Mt. Rushmore
One of the major attractions and the purpose of our trip to South Dakota was to visit Mt. Rushmore. I have always seen pictures of it in books. I have read about it in reference to the history and its purpose as well as seen it in several movies.
White Mountain Goats at Mt. Rushmore
We wanted to head West. We wanted to go, do and see all there was. We definitely did not want to have a conventional vacation. It always seemed that traditional vacations were more labor than love. You find yourself overly busy, swamped in the details, and while you have memories and pictures, in the end, the holiday becomes so tiresome that you need a vacation from your vacation.
Mt. Rushmore up close
What we wanted was to travel West and see as much as possible but driven by our own ambitions and limitations. Some days we tried to pack it in full of sites and adventures. Others were more low key. I think you need a healthy dose of both to make it fun, keep the kids engaged, and to leave without feeling you have missed anything major.
We visited Mount Rushmore. As you pull up, you are mesmerized by its beauty. It truly is as majestic as you see in the pictures. It amazes me the amount of detail and work that went into building such a monument. It was also interesting to learn about those who built it and it's purpose.
The kids got to soak it in for sure. They got to see it up close, learn, discover, and reflect. It was truly amazing. The parks service was on hand to give guided tours and to teach you about the history. They had a small museum that gave you more background into the history and the building of the monument. Like the Indiana Dunes, they had a Jr. Ranger Program that the kids could be participate in.
In the end, we were blown away.
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