Road to Rushmore in 50 Images

Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the USA. It's the kind of place that you're compelled to visit just to see if it lives up to the hype and pop culture that surrounds it. From North by Northwest to Team America, you've probably seen this landmark more than you realize. For us, this became the inspiration for a road trip. 

While in university (back in 2007) my friend Andrea and I decided to see for ourselves and made the drive from Saskatchewan to explore the Black Hills around Rapid City, South Dakota - in addition to drives through Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, and North Dakota. We ended up driving nearly 2000 miles through the northern plains of the USA and visited some truly incredible places. This is our road trip through the region summed up in 50 images.  

1. Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota.

2. Plaque of Rushmore workers.

3. Trail underneath Mount Rushmore.

4. Red, White and Blue.

5. Deadwood, South Dakota.

6. Welcome to South Dakota.
7. Sundance Kid statue in Sundance, Wyoming.


8. Stagecoach in Wall, South Dakota.

9. Black Hills National Forest.

10. Mount Rushmore, South Dakota.

11. Black Hills National Forest.
12. A drink in Saloon No. 10 in Deadwood where Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed.


13. Bear Country USA, South Dakota.

14. Cruising through Montana.
15. Open ranges in Montana.


16. Muffler man in Rapid City, South Dakota.


17. Tunnel on the road to Rushmore.

18. Slab of the Berlin Wall in Rapid City, SD.

19. Badlands in Eastern Montana.

20. Wyoming Welcomes You.

21. Side of Devil's Tower in Wyoming.

22. Downtown Rapid City, South Dakota.

23. Grave of Wild Bill in Deadwood, SD.

24. Wild Bill and Calamity Jane grave sites in Deadwood, SD.

25. Mount Rushmore.

26. Museum at Mount Rushmore.

27. North Dakota sign.

28. Downtown Deadwood, South Dakota.

29. Devils' Tower, Wyoming.

30. Reptile Gardens in South Dakota.

31. Saloon No. 10 in Deadwood, SD.
32. Reptile Gardens.


33. Hike around Devil's Tower, Wyoming.

34. Keystone, South Dakota.

35. Dinosaurs above Rapid City, SD.


36. Wall Drug in Wall, SD.
37. Giant jawbreaker from Wall Drug.
38. Entering Nebraska.


39. Chimney Rock on the Oregon Trail in Nebraska.

40. Statues in Keystone, South Dakota.

41. Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota.
42. Welcome to Colorado.


43. Sunset in Nebraska.
44. Cosmos Mystery Area in South Dakota.


45. Devil's Tower National Monument.
46. Cubs climbing a tree at Bear Country USA.


47. Mount Rushmore.

48. Crazy Horse statue in front of the monument.
49. Fog over Rushmore.


50. Downtown Deadwood, South Dakota.

USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor: Part 1

This is where World War II began for the United States. A surprise attack by the Japanese on the morning of December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor (and surrounding sites on Oahu, Hawaii) changed the course of the war. The wreckage of the USS Arizona still sits in the shallow harbor as a memorial and final resting place for the over 1100 sailors and marines who were killed there. In addition, the memorial is part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument which honors the 2403 who were killed and 1178 who were wounded during the attack on Pearl Harbor. 

Visiting this site is a sobering experience. The Visitor Center does a good job of highlighting the events of the day, and a well produced movie that you watch before heading out to the memorial gives you additional context to put you in the right frame of mind. The USS Arizona Memorial is only accessible by a short ferry ride, and despite being a popular tourist attraction, you never forget that you're visiting what is essentially a grave site. 

Attack on Pearl Harbor. December 7, 1941.

The memorial structure was constructed in 1962 and spans the sunken hull of the Arizona. The design, with two peaks on either end and a sloped center, is said to reflect the United States before, during, and after the war. The significance of what happened here is still palpable. The Arizona wreckage continues to leak fuel into the harbor, known as the "tears of the Arizona". You can see the oil slick from the viewing platform as well as a few of the rusting pieces of the ship above the water. Even after all of these decades the site remains a powerful symbol.

A model of the wreckage and memorial platform.

Oil slick known as the "tears of the Arizona".