Mount Rushmore is an iconic monument that is inspirational even if you’ve seen pictures dozens of times. The setting, size, and thoughtful facial expressions still take you by surprise. You can’t help but feel a sense of pride and patriotism when you look at it. You also have to appreciate the skill, perseverance, and ingenuity it took to carve it.
Conversely, it looks unfinished. The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, built a 1inch-to-1foot scale model of the sculpture that included full faces, necks, and shirt collars. The model was used to guild the carvings on the mountain. Borglum died before it was finished, his son took over for him, and the Government cut the funding. Less than a year later, the project was declared complete, without many of the model features. While the sculpture is awe-infusing, Lincoln and Jefferson have some hair that looks like they lived in the 70’s.
Wind Cave is a somewhat obscure National Park that has actually been around for more than a hundred years. The land belonged to the Lakota Indians until the Government pushed them off in the late 1800’s. The cave was discovered soon after and mining interests moved in only to find there was nothing of commercial value in the cave. Some early entrepreneurs turned it into a tourist attraction before the Government stepped in, took control of it, and turned it into a National Park to protect it.
The land on top of the cave is almost all prairie, and has bison, prairie dogs, and pronghorn sheep. The cave underneath is the magical part. The mapped area inside the cave is over 150 miles long and includes passages on multiple levels. Scientists have estimated that only 10% of the cave has been mapped to date and new exploration is ongoing. The cave features a variety of unique mineral and stone features, but it’s the length of the passages is the most interesting part. We took two tours and walked about three fourths of a mile underground. Its really worth a trip if you’re in the Mount Rushmore neighborhood.
