 |
We drove to Mount Rushmore to see the lighting of the Presidents held
at 9:00pm each evening.
The drive passes through the town of Keystone where there had been a bad fire. We inquire if the road is open and learn that it is. What a road! We rise and fall on steep grades as it winds around the hills. Much of the approach being limited to only 35mph, and even that was hard to maintain. As we turn the last bend, we catch a glimpse of the Presidents faces sideways on. Parking, $8, entitles us to re-enter which we plan on tomorrow. Below the Presidents, the mountain has been terraced to provide parking, amenities, a restaurant, gift shop and amphitheater. The view is approached by walking through the avenue of flags. One for each state.
|
| We arrived at about 7:00pm and had cafeteria style dinner. The
pot roast was excellent, the tables clean and the view of the Presidents
great.
The mandatory tour of the gift shop was ‘productive’. We returned after the lighting ceremony to make our purchases.
The amphitheater is in an open bowl using well spaced benches to
|
 |
![[Image]](pict0.jpg)
Amphitheater. |
We took our seats early, which was wise. It was packed. As we waited
we watched the clouds thicken and felt a few spots of rain. We had light
weight jackets, but were not prepared for serious weather.
A lady Park Ranger gave an introductory talk, and a group of army cadets a brief parade as the flag was illuminated. The main part of the show is a film about the life of the Presidents Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Jefferson, and how the sculptor Gutzon Borglum used a crew with dynamite to create the monument. It started to rain, but we sat it out. Finally we all sang our national anthem, the Presidents faces were lit, and the flag lowered.
|