The Vacation: Mount Rushmore

September 10, 2007 | In Travel | No Comments

Saturday: Wake up call comes around 6 a.m. with a bright light and some loud rustling from my Dad who woke up minutes earlier. We hit the road around 6:45 a.m. heading out to the first of only a couple stops on the route to Mount Rushmore. We find a Perkins and have breakfast. After having a big feast the night before, I opted for a lighter option with muffin.

The open road reminded me of my childhood. Many weekends as a kid I would be watching the world go by from the back seat of my parents car. Seeing the world with my head turned afforded me a lot of opportunities to see things that have shaped the person I am today.

Originally my thought was to take this trip alone, but my Dad jumped in and we ended up taking his truck. He drove the whole way out to Rushmore which let me see the landscape change, hills turn to mountains, crossing great rivers and of course the countless Wall Drug signs.

We opt to stop in Wall Drugs to see what the fuss was all about. I’ve seen Wall Drug signs for most of my adult life, one billboard was located minutes from Benson, my parents home. I didn’t know what to expect, but I have to say it really is vast. The town of Wall S.D. is engulfed by the shops and restaurants that make up Wall Drug.

We hit the road after having some ice cream and make our way to the monument, our next stop. I continue to marvel at the world as it passes me by. A landscape dotted with cows, lamas and other livestock, but for the most part a world untouched by man. It’s breath taking.

Except for the road work, there was a lot of that.

As we inched our way into the Rushmore park, you could really get the feeling of being surrounded by giants. The mountains jetted into the sky and cast shade over the road as we traveled.

I kept peering over the hood of the truck trying to get a glimpse of Rushmore as soon as it came into view. It finally did when I wasn’t expecting it. It was unmistakable, our first President made his appearance.

The monument itself is stunning. Thinking about the man hours it took and the limited tools those who did it had. It’s inspiring and filled me with the wonder that is human capabilities.

We take some time to look around the rest of the monument after admiring four great men cast in stone.

Our next stop was Deadwood, a town only a few miles away. We drove through this historic town and enjoy the sights of its restored glory.

Then there was Sturgis. I was underwhelmed, as would be expected since the rally ended a few weeks earlier. But I’ve been there. I know the green lights are short. We make it to the Harley Davidson dealership that covers the Black Hills area. We each get a jacket and hit the road.

We opt to skip our hotel room in Rapid City to get a little closer to home. We make the drive back to Sioux Falls, knowing full well we would arrive late. We each get a room and head to bed around midnight.

Sunday: I get up around 8 a.m. after getting a little more sleep than the night before. I catch up on SportsCenter and head down for breakfast around 9 a.m.

We hit the road and make it back to Marshall around noon. I make some calls to friends to let them know I made it back and see what they’re up to. I chill out for a few hours before Alex comes over for some Tiger Woods 06 and Burnout 3 crashing. We game for an hour and he heads out.

Exhausted from the weekend I crash early knowing I had to get up for work the next day.