Thursday, October 13, 2011

Mount Rushmore and Needles Highway - Skywatch Friday


"The heads" (as the locals call them) from inside the park.


From the trail that goes underneath the heads.  You can get pretty close.


The main entrance. We were trying to guess the state flags without looking at the state (at least the southern ones anyway). I must have slept through that class.


The view from the parking deck at Mount Rushmore. It was just starting to cloud up.



Looking over at Needles Highway.


Driving through Needles Highway. It was a tight squeeze at some points.


Going through the tunnel. There were several of these that we passed through.

One last post from my trip to South Dakota.

For more skyscape photography from around the world, visit Skywatch Friday

11 comments:

  1. such fabulous landscape! and mt. rushmore is just flat-out amazing that they could manage that!

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  2. Wonderful shots of Mt Rushmore. And the scenic drive looks wonderful. Great photos, Happy skywatching!

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  3. Well, the heads are pretty spectacular, but they're not as cute as baby limpkins! :o)
    That Needles Highway is well-named, isn't it?
    Really enjoyed your photos, Dina.

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  4. Great vacation pictures. I have been to Mount Rushmoore

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  5. The science teacher I work with rock climbs in the Needles all the time, helps set up the climbing routes.
    Watched a tourist with a way too big motorhome (who did not read signs) attempt to get through the tunnel at the Needle's Eye. He stripped off all his mirrors, AC unit, door handles etc, and rounded corners off so his rig looked like an Airstream.
    The view from the parking deck is particularly distressing to those of us who live in the Hills. All the red/brown color is pine bark beetle killed pines. It is a beautiful landscape that is not so beautiful now and is a real concern as a wildfire risk.
    BTW,the Needles are the view I have heading for school every morning.

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  6. Nice captures and enjoyed the comments.

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  7. Hi there - great set of pictures - Mt. Rushmore is a place I would like to see for real - and teh needles (which I did not know about) only adds to the idea!

    Nice pictures.

    Stewart M - Australia

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  8. These are all great. I was just there with my husby and dog 3 weeks ago and passed through some of the most beautiful land in our country. This was our 4th journey out there~

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  9. Nice reportage of mount rushmore. Nice to see especially when you know it only from photo,s in far away europe.

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  10. You do my state justice with your beautiful photographs. I was recently there myself so you may enjoy my take on them ... xoxo from the prairie.

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