MONDAY, MAY 27

MONDAY, MAY 27      MEMORIAL DAY!!

     Heard it rain last night.  And still raining this morning, off and on – sometimes quite hard.  So we postponed driving in to Mt. Rushmore.  Took the time to make a nice breakfast – waffles, bacon, & melon.  Then Bill drove to Rapid City (only about 10 min away) to get a filter for his camera, and I read.  Started Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand (who also wrote Seabiscuit).   This is my book club selection for this month.  It’s the true story of a young American bombardier who was captured by the Japanese during WWII. 

     By about 1:00, it looked like the worst of the rain had stopped and the sun was trying to come out, so we drove to the Monument.  A lovely drive  in, thru some of the Black Hills – so named because of the thick growth of Ponderosa Pines, which makes the hills appear black from a distance.    And it was a thrill to first glimpse the Four Faces while still on the road.

     Even more of a thrill when we actually were in the park itself.  The entire design of the grounds is classically simple.  Only 1 entrance, which leads through the Avenue of Flags (all 50 state flags), which frames the carved faces.

  The path leads to a wonderful terrace, where you have stunning views of the sculpture.  So easy to just stand and gaze for a long time, wondering how this marvel was achieved. 

We learned the answers to how, as well as why, thru a short film, exhibits, and ranger talks.  As has always been our experience in our National Parks, the education you can receive in these national treasures is top-notch; every medium & technique they use is done with excellence.  We so appreciate what our Park Service has done throughout the years to really enhance our experience at each place we visit!  

     What we really took away from Mt. Rushmore is that the concept was both patriotic and artistic.  The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, was passionate about the uniquely American ideas of liberty and democracy.  We learned why he chose each of these particular four Presidents and what they represented for him.  We also learned how he guided and oversaw the execution of his dream (he died just before it was completed) – he made a model, and used state-of-the-art engineering, blasting, and drilling techniques to replicate the model on the mountain.  What really impressed us was that, as the workers (over 400 were employed over the 14-year period) progressed, and as unexpected features of the granite materialized, Borglum would modify his model to accommodate the rock when needed.  He actually changed the model 9 times – but always with an artist’s eye.  For instance, when the face of Washington was nearly completed, Borglum thought that he looked too lifeless.  So he adjusted and turned one shoulder just a small degree, and it changed Washington’s entire look.

 

 

      We strolled to the Sculptor’s Studio, where Borglum’s original model is kept, and where we learned a lot of the above. 

 

 

After that, it was a delightful walk on the Presidential Trail, where we could view the faces from different perspectives.

     It was starting to rain again by the time we finished our walk, and we were hungry anyway, so ducked inside the café.  A very simple cafeteria-style eatery, with a very simple but appealing menu, and simple but appealing décor.   Kind of continued the tone of the park.  We both got a chili dog.  Can’t remember the last time I had an old-fashioned chili dog – it tasted delicious!  Lingered there for a long time, waiting for the rain to stop.  Interesting to see the rain leave marks on the faces (you can view the sculpture through the glassed front of the restaurant), and turn colors as the sun went down. 

     We wanted to stay for the 9:00 p.m. lighting ceremony held in the amphitheater just below the terrace..  The rain had stopped, but was very chilly now!  Glad we had our jackets in the truck – went to retrieve them.  But even then, we both were very cool!  So was everyone else coming in for the lighting – folks were carrying blankets, had woolen caps on, etc!  But it was so worth it!  Was a 45-minute program:  the 1^st 10 minutes, a Ranger gave a talk on our Constitution, followed by a 20-minute inspiring film.  Then the lights came up gradually over the 4 faces.  Absolutely lovely. 

 

 

 Then, a singing of our National Anthem, followed by an invitation to all the Veterans in the audience to come on stage.  I don’t believe this is part of the normal evening ceremony – I think this last part is done only on Memorial Day.  They participated in the flag-lowering ceremony, and then introduced themselves and mentioned which branch of the Armed Services they served in. There were probably about 2 dozen vets there.  Everyone in the audience showed their appreciation with lots of applause.  I thought of my dad, and others of “the Greatest Generation,” and what they left for us.  What a wonderful and appropriate way to spend Memorial Day!   And we hadn’t even intentionally planned it this way!  I choose to deem this as one of God’s little gifts of abundance!