September 5th. Mount Rushmore

of all family I will be the first to admit that a huge reason why we are so excited about this tour is that we we will be able to see parts of this country that we have never been to. Visiting a new town or state is like being a kid again, swimming in reverie and apprehension. Today led us to an adventure to the great American enshrinement of aged dead white men, Mount Rushmore. The crooked road that leads to the site from Rapid City, SD is a snake oil dealers capitalist fantasyoriented attractions that dot the western landscape of the US all in one long windy stretch along Hwy 16A . Such attractions include, The (Original) Old Macdonald's Farm, The House of Reptiles ( scaring children since 1937), Bear Country USA ( an American drive-thru safari range) and my favorite the Park Of Presidents where Busts of all manner of Commanders-in-chiefs (?) dot the park with three being used to draw people in, J.F.K., Ronald Regan and the ever so eloquent George W. Bush. With a Motto like "From George W. to George W." Who can go wrong.
Arriving at our destination of Mount Rushmore we discussed if we were going to be underwhelmed by the sheer touristic hubris that surrounded the voyage there, but we found none of it there. As those four faces reveal themselves from the mountainside I think we all realized that all of felt a little like kids again
----Carlos

I got to sleep in a tent with Cassie. We did not get rained on. Randy and Ryan swam, or is it swum? The way there everyone seemed a little out of sorts. We had kind of a rough night the night before as far as the show not being the best it could be. But I swear for me the second we got into camping mode the mood changes and everyone seems really happy and grateful to have this experience together. Fires and hot dogs, beers, ghost stories, smores and getting creeped out. These are childlike qualities that I never want to lose. -Aaron