As far back as I can remember, Mt. Rushmore has been one of our country's few architectural marvels of man-made creations outside of the many sky scrappers and grand stadiums we have today. Check out what I discovered during my visit to this little/big town!
If you are a big city boy like me, you may be blown away by the vast flat landscape when you touchdown in Rapid City...(you definitely won't see any skyscrapers here lol). Upon arrival, I headed straight to downtown Rapid City to check things out and found a couple of note-worthy things to mention. Little did I know, Rapid City is known as the City of Presidents for its great collection of bronze statues of all the U.S. Presidents! They are scattered strategically throughout the city...but there are maps you can get that can lead you to a specific President. I did not see all of them, I just made it a point to find and take pictures of my top 5 Presidents dead and alive!
Also, it is a must that you make a stop at Tally's Silver Spoon...a fantastic restaurant that has been around since the 1930s. I had brunch while I was there and it was amazing...but they are also known for their great dinner menu. If you are an avid reader of my blog, you know I rarely ever make recommendations as it relates to restaurants, so when I do, please take note! lol
The next day I ventured out for what I came to see...Mt. Rushmore. I have to say I kept my expectations low in order not to be disappointed, but I was steeped with anticipation as I drove the 40 miles it takes to get there...going thru winding roads up the Black Hills (a hikers paradise if that's your thing). Once you get about 2 minutes from arriving, you finally get a glimpse of George Washington's face! When you pull up and park your vehicle, you walk up some stairs and enter through a public mezzanine of all of the state flags leading up to our nation's forefathers. I was blown away by the great detail you can see in each face even from afar. I was very impressed!
Also, when you visit Rapid City, a somewhat smaller attraction is the Crazy Horse Memorial. I had no idea who or what this was and what was going on here lol. This unfinished statue will eventually depict the Oglala Lakota warrior, Crazy Horse, riding a horse and pointing to his tribal land. The Crazy Horse Memorial is located about 30 minutes away from Mt. Rushmore and is still worth seeing even though it is nowhere near completion...(it has been in the works for over 70 years now).
There is a museum at the bottom of the mountain you can get more information regarding the creator of this soon-to-be marvel and the history behind it. On the outer deck of the Museum, there is a rendering of what the statue will look like when completed. With additional funding and technology that is constantly improving, I was told great progress should be made in the next 10 years with Crazy Horse's arm and face completely done. The entire statute could be done in another 20 years give or take. Once it is completed, this will surely become another great attraction in Rapid City and will be the 2nd largest statue in the world only behind the Statue of Unity in India.
Making this journey to Rapid City, S.D., and seeing Mt. Rushmore was a major accomplishment for me. The trip ended up being full of pleasant surprises and I got more than I bargained for!
Additional Note: There are helicopter rides that are offered that can take you to the base of Crazy Horse's face...(all for a fee of course). I also believe there are guided hikes to the base of Crazy Horse's face that are offered a few times out the year when construction is suspended.
