North by Northwest

I have always wanted to see Mt. Rushmore. Maybe this desire was born from seeing this iconic sculpture in photographs for so long or because I love the chase scene in North by Northwest that happens among the faces of four U.S. presidents or because it's one of those things like the Statue of Liberty that just radiates America! and freedom! and patriotism! or something.

I saw it for the first time on Sunday.

And Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln's faces are still up there carved in (or dynamited out of) the granite.

Even in person, those heads look a bit fake, like someone spread a huge canvas across the mountain or that the National Park Service is projecting the image up on the mountain and laughing behind their gigantic hats and fatigue green.

I had a pretty emotional reaction when I saw the Statue of Liberty for the first time. I did not have that same reaction when I saw Mt. Rushmore. I could blame it on the heat, but it was just as stifling when I saw the Lady as it was when I saw the presidents. I blaming my lackluster reaction on too high of expectations. Was it cool? Yep. I contend though that the NPS should pipe patriotic music throughout the memorial and have fighter jets fly over the mountain and send off bald eagles into the air.

Befitting any large tourist attraction, the locals have capitalized on the famous mountain sculpture, creating amusements that have nothing to do with Mt. Rushmore and others that just make the sculpture creepy.

Goat bridges have nothing to do with Mt. Rushmore.

Roosevelt looks a lot like Elton John.

And this "art" is just an atrocity.

Before we made it to Mt. Rushmore, we quickly stopped at Devils Tower (no apostrophe which drives me crazy).

 

And stared up at that natural wonder, too. 

The day could be summarized by lots of driving, lots of looking up, and America (both beautiful and tacky). 

I'm now disappointed that I didn't round out the day with a hot dog and some cotton candy.