Everyone knows about Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Not far from there is another amazing granite sculpture which has been under construction for over 50 years as a tribute to Chief Crazy Horse. We've been there before back in 1991, when you could only recognize a rough shape and see the outlines painted on the surface. It was quite a surprise to go back there and see the face completed. After driving 2 days it was great to take a day off, we had a chocolate lunch with Crazy Horse, then went exploring Wind Cave National Park for the afternoon. We were fortunate to visit the monument on the 125th anniversary of the death of Crazy Horse since there was a rare night blast scheduled that night as a celebration. They fired off 125 explosives on and around the monument that sounded like a giant drum echoing throughout the Black Hills, a wonderful ending to the first part of our trip... use the link at the bottom of this page to view the video clip of the blast.
The last time we visited the monument there was a dirt road leading up to a viewing deck about a quarter mile away from the mountain. Now they have a paved road to a multi-level parking lot, a visitor center with artifacts and a movie about the history, plus a tour bus to take you to the base of the mountain for a close encounter with the site.
The details on the face are amazing... our tour guide said they use high temperature torches to smooth the surface. If you ever get the chance to visit the Black Hills, don't miss this attractio. Mount Rushmore is the famous, historical landmark created as a tribute to the white man. This monument was commissioned by the Chiefs after Crazy Horse to show that the Indians also had great leaders and it is history in the making...