ALL TYPES OF TREASURES
More to see than stone heads

Mount Rushmore area is peaceful, colorful, intriguing

Author: By Priscilla Sarsfield, Globe Correspondent

Date: SUNDAY, April 26, 1998

Page: M19

Section: Travel

``What,'' my sister scoffed. ``Go all that way, just to see a monument!'' To that, my brother-in-law added, ``You're going to waste your vacation.'' Even my husband, Ken (now an ardent defender of Mount Rushmore), declined joining me, with this insurmountable explanation, ``When I traveled cross-country years ago, I saw a highway sign, `Mount Rushmore 50 Miles.' I had no job, no commitments, no deadlines -- and I still didn't take the exit! Why would I want to pay to go there now?''

I dug in my heels and dug into research to convince him. We flew out and discovered a part of America that is peaceful, expansive, colorful, and intriguing. Yes, there's more to Mount Rushmore than peering at presidential heads. For example, you can:

-- Come eye to eye with chocolate- and caramel-colored buffalo, bison, wild goats, and other fantastic creatures on the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road in the enormous and enchanting Custer State Park.

-- Take in a hike in the calming, sweet-smelling, spirit-lifting Black Hills, where the trees smell like butterscotch and the pine-needle-covered ground is like a cushion that softly gives way under each step.

-- Thread through the narrow Needles Highway, a 14-mile twisted road engulfed by enormous needlelike rock formations. Riding this road is like weaving through giant gray fingers.

-- Go from the height of the Needles to the depths of the Earth by climbing and crawling around Jewel or Wind Caves with only the light of a candle as a guide.

-- Gamble and carouse as they did in the days of the Wild West in the well-preserved town of Deadwood City. Grab a beer at the very saloon where Wild Bill Hickock played his last hand (eights and aces). And check out the original chair Hickock was sitting in when he was shot from behind while playing poker. If you're not familiar with the story, stick around, the scene is reenacted at various times throughout the day. (Note: be prepared, they pull three ``volunteers'' from the audience. Ken was given the role of the thieving bartender.)

And though you may never get a chance to go to the moon, less than an hour away is the next best thing -- the awesome moonscape of the Badlands. Hiking its craggy surface makes one feel as Neil Armstrong might have in 1969.

But even if the area didn't carry all these sites, it's still worth trekking all the way to South Dakota just to see Mount Rushmore.

Why? For inspiration. To people who feel they haven't amounted to anything in life (so far), the story behind Mount Rushmore offers hope. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum was 60 years old when he plunged into this daunting project in the 1920s, at a time when a 60-year old man was expected to clutch a cane, not the side of a mountain. At an age when most people hang up their hopes for success, Borglum was hanging off a mountain and launching a massive project that would take the rest of his life to finish, and would become his most famous. (Unfortunately, he died at age 74, six months before of the unveiling in 1941. His son, Lincoln, completed his dad's dream.) Many people make the mistake of going to the park expecting to look at an honored monument. They travel miles to see it, spend only 30 minutes or so walking around the park with the mass of other tourists, and leave, often unimpressed. But that's because they treat it like a monument instead of a piece of art. One should approach Mount Rushmore as an art exhibit to be studied and savored. To fully appreciate the artist and his work, to appreciate the sculpting and to sense its meaning, one must see it in the different kinds of light and settings that this outdoor museum provides.

We first saw the monument at midday when the place was bustling with tourists, making it difficult even to walk, never mind stepping back to truly admire its magnificence. (Tip: Definitely bring binoculars.) Even though the slow-moving crowd made the visit awkward, it was fun to hear the comments, and to eavesdrop on parents misinforming their children in naming the presidents. For the record, the faces are of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt (Teddy), and Lincoln. There are two versions of why these particular presidents were chosen. The first is based on preserving the nation (Washington, the father; Jefferson the expansionist; Lincoln, preserver of the union; and Roosevelt, the conservationist). The lesser-known version is based on freedom (Washington, freedom from tyranny; Jefferson, defender of individual freedom; Lincoln, freedom from slavery; Roosevelt, economic freedom).

Next day, we viewed the monument at dawn to see the presidential countenances ablaze in the red morning sun. Not a soul was in the park except Ken, the chipmunks, and me. That's when the place took on the eerie feeling of a mausoleum. A steady, chilly wind brushed across our faces, carrying the butterscotch (some insist vanilla) scent of the Ponderosa Pines. Gazing at the stone faces in this light and in this setting gave us new appreciation of the expressions on each president: the grave Washington; the optimistic Jefferson; the determined Roosevelt; and the burdened Lincoln.

