Day 5.3: Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore was one of the primary things we wanted to see when we planned our trip across America. While it is certainly smaller than Crazy Horse, it's still quite an impressive sight. 

Even more impressive is learning about its construction and watching film clips of the workers dangle over the cliff face in leather harnesses, drilling, smoothing, and planting dynamite.

When you first emerge from the parking deck, you walk along a long granite plaza that leads directly to the monument. The Plaza features 50 columns, each with one of the 50 states engraved (in alphabetical order) and with the date it entered the union.

The end of the plaza leads to a balcony with a direct view of the monument. Just below is an amphitheater at the foot of Rushmore. Directly beneath the balcony (accessed via stairs or an elevator), is the visitors center with an intro movie and a large exhibit about the history of the monument.

It was sculpted by Gutzon Borglum, who spent the last 17 years of his life working on it. His son, Lincoln (not a coincidence), got it to a point of completion. In fact, the monument is unfinished. The figures were supposed to go from the waist up. 

Also planned was a tableau that explained it to future generations. That idea was scrapped (due to not enough space) in favor of a chamber tunneled into the mountain behind Lincoln's head. It was begun, but never completed.

There's also a trail of pathways and steps (which I assume was the original viewing area before the plaza, which takes you all around beneath the faces). No matter where you look, it's a supremely impressive sight.