Our family vacation to South Dakota was so fantastic, it had to be broke up into three different sections! In case you missed Part 1, you’ll want to go back and find out about the Corn Palace, Badlands Scenic Loop, & Bear Country USA. Those are things you certainly don’t want to miss if you are thinking about a trip to South Dakota! But, for today, I bring you the South Dakota Air & Space Museum & Mount Rushmore!
South Dakota Air & Space Museum
I have to admit that I was skeptical about heading here! It’s on the
outskirts of Rapid City and not really around anything else we were doing. I went along with it because my step-dad really wanted to go and it was free, so why not? I was VERY pleasantly suprised! The museum itself is located right on the edge of Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Once parking, you are free to explore the grounds! In front of the museum, they have over 30 different types of planes including bombers and fighter jets! It is quite impressive! Until you’re standing right under the plane’s wings you don’t realize just how massive they truly are!
Inside, enjoy a large variety of memorabilia from American history. There are flight suits, helicopters, and videos about air usage in different wars! There is even a plane cockpit that is available for kids to sit in and test out knobs, handles, and see what it was like to fly a plane! (M much enjoyed this very much and probably would have sat in there all day if we had let him!) You can choose to have a guided tour and you can also tour the AFB. We opted out of both of these. But, we thoroughly enjoyed exploring at our own pace!
Mount Rushmore Evening Lighting Ceremony
It’s safe to say that Mount Rushmore is amazing no matter what time of day you see it, but I really do think the Evening Lighting Ceremony is a must! I remember (vaguely) going to it as a young child, however I was more in awe taking it all in as an adult! As we age we come to appreciate things differently, but I know that R also really enjoyed it and it was neat to see his reaction!
Parking fills quickly, so we arrived early to get a decent parking space. We decided to pack sandwiches and make it a tailgate supper in the parking lot as well! And for boys, anytime you can eat without worrying about making a mess, it’s a winner! Once we finished our sandwiches we headed in: taking in the views around us, Mount Rushmore looming ahead in the distance, and the avenue of flags! We decided to grab our seats early so we could get the ones we wanted. Once seated, we took in the views around us, chatted with each other, and those around us. It’s quite spectacular to watch the sun go down, nature around these massive faces, and just sit and contemplate what they really represent.
Shortly before 9PM a park ranger comes out and speaks eloquently about the memorial. He includes what the night will entail, and gives a brief speech. It’s quite something in its own right. Next comes a 20 minute video that explains the history of Mount Rushmore, but also why the Presidents were chosen, etc. Then, the lighting of the faces with massive lights, and the National Anthem.
On this particular night, they invited all veterans & current servicemen down to help lower the flag and then announced them all by name and branch of service! This was extra special for us as my step-dad is a veteran of the Navy! It was neat to see him down on the stage with all the others! There were so many, it was quite moving. You must venture through the gift shop while you’re there as well! We headed home (back to the campground) and enjoyed the views of the lighted faces until they were out of sight!!
Stay tuned for Part 3! There’s more greatness of South Dakota yet!!
I love traveling with you!
Oh gosh! Thank you!
The evening ceremony at Mount Rushmore is a must – I agree! And each time I have been they have always invited Veterans to come forward and say their name. It is a moving and patriotic way to end the service. I got chills last year when we went as around 100 Veterans came forward.
That’s awesome that they do it every time! I’m not sure how many were there, but it seemed well over 100. There were 4 long lines that stretched the entire width of the stage! So amazing!
We love visiting SD. I was a little shocked at how “small” Mt Rushmore was from the town streets. I guess I just assumed it was huge and much closer.
That makes me giggle because that was the #1 thing M kept saying, “I thought it was going to be bigger!” We all kept looking at him like he was crazy, but you’re right..it seems much smaller from a distance!