I took a weekend trip to the Black Hills - we did the usual tourist deal. My family visited the Badlands, Wind Cave, and the Reptile Gardens in Rapid City. It was an absolute blast. Don't get me wrong, Wyoming has some gorgeous scenery, but the Black Hills were unlike anything SE Wyoming has in our backyard. More trees, more hills, and a lot more rocks.

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Seriously, don't get me started about the rocks. After sitting down in the hotel room the first day, I realized 90% of the trip was about rocks. Wind Cave and the Badlands National Park = rocks. Detour to Devil's Tour? Yeah, a giant rock. But there was one "rock" in particular that was central to our trip: Mount Rushmore.

What kid in America doesn't know about Mount Rushmore? It's a giant memorial to some of our nation's greatest presidents literally carved into a mountainside to permanently honor their legacy. And it is stunning, truly stunning.

I expected the beautiful scenery and the little museum explaining how the memorial was made (lots and lots of dynamite, btw.) But I did not expect the Wyoming flag to be blowing in front of the monument.

Phylicia Peterson, Townsquare Media Cheyenne
Phylicia Peterson, Townsquare Media Cheyenne
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Thankfully, my trip to the Lincoln Borglum Visitors Center answered my question. The Avenue of Flags, as it's called, holds a flag from each state in the Union and the three territories, D.C., and two commonwealths within the U.S. The flags are arranged alphabetically, which is why Wyoming's is so close to the monument faces.

Phylicia Peterson, Townsquare Media Cheyenne
Phylicia Peterson, Townsquare Media Cheyenne
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Fun fact, the monument didn't always have The Avenue of Flags. It wasn't made until 1976 when someone suggested it as a way to recognize the country's Bicentennial Birthday.

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