Mount Rushmore

We got moved to our new campground and we will be here until Wednesday. Once we got settled in and had lunch we decided to head to Mount Rushmore. On our way we stopped at Keystone another small town with the novelty shops. We wondered around the town for about an hour and decided to head to Rushmore.

Gutzon Borglum created the sculpture of the four presidents on the mountain that represent important moments in american history. The carving dates were 1927-1941 with 400 workers, the main tool was dynamite and the drill was a jackhammer.  It really makes you appreciate important moments in history.

Pine Beetle Infestation in the Black Hills: Since we arrived we noticed the some of the trees on the mountains and hills had turned a brownish red color. I assumed that their had been a drought in the area and caused the trees to die. We found out today they have been infested with pine beetles. Once infected the tree will slowly die. The beetles jump from one tree to another. It is really sad to see the destruction these things can cause.