Mt. Rushmore: certainly impressive, but better things to see and do in South Dakota
Written: Nov 02 '09
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Impressive sculpture
Cons: too many people! Keystone is a tacky little tourist town.
The Bottom Line: Mt. Rushmore is over-hyped. I did appreciate the sculpture but overall the memorial isn't too exciting.
|
|
|
| pilarzmom's Full Review: Mt. Rushmore |
South Dakota is not a state I would have included on our road trip last summer had it not been for its most famous tourist destination, Mt. Rushmore National Memorial. Somehow the image I had of this state was not too favorable, but in reality, our family actually found it to be quite scenic and beautiful, especially Badlands National Park. Mt. Rushmore, on the other hand, turned out to be rather disappointing and less than memorable.
Brief background on the memorial
Most Americans are very familiar with photographs of Mt. Rushmore, but unless you've visited the memorial, you may not know about the history, or even be able to name the presidents carved on a southeasterly wall of granite on this mountain named for a New York attorney. (FYI: the presidents are Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt). The project started in 1927, under the direction of Gutzon Borglum, the son of Danish immigrants who had studied art in Paris and was the master sculptor of Georgia's Stone Mountain. After 14 years it was completed, although only 6 years of that time was devoted to carving.
Undoubtedly the finished work is impressive. George Washington's head (from forehead to chin) is the same height as a 6 story building and just one of his eyes is 11 feet wide. While definitely visible from afar, it is best observed up close to appreciate the enormity of the sculpture.
Getting to the memorial
Mt. Rushmore is about 45 minutes from Rapid City, located just outside the small town of Keystone. From Rapid City the quickest route is to take Hwy. 16 to Hwy. 244. We opted to take a more leisurely and scenic route through the Black Hills, taking Hwy. 85 from Spearfish to Deadwood and continuing on Hwy. 385 to Silver City.
Keystone, in my opinion, is a somewhat tacky tourist town made to look like a "western" town with board walks and saloon type eateries, with plenty of motels with big signs advertising cheap room rates. And of course, there are plenty of gift shops with cheaply made souvenirs. We stayed at a hotel just outside of the main drag called the K Bar S Lodge that was a bit overpriced, but away from the throngs of tourists.
None of the hotels or motels have a direct view of the memorial. From the K Bar S we could see a partial view (primarily the profile of Washington) but it was several miles away and hardly worth paying a lot of money to see.
While there is no entrance fee to the memorial, you will have to pay $10 for parking (good for all day). Our neighbor visited the memorial over the 4th of July (big fireworks display) and the thousands of visitors clogged the roads at the time. They parked a couple miles back and walked to the memorial.
Mt. Rushmore is open every day except Christmas.
What to do while you're there
I came here years ago back in the 60s when I was a young child. At that time the memorial was very simple and not as nicely developed as it is today. The memorial now includes the Lincoln Borglum Museum that details the history of the memorial, the Presidential trail, and the Avenue of the Flags.
Many visitors will chose to walk up the Avenue of the Flags (where the flags of all 50 states are displayed) to take pictures from the Grand View Terrace. Below the terrace is an amphitheater. This is where the evening lighting program takes place. The Presidential Trail also starts here and goes for half a mile just below the talus slopes that lie under the actual sculptures. It is an easy hike and fully wheel chair accessible. If you want to get a closer view of the sculptures, I really recommend you do this hike.
If you're staying in Keystone, plan on coming back in the evening for the evening program. It's an inspirational program that details the history of the memorial and the presidents it memorializes. It culminates with a lighting ceremony that features local military personnel. Just make sure you get there early!
My opinion on Mt. Rushmore
As we discovered South Dakota is a beautiful state, filled with many natural wonders. Sadly, the man-made Mt. Rushmore just seems out of place. I won't deny that it is a wonderful sculpture that serves as a magnificent memorial. But I guess I'm not a big fan of turning mountainsides into sculptures. I rather go visit national parks and monuments that showcase natural beauty. Leave the sculptures in the cities where they fit in!
Perhaps Mt. Rushmore would also be more enjoyable during the off-season. When we visited in June, I almost felt like I was at a Disney Theme Park, as I dodged throngs of tourists as I tried to get a shot of my family with the Presidents in the background. I also was disappointed with the evening show. It was way too crowded and unless you were there early, it was impossible to get a seat in the amphitheater. My kids weren't able to see a thing. I can only imagine what it was like on the 4th of July.
I'm only giving Mt. Rushmore a 3-star rating. It's certainly interesting, but I would have rather spent more time exploring the Badlands or the nearby Black Hills.
Recommended:
No
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.