Caption
SUMMER road trips are traditionally taken by families in the United States and no better choice could be made than to visit Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. Located 25 miles southwest of Rapid City, Mount Rushmore National Memorial consists of the colossal sculpted heads of four United States Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The heads are 60 feet tall and were carved by sculptor Gutzon Borglum into the southeast side of the solid granite Mount Rushmore beginning in 1927 and completed in 1941. Initial plans called for the depiction of the presidents from head to waist as shown by the original scale model displayed in Borglum’s studio and shown in the panorama. The studio is open to the public and is located at the base of the Presidential Trail, a marvelous hiking trail that provides the closest views of the sculpture. The actual sculpture is visible in the panorama through the window near the roof peak of the studio.