Mount Rushmore

 We had a great time visiting Mount Rushmore.

 The faces do not appear that large in real life.

 This is a close up of the Mount.

 The faces are carved in granite rock.

 You can see the imperfections in the granite rock if you look closely.

 Notice the detail in the spectacles Pres. Roosevelt is wearing.

The sculptors used dynamite to remove 90% of the rock. They could be accurate within 4 inches using dynamite. The last 10% was done with jackhammers using life-size plaster models for their guide.

 You can walk underneath the faces at the base of the mountain on the Presidential Tour.

Mom really likes the state's license plates.

Journey Home from Cybil's and Ashley's

We left Cybil's house on Tuesday and traveled north through Wisconsin and on through Minnesota and South Dakota. Then we traveled through Wyoming and finally dropped down to Utah as we made our journey home.

 This is part of the Mississippi River where it separates Minnesota and Wisconsin.

This is a view of the prairie in South Dakota. Many areas are as they were a hundred years ago.

We stopped and toured the Badlands of South Dakota

These lands are very bad and would be difficult to travel before roads where made.

I have always heard of Wall Drug so we stopped by. It is an amazing store; it is more like a boutique mall of stores.

There are a lot of fun things to do and there is plenty of things for tourists to buy.

Emily just loved the novelty of an actual telephone booth. They have one at Wall Drug.

Touring Michigan

Most of the states we visited had great rest areas complete with good tourist information and maps. 

Ashley and Brandt have a beautiful home in a wonderful, wooded neighborhood. Emily is enjoying her favorite treat. Oreos and milk.

 We helped Ashley paint her bedroom and living room.

Mom is the best painter.

 Emily worked hard and also took care of the dog.

We went to the Detroit Tiger baseball game against the New York Yankees.

The video screen is 48 feet high and 150 ft wide.

They have really good hot dogs at the ball park.

Prince Fielder is Detroit's star player.

 Here he is up to bat.

 Derek Jeter had a great night. HIs batting average is one of the highest in the league.

The rain and cold wind made the game not quite as enjoyable.

 You have a nice view of the city landscape in the background of the ball park.

After church on Sunday, we made a visit to the Detroit temple.

On our way back home we stopped in Ann Arbor and viewed the "Big House".

We also drove the road along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and enjoyed the vistas.

 We also stopped at one of the beaches and enjoyed the afternoon.

One of the many states we traveled in to visit family was Indiana. While we were there, we stopped by Notre Dame and toured the campus.

 This building is right next to the football stadium and I have been told that it is referred to by football fans as "Touchdown Jesus" (please forgive me if this sounds irreverent).

We enjoyed our time with Ashley and Brandt. Michigan is a beautiful state with green trees everywhere.