South Dakota

We made it!! Our stay is not as long as we originally planned but we are excited to be here! This is a check off on our bucket list!

First stop, Mount Rushmore. This has been a dream of ours to come view this majestic mountain!

Located in the Black Hills of Keystone, South Dakota. The figures of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt & Abraham Lincoln into the mountain starting in 1927. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum created the design and oversaw the project from 1927-1941 with help from his son, Lincoln Borglum.

The sculpture features the 60 foot heads, the four Presidents were chosen, respectively, to represent the birth, the growth, the development, and preservation of the United States.

The construction began I. 1927, the faces were completed in 1934 & 1939, Gutzon Borglum died in March 1941, and so Lincoln took over as leader of the construction project. Each President was originally to be depicted from head to waist, but due to lack of funding, the construction was forced to end on October 31, 1941.

Make sure you walk the paths they have to walk around the monument, there are amazing views!

And make sure you stay to watch the night show and lowering of the flag! It is a touching ceremony that have!

And don’t forget to get an ice cream! Did you know Thomas Jefferson is credited to having the first written vanilla ice cream recipe?

The original was written in 1780, and it does not disappoint!! Very good! And best thing is it is made by a local dairy!!

While you are in the area you will need to make time to stop at America’s Founding Fathers Exhibit.

Meet the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence and hear the story of how America was founded.

The famous painting “Declaration of Independence” by Hohn Trumbull has been in the Capital Building since 1826. They have recreated the painting with life size statues, and is the centerpiece for America’s Founding Father’s Exhibit.

And you can’t leave without shooting a musket! Well actually it was a black powder 50 cal rifle! But it was so much fun!!

They have an instructor that will load the rifle and walk you through what to do! The rifle was much heavier then others we have carried.

One more stop on the agenda was taking the 1880 train to Hill City.

Take a 20 mile round trip train ride between Hill City and Keystone. It takes about 2 hours if you don’t get off the train! But we suggest that you do! We went to visit Hill City,

While on the train you will view vistas of Harney Peak, and mining encampments. The train follows the original route of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad laid down in the late 1880’s to serve the mines and mills between Hill City and Keystone.