We left Newcastle, Wyoming early and continued east on US - 16. Just before crossing into South Dakota, we saw arguably the MOST out-of-place sign of the entire trip: "Pizza Barn - Wyoming's Best NY Style Pizza."
Once in South Dakota, we were immediately in The Black Hills National Forest, where we were reminded that "A Careless Match Destroys" and to watch for "Big Horn Sheep Crossing". We drove through the little town of Custer, where the faces of the 2021 high school graduates smiled down on us from the lamp posts along Main Street.
The Custer State Park and the National Forest share the Black Hills, and both are well maintained. We wound through the forested highway, then turned up toward the Mount Rushmore monument on Highway16A.
Everyone has seen pictures of Mount Rushmore, in text books and comic books, on TV shows and in the movies. How could we possibly be surprised? A stop at Mount Rushmore was important to us not because we were curious what it looked like (we already knew, right?) but because the goal of the trip was to see America, and this monument, sculpted into a granite mountain, is a testimony to the first 150 years of the life of our very young country.
There was an easier way to get there, but Ron had watched a YouTube video featuring this narrow, curvy roadway called 16A. It was worth the extra time!! As we climbed higher, there were three single lane tunnels and as we came out of each tunnel, the faces of the four presidents were perfectly framed by the tunnel exit. It was simply stunning. This was the big surprise for both of us: just how spectacular the monument was when viewed live, by the naked eye.
We spent a few hours at the monument. We sat in the stillness of the huge, empty amphitheater. We hiked the million steps of the President's Trail. Maybe not a million. Ron's walking app recorded 39 flights. This series of wooden walkways included seating areas, and little alcoves were one could duck off the trail, and see the monument from different angles. There were wooden signs with information, photos and diagrams about the making of the monument, and others that featured each of the four presidents individually. Reading their words from their addresses to the country, while looking at their likeness overhead, is an experience I will not soon forget. It is as though these voices of democracy continue to speak.
Car Talk
Distance: 206 miles
Driving Time: 5 hours, 34 minutes
Mileage: 30.1 mpg
Average speed: 37 mph
Trip Total: 8,140.3
Comentarios