Back again at dusk, we stayed into the night to watch the light show and listen to the ranger's talk. Stay after the show and be held spellbound by the illuminated faces that sparkle a glistening white against the big black sky. Ken said, ``I just can't get over the fact that this mountain is staring back at me.'' Between visits to Mount Rushmore, rest your feet and feast your eyes driving through Needles Highway or on the Loop Road in Custer State Park.

Both drives offer scenery and sights that will endear you to this organic world.

This is big-sky country where the blue sky takes up so much space you feel like you're undersea. Every day during our visit in August, the weather was sunny, the sky a cloudless blue until late afternoon or early evening, when it instantly darkened and a crackling thunderstorm unleashed its violence and brilliance, only to last a few minutes before the sun beamed a rainbow around our car.

Never have I felt so close to nature as during this visit to South Dakota.

We spent a week there and felt we only touched the surface of this vast and exciting area. It's a place where the buffalo roam . . . right up to your car window. And the sky is not cloudy all day . . . until a smashing three-minute thunderstorm clears the air and blesses the approaching evening with a rainbow halo.

Other sites to see:

-- Crazy Horse Monument. Right around the corner from the Mount Rushmore Memorial is the work-in-progress carving of this famous Indian chief. So far, only the nine-story face of this gigantic 3-D carving is near completion. One can only imagine what the finished piece will look like when the full sculpture reveals the chief in full headdress astride his horse.

-- Sylvan Lake. Prickly rock formations surround this clear blue lake like the rim of a crown around a blue gem. It beckons fishers, swimmers, and picnickers alike. Hardy visitors dive off some of these foreboding rocks, others sit back and enjoy the show these water-destined daredevils proudly put on.

-- Hot Springs. Here you'll find Evans Plunge, an indoor pool fed by natural mineral springs. The waters were once considered a cure for all that ails you. Now, the pool is full of family fun and games. If you have children, you'll love it. If you don't, skip it. Farther up the road is the astounding Mammoth Site. In the 1970s, a developer who owned the land and planned to make tract housing, made the discovery and donated (Yes, donated!) the land. Since then, more than 50 Colombian and woolly mammoths have been unearthed in this ancient sinkhole. So far, all the skeletons unearthed are male teenage mammoths. It's a sad tale of how they all drowned here. And you can see their massive skeletons intact, exactly as they died in their efforts to save themselves. The guided tour is enthralling.

-- Jewel or Wind Caves. We chose Jewel Cave. You have a choice of three tours: the Scenic Tour that follows a paved path to view calcite crystals, stalactites, and stalagmites; the Historic Tour, where you get to act like the original explorers of the cave and crawl around carrying only a candlelit lantern; and, for the adventurers, the Spelunking Tour, where, outfitted with hard hats and headlamps, you crawl through watery tunnels and other perilous places. (We opted for the Historic, and it was just right for us suburban folk.)

-- Devil's Tower. About 100 miles west of Mount Rushmore, you can visit this rock tower made popular by the movie ``Close Encounters of the Third Kind.''

Where to stay: Most tourists stay in Rapid City, where all the strip malls, restaurants, and major hotels are. But we stayed in Hill City. It's closer to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Black Hills, and Custer State Park, and it's a cozy old Western town, without the noise and bustle of a big city. The town's main street has raised sidewalks with wood railings, where you can stroll and window shop or linger in shops, ice cream parlors, cafes, and restaurants. Twice a week in summer you can watch actors perform a gunfight showdown at sunset. You can also ride on the 1880 Train, one of the last steam trains in the country still in operation.

For those who like creature comforts, try Hill City's Best Western Hotel. For others, we recommend staying in one of the numerous cabins available. We stayed at the Robin's Roost, where even at peak tourist season the cost was only $36 a night for a bedroom, bath, and full kitchen. It's a very friendly place, too. (The owners spent their honeymoon there and ended up buying the place later.) Most of the cabin rentals are nestled off the main road to provide you with the beauty of camping without the bother.

Should you decide to camp, though, there are many campgrounds. Rapid City Visitor's Bureau has a handy lodging-dining guide. Call (800) 487-3223.