Michele & Paul: buffalo

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

SouthDakota2008: Mount Rushmore Again

On our trip to South Dakota this year, we went to Mount Rushmore three days. Our last visit we took Liz, Doug, Diane, and Grant. The weather when we got there was superb. Most everybody (except height adverse Paul) walked around the base of the monument.

Our favorite...Mount Rushmore...

Grant took this photo of Paul, Michele, Sammy, Diane, Liz, & Doug...

An unsuspecting Grant is about to get buffaloed...

Sammy sharing fries with his Aunt Diane...

Mount Rushmore National Memorial...
...has a very large and modern multi-level parking garage...
...which is apparently held up by this flimsy jack...

True story...
...on several occasions strangers walked up and asked to take photos of Sammy...

Liz & Doug...

Diane and Grant...

Grant, Paul, Michele, Sammy, Diane, Doug, Liz...

One of the many stairs we had to climb...

Doug waiting for everyone to catch up...

Grant read *every* word on the plaque...

Liz took this photo...
...all questions should be directed to her...

Wherever Sammy goes...
...he ends up with girls...

Sunday, July 06, 2008

SouthDakota2008: Iron Mountain Highway (Route 16A)

After taking Paul's parents to Mount Rushmore, we went for a ride (on one of many scenic roads in the Black Hills) called the "Iron Mountain Highway" (or Route 16A). There are a number of "pigtail" bridges and tunnels cut ot of stone to frame a view of Mount Rushmore. After a while we ended up in the middle of a beautiful pasture where there seemed like there would be no level land.

A public service sign we saw on the road...

You'd think George would get bored...
having to look at the same granite wall all the time...

Scenic view...

Paul and his father at a tunnel framing Mount Rushmore...
...the camera exposure was bad and Mount Rushmore was washed out in the image...
...so we put in graphics to show where it would be...
...the smiley face with the beard is Abe Lincoln...