Dead Presidents

I didn't consider Mount Rushmore to be a particularly important part of our trip. After all, we were out West to explore natural beauty rather than what I initially thought amounted to a glorified tourist trap. However, when driving down the Iron Mountain highway, we stopped at the mouth of a tunnel and looked inside, seeing the heads of four presidents perfectly framed in the distance. They had already constructed the tunnels when Mount Rushmore was carved. Lo and behold, the two lined up perfectly, and all it took was some strategic tree cutting to create an unbroken sightline. I found that the sculpture accentuates the natural beauty of the Black Hills rather than interrupting it. Even the visitor center and viewing colonnade blends in nicely. When you consider the amount of labor it took to create these gargantuan structures, they become all the more impressive. What you might not realize is that Mount Rushmore was intended to include the full torsos of the presidents but was left unfinished. Thank goodness they decided to start from the top!

And just for kicks, see how hot I look in a coonskin cap.

For my Mount Rushmore photo album, click here.