Some trips are fun. Some are beautiful. And then there are those trips that change our perspective a little bit.
Our recent visit to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills of South Dakota was one of those experiences.
We love mountains. There is something about being surrounded by them that makes everyday worries seem smaller. But this trip was different. It wasn't only about beautiful scenery. It made us think about history, determination, nature, and how fortunate we are to live in this country.
Mount Rushmore at 6 A.M.
We arrived at Mount Rushmore around 6 o'clock in the morning.
There was almost no one there.
No crowds. No noise. No people rushing around taking pictures. Just the cool morning air, the mountains, the silence—and those four enormous faces carved into the granite.
It gave us goosebumps.
We had seen Mount Rushmore so many times in photographs, movies, books and on television. But standing there in person, so early in the morning with almost nobody around, was completely different.
We started learning more about how Mount Rushmore was actually created, and it made the experience even more meaningful.
Work on the monument began in 1927 and continued until 1941. More than 400 workers helped turn the granite mountain into the monument we know today.
Standing there and thinking about what it took to create something on that scale—with the tools and technology available at the time—was incredible.
It made us think about the vision, courage, hard work and persistence behind so many things that came before us.
The Beauty of the Black Hills
And then there were the Black Hills.
Driving through the mountains, surrounded by pine trees, beautiful roads, rock formations and incredible views, we kept looking around and thinking about how beautiful this part of our country really is.
There is something humbling about mountains.
Maybe that's why we love them so much.
Mountains have a way of reminding us that the world is much bigger than our schedules, our phones, our work and all the little things that sometimes seem so important.
When you're surrounded by something so old, so peaceful and so much bigger than yourself, your perspective changes.
It makes you slow down.
It makes you look around.
And most of all, it makes you feel grateful.
How Lucky We Are
That feeling stayed with us throughout this trip.
We kept thinking about how lucky we are to live in a country with so many different landscapes and so many incredible places to experience.
Mountains. Oceans. Deserts. Forests. Small towns. Big cities. Historic places.
There is so much beauty right here in our own country, and sometimes we forget to stop and appreciate it.
Travel doesn't always have to mean going somewhere far away or exotic.
Sometimes it's about taking a different road, seeing a new part of the country and allowing yourself to experience something with fresh eyes.
Our Recommendation: Go Early
If you're planning to visit Mount Rushmore, we definitely recommend going early.
For us, arriving around 6 a.m. made the experience unforgettable.
Seeing Mount Rushmore is impressive at any time. But standing there in the quiet, before the crowds arrived, gave us time to really take it all in.
We weren't rushing. We weren't trying to get the perfect picture.
For a little while, we simply stood there, looked at the mountain and enjoyed the moment.
Those are the travel moments that stay with us.
We Came Home With a Different Perspective
The Black Hills gave us something we weren't necessarily expecting.
Perspective.
Life gets busy. We work, answer emails, make appointments, worry about tomorrow and move on to the next thing. Sometimes we forget how important it is to simply stop and look around.
Then you find yourself standing in front of a mountain at six in the morning, with almost nobody around, looking at something people dreamed about and spent years creating.
And suddenly, things feel a little different.
We came home appreciating the mountains even more. We came home with a greater appreciation for history.
We came home reminded of how beautiful this country is and how fortunate we are to be able to explore it.
If you've never visited Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills, we highly recommend putting them on your list. And when you go, get up early.
You may arrive expecting to see a famous monument and some beautiful mountains.
But you may leave with a completely different perspective.
Sometimes the best trips aren't just about the places we see.
They're about how those places make us feel.
Check out this article next
