Nature's and Man's Artwork

We spent two nights at the Badlands/White River KOA Campground in Interior, SD so we could tour both the Badlands National Park and visit Mount Rushmore.

Tall, jutting spires 
Click to enlarge

We first caught sight of the sharp-edged jutting spires of the Badlands as we headed to the campground.  The road to the campground was on the winding scenic park road.  Thoughtful articulation failed us. We were just gob smacked. 

Colorful layers 

This area of the Badlands is composed of ultra flat mesas, serrated-edged spires and deep rutted valleys.  It took Mother Nature 75 million years to construct this South Dakota national park.  First there was a shallow sea (really).  When the sea dried up deposits were left behind.  The sea gave way to

Swirls and mounds

rivers, teeming with bizarre alligators and other creatures.  Lush tropical forests grew on the rivers’ flood plains and left more deposits, as well as
the bones of the creatures that called this place home. On and on…eon upon eon…more layers added by water, sand and volcanic ash blown from far away.  Layer upon layer formed until about 500,000 ago when erosion took over.  Wind and rains carved valleys, left mesas and ingeniously sculpted towers, exposing million of years of nature’s steady layering work.

No picture or words can adequately describe the awesomeness of the expansive Badlands.  We recommend you get out your bucket list and add another item.  

Mount Rushmore is 90 miles from the Badlands, giving us some time to adjust our mindset.  Being in the spirit of the “big west” we considered that drive “just down the road.”

Four famous Presidents

Mount Rushmore with its images of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln carved into

the Black Hills is a tribute to the American spirit of leadership and unconstrained imagination. We heard that someone has been yakking about “making America great again.”  Gee, that guy really doesn’t have a clue about America’s history.

The visitors center did a good job showing how the mountain’s sculpture, Gutzon Borglum, imagined and adjusted this masterpiece as the work proceeded. Displays and a 14 minute video explained crafting details of TR’s specs and the curl in Lincoln’s beard and then how he used dynamite to “carve” 90% of his art work.   

Entryway with state flags

BTW…Gutzon’s name sounds foreign, doesn’t it?  Well, to that guy who wants to build a wall to keep foreigners out there are tons of unused granite rock at the base of the mountain.  Mexico will be thrilled that they won’t have to pay for materials.

At day’s end we reflected that we had spent the day admiring two works of art; one from Mother Nature and another from a talented man.  Both gifts were given to our amazingly beautiful country.