Moving Day 2: Mount Rushmore and the rest of South Dakota

 We started out the day in Casper, WY and I drove in Mt. Rushmore. The change in scenery at the state line into South Dakota was incredible. That's something that's always amazed me: how deliberate those lines are: going from barren rocky land to hilly forests in less than a mile.

The entry to the viewing area of Mt. Rushmore has all of the state's engraved  along with their flags.

So here's my confession, I really wasn't excited to Mt. Rushmore. Pieter really had to twist my arm to get us to go here. It was out of the way, and I was convinced that it was going to be something where you stop, get out of your car, stare for a few minutes, remark on how impressive it is, and leave.  Boy, was I wrong!

Anyway, we got there and I think the first word out of my mouth were, "Oh, there's actually stuff to do here." Pieter reminded me that that's what he'd been trying to tell me all along, d'oh!s We watched the movies of how it was made, went through the museums, and took a walking tour down around the base of it. 

 There was a Native American man on the tour who let us all know that the US government was cheating his tribe out of the land and paying  them nothing, while raking in millions in profits, while our college intern tour guide stammered and tried to get control of the tour again. To clarify, they're not making money there; there is a parking fee, but that is used to support the upkeep/running the center. You can read more about the controversy on the Mt Rushmore Wikipedia page if you're interested. Anyway, it was fun and I'd definitely recommend it now :). 

We spent  the rest of the day driving across all of South Dakota to Sioux Falls...long day.