Our North by NorthWest experience
We were on our way to visit Mount Rushmore. We, my husband David and I, had tried to see it two years previously but heavy fog prevented us from seeing anything. As we drove through a woodland area a couple of miles out we suddenly saw the faces on the mountainside and pulled over to get a better view.
How amazing it was to see these well known faces at this distance. They rose above the surrounding countryside , carved into the rock of the bare mountainside and looked majestic. We did not expect that the faces would be so clearly visible from afar.
Our mental guide for the day had been to see how the monument and surroundings had changed from the film North by NorthWest. We thought that we would spend an hour or two looking around and then we would continue with our travels. However, when we arrived at the monument we were not prepared to be so impressed by it and all that it stood for.
When we had lunch we were not too surprised that the modern cafe did not in any way resemble the one portrayed in the film. We went to the exhibitions on the site showing the history of the construction and all that had been involved in making it what it is today. We were impressed by the vision and what the carvings were to represent to America. We were also impressed by the commitment to this project and to the sheer audacity of carving faces into the mountainside.
And then we took in the sculptures of the Presidents. We spent a long time looking at them. They were magnificent. The representation of these men as symbols of the birth, the growth, preservation and then the expansion of the nation is simply heroic. We, who are strangers to America, got this as we stood there. We stayed for most of the day in this place, in quiet appreciation of the spirit of America, and we were moved by it.
The next day we drove back to Sioux Falls. We had been touring for ten days or so and were returning to our base in our cousins’ home in SF. We drove along the deserted highway chatting as one does of all that we had seen and done and especially of our day in Mount Rushmore. We crested a small hill and on the road about two miles ahead there appeared to be a small yellow plane taking off on the highway. It rose into the air and turned , flying back towards us only a hundred or so feet in the air. We watched it in our mirrors as it flew behind us and then the unthinkable happened. The aircraft turned again and appeared to head back towards us. It was getting lower and yes it was coming towards us. For us? Remember the scene is the film?
At the last minute or so it veered slightly and flew over the field to our right and dusted the crops there. As he flew past us on a parallel path to the road and at a little more than car height we could see the pilot. We could see what he was wearing and that he had blonde hair. I think he smiled and waved at us but I could have been mistaken. He flew ahead of us and then gained altitude and banked for a turn. When we had safely passed him again I realised that I had been holding my breath.
It was a couple of miles before we were able to speak. I said that as we had experienced Mount Rushmore and a crop duster the only thing left for us was to return to the monument and see could we climb down one of the President’s faces. However, Kathy was expecting us for dinner in Sioux Falls to celebrate David’s birthday and there was to be birthday cake. And cake wins every time.