Towering high within the Black Hills of South Dakota, the massive monument to some of our nation’s great Presidents is a mesmerizing vision. We’ve all seen pictures of Mt. Rushmore, but not until you are standing in front of it do you realize just how magnificent it is and what a monumental task it was to create. And to imagine it was constructed almost 100 years ago, long before our current modern building technology. Taking the Presidential Trail takes you even closer to the monument, and you can see in the scattered stones at the base the blasting holes that were bored into the stone to create the faces. Ted and Molly especially enjoyed the entrance area to the park, where the flags of all 50 states hang proudly.
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- Mt. Rushmore from Needles Highway
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- Ted and Molly at Mt. Rushmore
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- Mt. Rushmore from the air
The Black Hills area is rich in history, and also has a deep love for our country. Ted and Molly were based in Custer, SD, a quaint town that embraces their local famous livestock (the buffalo) and their patriotism. On each corner in downtown Custer there is a buffalo statue, and each one is decorated differently. Our two most favorite are pictured here.
From Custer, SD to Custer’s Last Stand, the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana is a tribute to the men of the 7th Cavalry and the Indians of the Northern Plains. Also located at this site is the Custer National Cemetery, containing the graves of known and unknown veterans of our nations wars, including women and children from isolated frontier posts – the original home-front warriors.
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- Custer National Cemetery
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- Last Stand Hill
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- Custers grave marker
This has been the perfect kick-off location for the America The Beautiful tour, embracing the visionaries who helped build the foundation for our wonderful country! Our next stop is Yellowstone National Park, so stay tuned!