedication on October 31, 1941.

Traditionally, during the months of May through September, visitors can observe the Evening Lighting Ceremony that ends with the singing of the National Anthem as the sculpture is lit. (If you’re going, be sure to check the schedule since many national parks and park activities have been closed or suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic.) But it’s also a great place for picture-taking with the presidents in the background!

If you can time it right, visit the Sculptor’s Studio when rangers give a most interesting account of who did the work and how. (The ranger we saw had a sense of humor good enough for late-night talk shows. Yes, that good.) Rangers can tell you about how Jefferson’s head had to be relocated because of flaws in the granite, how the original Jefferson figure had to be blasted away, and how very little of the clothing is included in the figures — and for good reason! (Sometimes it’s the tidbits we remember the most!)

Dining is available at Carvers’ Cafe and Memorial Grill, but even if you’re not ready for a meal, don’t bypass Memorial Team Ice Cream, named for the baseball team formed in honor of the carvers of Mount Rushmore. Order a “monumental scoop” of TJ’s Vanilla Ice Cream supposedly based upon the first written recipe for homemade ice cream by none other than President Thomas Jefferson and replicated for your pleasure.

According to Peter Greenberg Worldwide, “Finally, you can literally taste history!”

You may think that Mount Rushmore is just one more tourist delight.

But thanks to the developers of the monument and the planning by the National Park Service, Mount Rushmore is both awe-inspiring and classic.

Tips to know before you go:

• Park hours vary by season, so check before you go: National Park Service Mount Rushmore.
• Ample parking is available, but there is a fee.
• Walkways are generally accessible to all.
• Getting around to the Sculptor’s Studio, even behind the stadium area, is fairly easy, but there are some tight viewing spots (see below) that may not be accommodating to all.
• The Mount Rushmore Self-Guided Tour: A Living Memorial offers information in several languages about the creation of the monument.
• Check the daily schedule for ranger talks — because you just don’t want to miss one.
• Even before you leave home, visit the National Park Service Mount Rushmore website for an updated schedule of date and times when the monument is open for viewing.
• Download resources and read articles related to travel at Mount Rushmore at the Travel South Dakota website.

This can be a monument and an inspiration for the continuance of the democratic-republican form of government, not only in our own beloved country, but, we hope, throughout the world.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1936

Travel safely,

Rusha & Bert

Photo credits:

Thomas Jefferson: Wikicommons

Map of South Dakota Black Hills: National Park Service

But after the short trip from Wall Drug Store down I-90, we began to see what the buzz was about.

After an especially wet spring — “Most unusual,” people kept telling us — the grasslands were greener than ever, and wild mustard added ribbons of yellow to the verdant landscape. We felt lucky, very lucky, to be in Badlands National Park on what turned out to be an especially good day.

Badlands National Park, approximately 75 miles from Rapid City, can be accessed by taking Exit 131 off I-90 to enter the park at the Northeast Entrance. We recommend stopping at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and afterwards following the Badlands Loop Road, a two-lane, paved surface through the North Unit of the park.

It comes as no surprise to those who have sought advice from the National Park rangers that rangers are the go-to people for information. They know where you are most likely to see wildlife, which roads are closed due to rock slides or flooding, and what not to miss even if you have to wait for a parking spot. We wanted to talk to the rangers first. And, as we expected, the Badlands rangers mapped out our day, stamped our Passports, and offered tips for short-term and longer term trips.

Notably, Badlands National Park can boast of having one of the most complete fossil accumulations in North America. This guy, of course, is a recent acquisition!

But other creatures, not made of concrete, may be lurking in the grass or beneath the undulating rocks.

Our greatest takeaway, however, from this national park is not the animals, but the panorama of the natural landscape: sharply eroded buttes of sandstone, limestone and volcanic ash against a contrasting mixed-grass prairie. For us, Badlands is one of the nation’s most interesting parks.

According to the Badlands National Park website, two processes have been at work for over 75 million years: 1) Deposition — the process of building up rock in a stacking process and 2) Erosion — rocks gradually wearing away, having begun 500,000 years ago by the Cheyenne and White Rivers. It’s these striations and layers of the formations, along with ripples caused by river erosion, that make this signature land known as Badlands an almost iconic sight.

After we parked at a picnic area, we took a close-up of the cracks and crazes of what appeared to be very tentative rock formations. When we returned home, we read that the rock really is eroding — about an inch every 10,000 years. (Still time to see the Badlands in your lifetime, though!)

Our whole trip through the Badlands consisted of driving, stopping (at almost every marked area), taking pictures, and standing in awe. We hardly spoke.

The sense of quiet, the raw beauty and majesty around each turn, and the sound of the wind let us know that there are greater powers at work in the world. We were just two tiny admirers standing on the precipice, aware of our smallness.

Badlands National Park is, for the most part, accessible for all travelers. If you have mobility issues, know that there is much you can see of the Badlands from your car. In addition, added walkways to some of the major formations assist travelers in their quest to view the hard-to-reach places.

We totally agreed with those who had congratulated us (as if we knew what we were doing!) on selecting an especially lovely spring for a visit to South Dakota’s national park. But we suspect that almost any day would be a good day to stand tall with the wind at your back staring out at nature’s beauty at the Badlands.

By discovering nature, you discover yourself.

Maxime Lagase

See the USA,

Rusha & Bert

Traveling to South Dakota, Vietnam, Cambodia, Greece, Israel, and Italy means that we have pictures to share and ideas for your next trip.

We’ve also revamped our site, thanks to the support and suggestions from Michael Wender, a Knoxville-based graphic designer who helped us select Christopher as our new WordPress theme and fill it with easier-to-read fonts and better quality pictures.

Please click on the menu bars at the top of the main page so you can navigate through our new categories: About, Destinations, Hometown Pride, Photo Challenges, and Travel Savvy. Hopefully, you’ll find something that strikes your fancy and keeps you coming back.

Thanks to all of you — our loyal followers AND new readers — for taking the time to dive in to Oh, the Places We See. We love it when you share your thoughts and experiences with us.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the current threat to all travel, the widespread coronavirus. Please check with travel.state.gov for updates and travel advisories. And consult your travel agent or cruise line for current conditions.

Best wishes to each and every one of you for safe travels and wide-eyed wonder — always.

Rusha and Bert Sams