July 3, 2008

We went to Mount Rushmore today. We left home at 8:00 a.m. because the local TV station said the parking garage would close by 10:00 a.m. due to the heavy expected attendance. The fireworks show was at 9:15 p.m. so we had a long day at the Park. To help pass the time, we enjoyed lots of planned entertainment and a peaceful walk along the Presidential Trail below the sculpture. We also had interesting conversations with the people setting around us on the bleachers the Monument Staff erected for the day.

This is the view after entering the Park along the Avenue of Flags approaching the amphitheater.

This is the artist Mr. Gutzon Borglum’s original concept for the sculpture.

This is the final sculpture. Unfortunately, Mr. Borglum died before completion and hopefully it will always stay like this.

In this picture, you can see the area next to the amphitheater and below the Presidential Trail was filled with people enjoying the entertainment.

We were entertained with a Patriotic Tribute by singer Robert Moore and the 43rd Army Band.

This is the flag folding ceremony in preparation for giving it to a veteran.

This is the presentation of the flag to the last living WWI veteran, 107-year-old Mr. Frank Buckles.

Here Char and I are with Don “Nick” Clifford one of the original workers carving the sculpture. We purchased his book. The opportunity to visit with this man made the day even more extraordinary.

Here are two of our bleacher companions, Judy the nurse on the left and Mary the businesswoman (house cleaning) from Sioux Falls, Iowa we met while waiting for the fireworks.

We had the pleasure of meeting Assistant Coach Robert “Mac” McFarland of the Iowa State University Cyclones football team and his family. Coach Mac’s wife, Pam, shared some of the trials and tribulations of being in an athletic environment such as moving eighteen times in twenty years. She is extremely proud of her entire family’s accomplishments and we are very happy for them after hearing things they have done. She enlightened us some magnificent stories of entertaining big offensive linemen in their home. The thought of having 13 pairs of shoes from size 15 to 22 in your foyer and preparing the large quantity of food necessary for this group of young men can be mind-boggling.

This is my first picture of the B1 Stealth Bomber that flew over Mount Rushmore prior to the fireworks. After looking at this picture, I figured it was difficult to see a Stealth Bomber.

On my second try, I was a more successful and it easier to see the bomber.

Here are two of our many pictures from the 28-minute fireworks display. It gave us a tremendous feeling of pride and extreme patriotism to see the presentation above the presidents.