So when in the Black Hills, you do what everyone does. Visit Mount Rushmore. I've seen the pictures since I was small, but it was cool to see the faces. They are amazingly well done, and I was sure that Lincoln looked at me. It was also cool to learn more about the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, and how the monument developed.
Side note. Borglum was the first sculptor involved with the relief that is carved into Stone Mountain, outside of Atlanta, GA. After the project began, his relationship with the backers of the project faltered, and he left Georgia, never to return. His work at Stone Mountain was removed to be replaced by the next sculptor. But it made him a great candidate for another carving of immense proportions.
After visiting the Presidents, and stopping for ice cream, we headed over to the Crazy Horse Memorial. Oh, my goodness! If it is ever completed, it will be the largest sculpture in the world. And it was started in 1948. What!! My mom was 10! Craig and I had no idea it had been going on for that long.
When you arrive, all you see is his face. You see it and think, 60 years for that? But sooo much rock had been removed. In the beginning by one man, Korczak Ziolkowski, a well known sculptor and one time assistant to Gutzon Borglum on the Mount Rushmore project. This made him an excellent candidate for a monument honoring Crazy Horse.
The work is privately funded and very slow. And to top it off, there is some controversy about carving any figure into the sacred Black Hills. This is something I will follow over the next 10 or 20 years. Maybe I'll see the end of it.
We decided to drive the Needles Highway back toward Rapid City. Yehawww! It's the perfect rode for a motorcycle and there were plenty of them. Hairpin turns and slow speed limits. Very narrow, one way tunnels. All on the side of a mountain. That sounds familiar...
Anyway, the drive was beautiful and the scenery was amazing. Yes, that dot on the big boulder is Craig. He's like a mountain goat. A crazy mountain goat. I loved the look of this lake surrounded by the amazing granite formations.
After today, we are headed to see my family in Little Rock, AR. We'll do a couple of long days, and then stay put for a week. I'll do one more post about things we learned on the trip, and answer the question everyone asks...
Would I do it again?
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