Stone Cold Stares

Friday, May 13th

I woke up excited to see Mount Rushmore.  Not so excited it was 40 degrees outside, and I had to drive 80 miles before I got to see four dead presidents immortalized in stone.  Altough I was shivering the entrire drive, and had to stop several times to warm up, I couldn't help but notice the changing landscape.  Rolling green grass turned into mountainous landscape.  Every time a landscape changes, I'm amazed.  Drive two hours in any direction and the landscape changes drastically.  I have a feeling this wlll be a common theme throughout this trip.

Although I could see the stone cold stares of Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Lincoln from a view point leading up to the parking, I decided to pay the $11 to park and get a closer look.  The parking lot attendant said I won the prize so far that day for having traveled the furthest.  That didn't seem to take the sting out of what I think is an expensive parking fee, for what provides very little in a good overall experience of Mt. Rushmore.  I'll admit that having each state's flag line the walk up to the memorial is pretty cool.  There it is.  It sort of made the trip seem unreal, staring at this monument that I've always heard about and have never seen.  Cool!  Time to go.  While it was an experience to see it, I think they could do a lot more as far as the overall experience goes. 

I drove a short distance to the Crazy Horse Memorial next.  Now this is bang for your buck.  It's a nomimal fee of $5 to park.  You see the incomplete memorial in the distance ahead of you.  The visitor's center is filled with pictures, facts, and a theater that shows a short film explaining the memorial.    There was also a very nice Indian Motorcycle that you could enter a drawing to win.  There are donation boxes place around the large visitor's center so that if you wish to donate, you can.  They need money desperately to complete the project.  It was a much better experience overall than Mt. Rushmore, and I felt that in a way, Crazy Horse deserves a memorial on that land more so than the four presidents I had seen earlier.   Interesting that Crazy Horse's memorial is unfinished. 

In progress

What the finished product will look like

Then it was time for Clyde and I to make a a long haul to Denver!  With 350 miles to go, I was really hoping the weather would warm up, which it did as I got further south.  On my way, I drove through quite a bit of Wyoming.  It feels like cattle country, and home to a lot of cowboys.  It was a great drive with green grass and cattle on either side of me as far as the eye could see.  As I got further south, I looked to my right and there were the Rocky Mountains!  That was my second wind moment of the day.  Earlier, thinking about how far I had to go before sitting in a comfy seat at Coors field enjoying a beer watching the Rockies game, I had considered calling it a day. 

My friend Kate had tickets for the game that started at 6:40.  I exited the highway in downtown Denver at 6:40, so we'd be late for the game, but who cares.  I made it to Denver, where the beer flows like wine!  Kate, her husband, and two of their friends were already at a bar waiting for me.  Kate had given me directions to her apartment and how to get in.  I found my way there, freshened up, and met them to catch a Rockies game!  Good times in Denver!