Thursday, May 17, 2012

Evening Lighting Ceremony at Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota



When you visit Mt. Rushmore National Monument, many people enjoy coming back in the evening for the nightly Ranger talk and lighting ceremony, which we did last night.  Starting at 9pm this time of season, later as the days grow longer, the Ranger (this case it was Ranger Jerry, whom we know from our work) began with a few trivia questions ~ see if you know the answers:
  1. Which four states have capitals that begin with the same letter as the state?
  2. Which four states have capitals named for presidents?
(Write your answers in the comments section and we’ll let you know if you’re correct or not. Even if you can’t list all four, or answers to both question, let us know what you know! )

He then gave a ten-minute Ranger talk (inside tip: each Ranger creates his own talk, so they are different) and his was based on what one will do with her/his life, giving examples of a few men who signed the Declaration of Independence.  We then watched an interesting 20-minute movie based n the presidents on the monument, finished with the audience signing the American National Anthem, then the lowering of the flag ceremony with all veterans and those who have lost a loved-one in a war on stage. Each person passes the flag to the next, while sharing their name and branch of service.

The entire ceremony was about 45-minutes and a definite when visiting Mt. Rushmore. Remember, you’re parking pass is good for the entire calendar year, so just keep it with you if you leave the monument during the day and you can return that (or another) evening,
 
Easy and affordable - no matter where you are! 
Escapees RV Club Commercial Member #693

5 comments:

Jerry and Suzy said...

Very impressive, kids! And your photos brought it to life. When we were there, we did two day visits (the first day it was raining) but didn't think to come back for the evening. Sorry we missed it.

jcw3rd said...

Capital Cities named after presidents:
Jackson MS, Jefferson City MO, Lincoln NE, Madison WS

jcw3rd said...

Capital Cities named after presidents:
Jackson MS, Jefferson City MO, Lincoln NE, Madison WS

jcw3rd said...

Capital Cities named after presidents:
Jackson MS, Jefferson City MO, Lincoln NE, Madison WS

jcw3rd said...

Capital Cities named after presidents:
Jackson MS, Jefferson City MO, Lincoln NE, Madison WS

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