My Bus Tour from South Dakota, Pierre and to Mount Rushmore - Essay Example

 My Bus Tour from South Dakota, Pierre and to Mount RushmoreIntroduction That America is beautiful, is a matter that is beyond dispute. Initially, I merely suspected that America is a land replete with graceful landscapes, until I took a bus tour. The bus tour from South Dakota, Pierre and to Mount Rushmore convinced me of America as a land of matchless beauty. The journey set off from April 19th to April 20th, 2012, having been planned by parents and local leaders, six months in advance.

The bus trip involved friends and members of the neighborhood. Sitting beside friends and peers in the bus spiced the journey with the exchanging of facts about different sceneries, jokes and informal discussions. The bus trip set off from South Dakota. Driving along the main road in South Dakota graced the cruise with the beautiful scenery of the Mythic Mount Rushmore. Driving across South Dakota to its outskirts covered over 200 miles across what was nothing less than jaw-dropping and cool scenery.

The day-long drive took us to Pierre. As the bus cruised in the main road, we ogled at the beautiful sight of the mountain ranges cascading over each other, throughout the entire stretch. The green leafy vegetation and forest overgrowth complemented the beauty of the mountains and serve as homes of reindeers which occasionally leaped out and into the road. We could not be any closer to nature and its captivating beauty. In instances where the manmade activities interfered with the end trail of natural vegetation, we cited an array of dining joints, small-scale and large-scale casino saloons and lodging which testified of the industriousness of the people of South Dakota.

From Pierre, we followed the US Route 83 to get across the Missouri River. As we turned westwards, the striking beauty of grasslands that accompanied us to Interstate 90 appeared to dance beautifully against the gentle breeze. From this juncture, we turned off to Murdo for tantalizing buffalo burgers. From Murdo, we drove to the Badlands National Park. One of the most memorable encounters in Badlands National Park was the dusty canyons therein. The Rapid City for dead American presidents also clearly served as another feather in Badlands National Park’s cap.

The images of the dead American presidents are curved into the Black Hills and its high aesthetic presentation of America’s four great men and founding fathers served as the trip’s denouement. In Mount Rushmore National Memorial, we had a firsthand encounter with four cascading presidential sculptures which aesthetically relayed America’s history and heritage 130 years after its Declaration of Independence in 1776. The sculptures ranging from left to right are those of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln just as leading historians such as Anderson have taught (1-2).

The monument described above blends well with the pine trees that surround it. Having parked our bus at the bus park, the bus driver took us around the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, to the point of climbing it, but under his watchful gaze and care. The driver’s immense knowledge in history made the trip more academically meaningful as he engaged us in the achievements that were brought about by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The beauty of the bus trip thus is underscored by the fact that it was able to integrate both aesthetic and academic aspects.

Never had history become so interesting. Works CitedAnderson, Susan. “Mount Rushmore.” Our States: Geographic Treasures, 2.3 (2011):1-2. Print