Summer Vacation Day 5

We finally reach our destination! The day started out beautiful. The sun was shinning, but they say that if you don't like the weather in SD, give it a minute and it will change.

And change it did. See the clouds rolling in?

We managed to get a couple shots before it started to pour... and pour.... and pour.

While we waited for the weather to change we toured the visitors center and watched a couple videos about how Mt. Rushmore was constructed. Ter and I came across this quote.

"The first requisite of a good citizen in this Republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his weight-that he shall not be a mere passenger..." Theodore Roosevelt

With our current political and economic state, I was happy to see this quote validate my current feelings towards some Americans who insist on be passengers in a stalled vehicle while others seem to be bustin' their rears pulling the stalled vehicle and its passengers. I'm pretty much ready to leave the stalled vehicle behind and just keep movin'. Yes, at the moment I'm a bit insensitive and frustrated.

So here we are waiting for the rain to let up for just a moment so we can run to the next building. And I mean run!

This is the workshop where the model was built. They would measure the model then head up to the mountain and times it by, 1000 I think, to duplicate the shape and size of the model.

Notice the presidents are crying! By this time, the rain had been falling for at least an hour.

Spencer demonstrates using one of the jack hammers. Only the men had to hold them side ways. Spencer was doing his best to hold it upright. I think it weighed about 45 lbs.

We decided to head out when we thought there was a lull in the rainfall. We climbed several hundred steps to get up close to the bottom of the heads.

Took a quick look out over the valley, then got dumped on again.

I'm standing at the base of the heads and the visitors center is behind me. We had to run like crazy fools to get back. We did have to rest under a tree at one point to catch our breath. Thank heavens Ter and I have been walking for the past 5 months and I could keep up with the kids pretty well.

Entrance to the park.

Finally wised up and bought rain ponchos, just as we're leaving the park. Um, would've been more helpful about an hour ago! But great fun!

This is going around the back side of the mountains towards Crazy Horse. I think it very purposeful that the most prominent figure in America be out in the front. George Washington was quite the man!

Next stop of the day was Crazy Horse.

This is what it's supposed to look like when it's completed. I'm not sure I'll be alive! This was started by a man who has since passed away and his children are now working on it. With all the OSHA restrictions it's much more slow and go than Mt. Rushmore. OSHA would have had a fit to see the guys working on Mt. Rushmore.

The original artist wants this monument to remain private, not government owned, so the money is more slow in coming in. It's also interesting to note that the surrounding shops are a little more hodge podge (sp) and not as well organized as Mt. Rushmore. I'm not saying the government should take over the project, that would just mean we'd have to pay more taxes, but the National Parks, Monuments and Museums all over the country have a certain quality about them.

Next stop was to find someplace to eat. We were starving! Buffalo was not on the menu, just part of the scenery along the way. Do you seriously think he would stay behind that barbed wire if provoked?

Finally, a place to get some food. The food was quite nasty, but this big grassy area was the scene of our last major event for the day. What's a vacation without someone getting injured!

Here we are in the ER at Rapid City Hospital. Brevin was trying to be brave! Poor guy! We had moments when he was calm and moments of tears.

Tears....

Calm....

After 4 hours we finally got to go back to our hotel. It was a toss up as to which the nicer, the ER or Econolodge. If we hadn't had a packed ER we would've just camped out on the sofas and called it good. Here's Brevin telling you what happened.