Mt. Rushmore (Keystone, South Dakota)

With President's Day coming up, it felt fitting to put up this post of one of the couple trips we took before Emma was born. Mt. Rushmore was amazing and so dynamic. The moment you see the carved mountain, it gives you a proud feeling to be an American. 

We stayed in a little town called Keystone. Among going to Mt. Rushmore we visited a lot of other places. We took a scenic drive through the Black Hills, visited the Bear Country USA, walked through the Rushmore Caves, came dangerously close to wild buffalo, and took a steam-engine train across several towns.

Just a 10 minute drive from Keystone to Mt. Rushmore. We visited the mountain everyday to take in as much of the fantastic landmark as possible. 

(Admission is free and the parking permit is valid for one year!)

Panoramic view of the entrance

Vending machine at the parking structure.

Panoramic view of the Grand View Terrace

Day & Night shot

 Danny positioning himself for the perfect photo.

There are wooden walkways all around to get views from different angles.

George Washington (1st President)

Thomas Jefferson (3rd President)

  

Theodore Roosevelt (26th President) *look at the detail of his glasses*

Abraham Lincoln (16th President)

Supposedly, there's a long staircase behind his head that leads to a room called the 

Hall of Records that preserves national documents and artifacts!

Some dramatic, stunning views from the Black Hills

This was a trip we definitely were happy to take!

Now, if only we can get access to the Hall of Records, that would be awesome to see!

Hearst Castle (San Simeon, CA)

Hearst Castle is a National Historic Landmark mansion, located about 250 miles from both 

Los Angeles and San Francisco. Built between 1915-1947,but was never completed.

Tour buses take visitors to the estate. This is the only way to go to the Castle. All visitors must park at the visitor center at the base of the hill. The bus ride is about 15 minutes.

Casa Grande. Served as the nerve center of the estate and the place where guests gathered for all their meals and indoor entertainment. The Hollywood and political elite often visited. Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Franklin Roosevelt were among Hearst's A-list guests.

Casual Dining Room. European flags decorate the walls.

The Study

The Billiard Room

Casa del Mar, one of three cottages on the property. Heart's home until 1928.

Tennis Court, sits atop the Roman(indoor) Pool. Charlie Chaplin often played here.

The view from the Castle, with the Central Coast of California in the distance.

The Neptune Pool

White Marble Statues scattered within the Hearst Garden

The Roman Pool