From the moment Taz entered our lives two years ago he has had us wrapped around his little paw. One look with those puppy eyes and you’ll do anything to make him happy. The arrival of his Mount Ruffmore treats from Shop Dog spurred his interest in Mount Rushmore and I knew I would soon be caving to make his little puppy dreams come true.
Taz would call himself the Teddy Ruffsevelt of the dog world. He was born with a killer mustache and has aspired to seeing the memorialized ‘stache of Theodore Roosevelt. I would often come home from work in the evenings to see Taz practicing his stoic pose. Seeing Taz’s dedication to practicing the pose and maintaining his mustache I knew I had to take him to see paw-triotic memorial only 25 minutes from Rapid City.
First things first: the necessities.
Whenever I take Taz on his adventures I make sure to have fresh water, food, some treats, a leash and harness, and bags for picking up any messes. For this special adventure we also had to add in his favorite pawtriotic t-shirt.
Mount Rushmore is roughly 25 minutes from Rapid City. We picked up my sister on our way out of town and then enjoyed the views of Reptile Gardens, Bear Country and the Black Hills as we made our way along Highway 16. Taz loved gazing out the window and anxiously sought out Mount Rushmore in the distance.
Once you arrive you will have to pay $11 to park at Mount Rushmore. I would recommend that you make sure to have some cash with you, the South Dakota thunderstorms can take out the credit card machines on occasion – this day happened to be one of those occasions. After we paid and found our parking spot I secured Taz in his harness and we were off!
We arrived around 11 and the day was already heating up. I was sure to test the concrete with my hand to make sure it was not too warm for Taz to walk on. Soon, we were approaching the monument. Much to Taz’s dismay, dogs are not allowed into the memorial itself. There are some beautiful columns that mark the boundary of where your dog may enter (unless they are a service dog, of course).
He didn’t let that keep him down, though. My sister helped lift him up so he could claim his spot as a fifth face on the monument. There was also the perfect spot for him to sit and strike his best Teddy Roosevelt pose. As you can see from that big, doggy smile, Taz was super excited to have his dream of seeing Mount Rushmore finally come true!
With Mount Rushmore being so close, I have had plenty of opportunities to take the Presidential Walking Trail, check out the Carver’s Studio, and of course eat some ice cream. If your dogs are begging you to visit I would recommend bringing someone along to take turns going into the memorial and sitting with the dog. The one thing I ask is that you please do not leave your dog in the car! South Dakota summers are hot, your dog’s safety should never be compromised.
Now the real mystery remains: Who has the best mustache?