Hey everyone!  This week I will be taking a journey on over to the wonderful state of South Dakota.  What in the world is in South Dakota, you might be asking?  Well, there is more to the state than it might seem.   

My family stopped in South Dakota back in 2012 as part of our big northwestern United States tour/vacation (same vacation we went to Wyoming). Our first stop after we entered the state and got settled was the one and only Mount Rushmore.   Now sure we have all seen pictures of Mount Rushmore or talked about it in our United States history class, but one characteristic that is not captured is the true size of the monument.  I was completely shocked to see how such a large sculpture was carved into just a mountain!  I cannot even begin to imagine the amount of time, planning, effort, and creativity that went into erecting such a spectacular display.  But, in case you were wondering, it took 14 years to carve starting in 1927 and ending in 1941.  Every night, the monument is lit up so that it can continue to be seen in all its glory.  Unfortunately, both nights my family went it rained and the faces looked as though they were crying, but it was spectacular none the less.  

 

After visiting the monument, my family and I also visited the Crazy Horse Memorial just a half hour from Mount Rushmore.  To my surprise, upon arriving at Crazy Horse, I was faced with a far from complete sculpture.  The memorial is, in fact, still under construction with the first carving beginning back in 1948.  If completed, the memorial should stand to be the world’s largest sculpture.  And large it was, again shocking me with its sheer size.  I hope to someday go back to a completed memorial, so I can fully bask in the essence of its beauty and get a true appreciation for the time and effort placed into it.  

 

 

Onward from Crazy Horse, my family and I decided to do something a little out of the ordinary: caving.  And what better place to go caving than the Mount Rushmore Cave.  There is nothing like packing a sweatshirt on an 80-degree day because the cave you are about to enter is only a mere 50-degrees on average.  The temperature, however, did not deter my family and I from soaking in every last stalactite and stalagmite the cave had to offer.  I highly recommend caving at some point in your life so that you can get a true appreciation for the beauty of nature.  There are many caves, including the one we went to, that involve only walking rather than crawling, which is much more suitable for people of all ages looking to experience nature at its finest.   

We next traveled east across South Dakota to experience Badlands National Park.  This park is unlike anything I have ever seen before and I feel as though I cannot find the correct words to describe it.  Therefore, take a good, long look at the picture below and try to imagine yourself among all these crests and troughs and see just how indescribable it truly is.  It feels as though you are looking out onto another planet and I, for one, would have never guessed that South Dakota could behold such a place.   

My closing advice this week is to not judge a book by its cover, or, in this case, a state by its name.  I, personally, would have never traveled to South Dakota had my mother not planned the trip, but I am all so thankful that she did.  The monuments and works of nature will forever have a place in my heart and I hope to someday return to the great state of South Dakota.   

Come back next week for my adventures in Massachusetts!