Mount Rushmore

Pulled up stakes in Custer and headed to Mount Rushmore.  It is not very far.  Just 35 miles.  Xanterra runs the parking concession at the National Monument.  There are two, large parking garages.  Currently, there are people in what looks like a toll plaza to collect money for parking.  Soon they will be replaced by the same parking system used at Saint Peter's.  We hope it works better!

Listening to people is often as instructional, in a completely disappointing way, as opposed to simply ignoring them.  Things I heard said:

"There is enough room up there for a fifth person."

" With laser blasters they could add a new face in minutes."

It's granite.  The nose of one of the presidents is about 4 times the size of LeBron James.  There is enormous planning that goes into mountain carving.  The people doing it must create access for their equipment.  The first thing they carve is a road.  That can take a year or more.

This project took decades and it is not even finished.  Nor will it be.  The artist created a sculpture first.  Notice in the picture below each of the presidents had bodies.  Not simply heads.

Much like the Crazy Horse Memorial the original artist on this project died before its completion.  His son finished the task.  There are no plans to "finish" the monument.  There are also no serious plans to add another face, nor should there be.

We'll give TR a little Mount Rushmore love for having the foresight to create a National Park System.