Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse MemorialOn

On our second day in Hill City, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, we drove the the scenic Needles Highway in Custer State Park.. We couldn't have visited at a more perfect time. The foilage was beautiful.
The tunnel will accomodate one car at a time.


Construction began on Mount Rushmore in 1927 and was complete in October of 1941. The sculptures were indended to be carved from the waist up but the project ran out of money. The heads of the four presidents are sixty feet high.


Don't forget to take a jacket. I forgot mine but fortunately had a sweatshirt. At the viewing area the wind was cold. Allow at least a half a day to see everything at Mount Rushmore.

This picture of Washington's profile was taken after we left the Memorial on our way to the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Crazy Horse Memorial was commissionby by Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear. Construction began in 1948. All that is complete is the head which stands eighty-seven feet tall. If finished, the Crazy Horse Monument will be the world's largest sculpture. To help with size perspective, the tunnel shown in the rock is approximately eight stories high.
Allow a full day to tour Crazy Horse Memorial and see the museum and many exhibits.  Be sure to see the historical documentary. A bus will take you down to where the blasting takes place an bring you back.

The Black Hills are beautiful. It's easy to close your eyes and imagine going back in time to the days before roads and modern structures dotted the land. I can see hundreds of buffalo grazing on the grasslands and Lakota warriors riding to the hunt.

How about you?

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Reading and Writing.
Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/
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4 comments:

  1. Linda Brown, Mountains To Prairies BBOctober 27, 2010 at 9:07 AM

    Linda, I enjoyed reading your informative post about Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the Needles Highway. Your wonderful photos of the area made me feel that if I didn't live here, I would be homesick for the Black Hills! During the off-season Sam and I get to play the tourist role, and one of the things we so appreciate about living here is the opportunity we have of hiking in places that would be crowded in summer. Horsethief Lake, near Mt. Rushmore, has a scenic boardwalk along one side of it - We walk the boardwalk and, when it ends, continue all the way around up through the campground, peaceful and quiet. Another hike we enjoy is the Needles Highway...beginning at Sylvan Lake where the gate to the highway is closed to vehicles in late fall and all winter. If we time it just right, we can cross-country ski on this world class highway and have it all to ourselves...imagine!! Several years ago we hiked from Sylvan Lake to Cathedral Spires and back, with our oldest granddaughter who was visiting during Spring Break...memories that bond us.

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  2. Linda LaRoqueOctober 27, 2010 at 2:04 PM

    Linda, I admire you guys your hiking and cross country sking. Larry and I need to get into some activities that get us moving. The places you mentioned sound beautiful and I guess it would take a person years to see all the sights in the Black Hills. The thought of alot of snow makes me shiver, though.

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  3. Ciara GoldNovember 6, 2010 at 11:31 AM

    Man, these photos are awesome. This is one place I want to see sometime soon. I keep begging DH to take me. I'm thinking summer after next.

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  4. Linda LaRoqueNovember 6, 2010 at 12:43 PM

    It's a great trip, Ciara. It will be mighty hot in the Badlands during the summer but probably not so bad at Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore, etc. Hill City was beautiful.

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