Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the Slide

Today the Davis/Kittrell Clan journeyed south from Deadwood to Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. The drive through the Black Hills was very scenic. The rolling green mountains were reminiscent of the Blue Ridge Mountains, however there were large granite ridges that rose amongst the hills that were very different than the mountains of North Carolina. Mount Rushmore is one of these large granite mountains. We were all taken by the sight of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt carved on the side of that mountain. The group took in a short lecture by a park ranger while at Mount Rushmore and he explained to us the significance of each President and why they were chosen. Washington represents the founding of our nation and the winning of our freedom. Jefferson represents the essence of our freedoms that were endowed to us by our Creator and the expansion of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase. Lincoln represents the preservation of our nation and movement towards freedom for all. Teddy Roosevelt represents the modernization of the United States and the dedication to conserving our natural resources and great public places. After the tour of Mount Rushmore, we decided to go to the President's Slide. We rode to the top of a mountain on a ski-lift and ate lunch there (Good Bison Burgers!!) and then rode down a bobsled course on a wheeled platform. Everyone had a blast, except Shannon who flew partially off her sled while going a touch too fast in the corner. She suffered some mild elbow abrasions, but is recovering nicely. We then proceeded to the Crazy Horse Monument. This partially completed statue of the Indian chief Crazy Horse is huge! The entire four faces on Mount Rushmore would fit on Crazy Horse's head. This project was started in the 1940's and will likely not be done until around 2045. It is impressive now and will be truly amazing upon completion. After touring the Crazy Horse museum, we headed home to Deadwood, where we fixed baby back ribs for supper. We are now hitting the sack for another full day in the morning. We will be heading to Wall, South Dakota and will hit the Badlands National National Park.