Editorial note: Opinons expressed here are solely those of the blogger
Our family just kicked off our annual summer road trip, headed to Las Vegas and back. The first leg of our trip brought us to Rapid City, South Dakota. As soon as we checked into our aribnb, all our two teenage kids wanted to do was see Mt. Rushmore.
Now this was a pleasant surprise because our family actually took a South Dakota road trip back in 2013, with Rapid City as our base. We did the Bandlands, Mt. Rusmore, Crazy Horse Monument, you name it. And our kids were crabby the entire time, at each other’s throats. In fact one of my favorite pictures of our kids is of them sitting together in front of Mt. Rushmore. It’s a beautifu summer morning and they couldn’t look more miserable.
So our family drove up to Mt. Rushmore last night, after dinnertime, and it was just as amazing as I remembered it. The first time I saw Mt. Rushmore I actually was expecting myself to be disappointed, thinking it would be some cheesy tourist trip. I couldn’t believe how wrong I was and as hokey as it might sound, it’s truly a symbol of American accomplishment.
For some context, I’m a sucker for national parks and monuments.
When my now-wife Wendy and I were dating and lived in Washington, DC, we borrowed a car and spent the day hiking in Shenandoah National Park. I still remember the conversations we had while hiking, when the small snake crawled over her foot and the ruckus it made.
Several months later Wendy and I took our first road trip together as a couple. She met me in Phoenix, where I had a work conference, and we drove to southeastern Utah, where we hiked in Canyonlands and Arches national parks. Up until that point, I had only seen the Western United States in movies, television shows and of course, in my imagination. I learned that the term “majestic” wasn’t just some hokey expression used in travelogues and that it actually meant something.
But I noticed something else in those national parks – a pretty amazing collective attitude and pride in our country. You see all types if you spend time in national parks – young, old and every physical characteristic. And you tend to see quite a bit of smiles. I swear something about national parks makes people behave better, act civil towards one another. People convey the attitude that they definitely want to be there.
Last night our family hiked a series of steps up to the highest point where tourists are allowed. We stoood along with the other tourists, marveling at the faces. All of I sudden I heard “Look, it’s E.T.!” I turned around and there was a grandmother-type pointing at a section of the mountain next to the Presidents’ faces that had not yet been fully formed. And you know something, she was righ – it really did look like E.T. I couldn’t help myself; I started cracking up right on the spot.
“Hopefully they’ll be room for Trump’s face,” I heard another voice say. I again turned around and this time it was a gent in his mid-sixties, wearing a red Trump 2024 baseball hat. He was smiling, not ironically or belligerently. Just smiling the way people do when they’re at a national park. I smiled back at him and then returned to looking at the faces.
After a few minutes, we took our pictures and starting heading back down to the car. Along with all the others who came and saw what they wanted to see.
shishkabobgirldad 