Summer Vacation Day 2: Mt. Rushmore

After our Bison traffic jam, we made it to Mt. Rushmore around 4:30pm. It had a huge parking structure and felt a little bit like parking at the airport. Thankfully, it wasn't too crowded so we were able to find a parking spot easily and make our way above ground to see the monument. It felt really crowded and also very majestic. President Trump is scheduled to arrive on July 3rd and be at Mt. Rushmore for the 4th of July fireworks. Because of his visit, the main walkway to the monument is closed down but we could get close enough to see it very well. Also, Brian and Paula told us to look for the "Nature Walk" because very few people know where it is and so it's a great view of the monument that is quiet and nearly people-free. First, we walked down the main walkway as far as we could go and that felt very crowded. There were decent views and everyone was taking photos. The girls were super excited to finally get to see Mt. Rushmore. They had been looking forward to it all day and they thought it was a lot cooler than they expected!

The visitor's center and gift shop both had lines out the door, due to the restrictions on room capacity due to Covid. So, we hung out for a bit and then went off to find the Nature Walk, which was actually not terribly easy to find. It was a nice short walk and few people had found it. Once we got to the observation area there were just a few families and a park ranger and a terrific view of the monument. We met two other families from Texas and chatted with both of therefor awhile. We tried to replicate the look, which was fun and turned out pretty silly. After our photos, we listened to the park ranger who gave a really great talk on how the presidents on Mt. Rushmore paved the way to end slavery and create the nation that we now have. It was really appropriate.

After the park ranger finished his talk, we headed back down the Nature Walk toward the parking structure and our car. There was a Trump bus out front which was super fun and we just had to take pictures! We did see several Trump shirts and hats worn and it was great to see. We got back to our car and drove back to Lead, about 45 minutes away. Although not in Custer State Park, it's still a very nice drive. We planned to eat at one of the nicer restaurants within a hotel in Deadwood, but it was booked so we ended up going to the Social Club of Deadwood. It was upstairs and a super cool feel. On the walls in the restaurant lobby were paintings based off original photos of Deadwood prostitutes from the late 1800s. They were pretty interesting actually, although it did raise a conversation that wasn't that fun. We ate outside since the weather is just perfect. The food was all delicious and we split a tiramisu and chocolate cheesecake at the end. It was delicious!

We headed back to our smelly little room and took showers and headed to bed. Such a fun and very full day!

We made it to Mt. Rushmore!

Just so majestic.

The girls in front of Mt. Rushmore.

The monument is absolutely amazing!

The monument from the nature walk.

Family picture in front of the monument.

Striking a pose! We agreed that we would make a good replacement.

The Trump train is here and ready for the President to arrive tomorrow.