The Biggest Tourist Trap the US Government Owns

Tweet

This may sound wrong, and I don’t want to give the wrong impression. I am very happy that I went to Mount Rushmore today. I suppose there’s some “patriotic obligation” to go see it, because it just screams “America” to you. It’s on the South Dakota license plates!!! Still, upon leaving I couldn’t help but feel I’d been to the biggest tourist trap around. And the US government owns it!!! There’s not a lot to see inside that you can’t see outside, except for things like the gift shop (cha-ching!). My advice would be to go see it, but save your $10 parking and see it from a number of roadside pull-offs for free. But, as I said, I’m very happy I got to see it in person. I remember when my grandparents went there on vacation. (I get my roaming from them, I guess.) The gigantic mountainside carvings of the faces of four presidents — and if you’re wondering why Teddy Roosevelt is included, it’s because he’s basically the father of the National Park system — is beautiful. The walkway of the flags, with all 50 states and the territories (I told my brother it’d be my luck that I’d finally get to all 50 states and they’d make Puerto Rico and Guam states ), is lovely. I took selfies by the plaques of the states I’ve lived in (five). But, honestly, it didn’t take me very long to see everything. If you go to South Dakota, DO see it. Just don’t fall for the government’s tourist trap.