Mount Rushmore

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 Mount Rushmore

Bill: Cody, WY is the rodeo capital of the world. They have rodeos every night throughout the summer months in a stadium built just for rodeos. The town is named for Buffalo Bill Cody and they have a beautiful state park commemorating him along the Shoshone River as you drive into town (picture 1). As we left Cody this morning we drove through 'main' street. The street was lined with stores all having a country/cowboy motif. The street was five lanes wide (one was for left turns) plus parking on each side, a very impressive town.

As we drove from western Wyoming to western South Dakota and Mount Rushmore we traveled through a section of the rockies in Wyoming that was remarkable. The road rose to 10,000 feet through the Granite pass and then down. During the trip we were treated to an amazing display of rock formations and rapid running streams (pictures 2 & 3).

Eleanor: After checking into our motel, we decided to drive to Mt. Rushmore to see it lit at night. We arrived in time to see it in the early evening sunlight and then go inside the visitor center to watch a film about how it was carved. The lights were to be tuned on around 9 P.M. so we went outside and assembled with hundreds of other visitors on the Grand View Terrace. Most people sat in the amphitheater just below the terrace. A Park Ranger came on stage and gave a talk for about 15 minutes on the lives of each of the four presidents. She told how each had to overcome adversity in their early lives and how important another person, like a parent, teacher or mentor, had been in encouraging them to strive to be the best they could be. We thought the lights would come on, but a film was shown about the presidents and about Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor, and how the carving was accomplished. We listened to a recording of "God Bless America" and then the lights were shone on the faces. We sang the national anthem and then the Ranger called all military people onstage to a big ovation. The entire presentation was very moving and patriotic.