Mt Rushmore

As we did not have internet or cell service in Yellowstone, I'll go back to catch up on the rest of the trip. Here are some shote from Mt. Rushmore, where we stopped on our way from the Badlands to the Black Hills on Monday, June 13:

Mt. Rushmore had, to me, initially the feel of somewhere you "have to go," but when we got there I was glad we stopped. It is quite a sight--very different, and much better, in person than in pictures. Unfortunately, pictures is all I can give you...

Here's Teddy and Abe. Notice that Teddy has glasses (click on an image for a larger view in your browser).

There are lookouts on the way that give you a specific view of each of the four subjects, as here:

The process of carving these images involved a lot of dynamite, and men hanging from ropes with drills and jackhammers. Thus there is a giant rubble field underneath the carvings:

Moreover, the originals that the men worked off of included the jackets of each president. that part was never completed, but you can see that Washington has the beginnings of a suit coat. No one else does. It was a giant project!

Here's another view of Washington:

One of the most interesting things was a short film, narrated by Tom Brokaw, on the making of Mt. Rushmore. It might be available online.