Mount Rushmore and the town of Keystone

Mount Rushmore National Monument in the Black Hills.
The famous monument of the Black Hills. 

We went in the morning to Mount Rushmore National Monument - the best time to see the sculptures under the best light. 

There, we met the famous presidential faces. The four pretty serious, like correspond to important people. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. 

The presidents at Mt. Rushmore.
The four presidents. 

And on the side, some Indian stuff. 

American Indian homes.
The legal owners of the Black Hills. 

The sculptor of the colossal artwork was John Gutzon Borglum, the son of Danish immigrants. He was also the author of the Confederate memorial on Stone Mountain, Georgia. 

The Rushmore name comes from New York Attorney Charles Rushmore. He came to the Black Hills to inspect mining claims and the mountain was named after him - nothing here related to presidents. 

Around three million people visit this monument each year. We saw mostly elders at the place.

Is this because young Americans don't care about history and heritage? 

Probably. But another factor is travel cost. This place is far away from big cities. 

By the afternoon, we were walking in the picturesque town of Keystone. 

Business street in Keystone.
The colorful Keystone. 

Many businesses were already closed for winter. But we saw a sizable amount of bikers roaming there. 

Wood sculpture in Keystone.
Many sculptures in Keystone.

Vintage phone cabin.
And we found a vintage phone cabin. 

Confederate sculpture.
Confederate sculpture. 

We also visited the area of the original town - it was empty - and later had lunch on the touristic side. 

First school of Keystone.
The first school of Keystone.

The museum of Keystone.
The second school. Now a museum. 

It's a small town with two faces. 

(Posted from the phone.)

Check this page to license our photos.

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