If you look carefully, it almost looks like several human faces, carved right into the mountain! Of course, we now know that it’s a trick of light and shadow, but still, the illusion is quite convincing, isn’t it?
Mount Rushmore was the national park with the least “national park”-type feel. For instance, fewer Canadians. Also, a perfectly smooth, paved path with several even steps was listed as a “strenuous” hike. Also, the sheer quantity of ice cream.
Probably 75% of the people I saw at the monument and the lodge were eating ice cream. The town down below (Keystone, SD) is a town built on ice cream advertisements. While we walked around the monument, we heard a bratty little child in front of us shriek at his caregiver for ice cream, upwards of ten times, in two languages. She did NOT tan his backside for this, which I thought was an interesting parenting choice.
I was amazed to see how many children got their own dish of ice cream, since one serving of ice cream was literally about 3/4 of a pint. Zach and I split one. As a childless person, I like to judge other people’s parenting. It makes me feel good. It makes me feel strong.
In the evenings, they run a little patriotic film about the accomplishments of the four presidents along with a lighting ceremony. Afterward they invited current and retired military people down to the stage to be thanked. It was all quite stirring and patriotic.
As soon as the program finished, everyone turned around to leave. Except for one kid who instead charfed up a big pile of puke at the top of the stairs. Probably had too much ice cream.