Tom Woll Photography

A tattered sign pointing to a secluded cabin in the woods. This sounds like the start of a horror movie, what could possibly go wrong right? Click for a larger view

The idea for Mount Rushmore was conceived in 1923 by Doane Robinson to promote tourism in the state of South Dakota. Robinson convinced sculptor Gutzon Borglum to travel to the Black Hills region in 1924 to ensure the carving could be accomplished. Three shot handheld panorama Click for a larger view The original plan was to create carvings in granite pillars known as the Needles. Borglum quickly realized that the thin eroded Needles would not support sculpting. He chose Mount Rushmore partly because it faced southeast and enjoyed maximum exposure to the sun.  Originally known to the Lakota Sioux as "The Six Grandfathers", the mountain was renamed after Charles E. Rushmore during an expedition in 1885.

A rusted old auto body parked between a couple of buildings caught my eye.  I always love vintage vehicles, especially when they are either rusted out or fully restored. Click for a larger view

In 1775 the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, Pa and appointed a committee of five men to work on a draft of  what would become the Declaration of Independence. This committee consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson was chosen by the members to draft the Declaration. It was  submitted to Congress on June 28, 1776. Click for a larger view The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776 and signed by the President of the Continental Congress, John Hancock. This is reason why we celebrate the Independence Day on the fourth of July. July 4th, 1776 was the day the United States became an independent state from England. The flag of the United Sates contains 13 horizontal stripes, seven are red alternating with six white stripes. The stripes represent the original 13 Colonies and the stars represent the 50 states of the Union today. The colors of the flag are also symbolic; red symbolizes hard