Mt. Rushmore is… well.. Mt. Rushmore. Who hasn’t seen pictures of the four giant heads carved into a mountain in South Dakato? This is the American Mecca that everyone wants to see. Picture taking is a must for everyone there.

Did you know Mt. Rushmore is a National Monument, not a National Park? Me neither. They have added a big fancy entrance with flags of all the states that I don’t remember being there before. Somehow it seems a bit overdone, but maybe it is just me.

You will recall that there are four Presidents represented: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The four presidents carved on the mountain were selected because the sculptor thought they represented the most important events in the history of the United States. Most people wonder about Roosevelt, but he probably seemed more important in the sculptor’s time than he does now. Anyhow, its carved in stone and can’t be changed.

One interesting new feature is an ice-cream shop. It is said that Jefferson invented vanilla ice cream. You can buy a scoop of Jefferson Vanilla for a dollar more than the other flavors. Of  course, I had to try it, but it tasted like any other vanilla to me.