Mt. Rushmore & Crazy Horse too

Leaving Deadwood, SD early, I was anxious to finally get to see Mt. Rushmore. As I drove through the Black Hills (with woods all around), I noticed the smoke first. As I drove more, I felt I was driving into the forest fire and started to be concerned about my road being blocked. But some locals pulled up to take photos too and explained it was a controlled burn.

First I visited the unfinished Crazy Horse Monument (those dots on the horizontal arm are workers).

By the huge Indian Cultural Center is a 1/34th scale sculpture of what the finished monument (in the background) will look like. The original artist has died and of his 10 children, 7 and his wife are dedicated to finishing his work.

Only one of the many rooms of the Cultural Center.

Driving to Mt. Rushmore (just a short distance away), I drove around a wooded bend in the road and there was George, by himself, visible through a small space between two mountains.

The sun was going down but I decided to hike the circle path through the woods under the monument. It felt like it was about a mile and warning signs claimed: "250 stairs!" You can see part of the rocky debris field above.

The mountain goats were out and about below the monument, grazing in the cool evening grass . . .

. . . and rangers along the way answer questions and share stories. The woman on the left turned out to be an officer of San Diego County parks (and knows Rick Halsey well). Small world.