When I think of mountainous states I think of Colorado. Or even the Sierra Nevada of California. Or the Appalachian of the east. But I don’t think South Dakota.
I always found the term “Black Hills of South Dakota” puzzling because I didn’t think there were hills there and Mt. Rushmore is white. I paid closer attention on this trip. I not only found hills that are black, but I had my breath taken away by the beauty of the Black Hills.
Despite being on a National Park trip, I stayed in Custer State Park. Custer has many beautiful features and scenes to itself, but it is also centrally located between Mt. Rushmore, Jewel Cave, and Wind Cave. So it was a perfect base camp for me.
Despite having visited Mt Rushmore years ago, I decided to visit it again. To be honest, I was disappointed on my first visit. Yes, it was cool to see it in person, but it looks exactly how it does in photographs. There are places like the Grand Canyon that cannot be appreciated in a photograph, but Mt. Rushmore isn’t necessarily one of those places.
For a different experience, I decided to visit at night and stay for the lighting ceremony. As dusk descended the hills a ranger took the stage in the outdoor amphitheater at the base of the monument and introduced a film. The film provided history on not only Mt. Rushmore, but also on the presidents it features.
At the end of the film, 6 veterans came to the stage to the lower the American flag. Before they began, the ranger called all veterans in attendance to take the stage. Each hero introduced him/herself and indicated the branch in which they served. This was one of the most powerful moments of the entire trip. The stage was lined with people who have fought to uphold the ideas and ideals of the four men featured on the mountain behind them.
I’m glad I gave Mt. Rushmore a second chance. And I actually gave it a third chance. The parking pass is good for a few days, so I decided to stop in on my way out of town and hike the .6 mile Presidential Trail that took me even closer to the mountain.
There is more to parks than what is observed at a first glance. There is always more to see, do, and explore.
Where are you exploring next?
Go. Live.
