This whole Fourth-of-July thing has taken me a little by surprise. It’s barely even June, isn’t it? Wait, the 27th? Blast. Where’s the summer gone? I haven’t been playing outside nearly enough.

If you haven’t made plans yet, you’ve still got a week to get your act together. If you’re struggling for idea, think about Mount Rushmore’s Independence Day celebration, which kicks off next Thursday.

I did a little research and found surprisingly little about the festivities. Even the National Park Service site, which set up a special area for Independence Day activities, barely even acknowledged that Rushmore’s doing anything special for the Fourth. Strange, considering they’ve got pictures of Rushmore plastered everywhere.

So I’ve done a little legwork for you. If you want some help planning a Fourth of July at Mount Rushmore, here are a few tips:

• For a complete schedule, the South Dakota Department of Tourism seems to be the best source. They’ve got a complete list of events, beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 3 with a concert by American Indian musicians Brulé and ending with the fireworks at 9:15 p.m. There are a few events for Friday, July 4 as well.
• A real highlight will come at 7:20 p.m. on Thursday night. A flag will be presented to the last American-born veteran of World War I. According to an article in the Argus Leader, 107-year-old Frank Buckles of Charles Town, West Virginia,  talked his way into the Army in 1917. I’d love to meet the guy. Think about it: a guy who was old enough to remember the sinking of the Titanic, Pancho Villa, and Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency.
• If you do go, go as early in the day as you can. Tens of thousands of people attend, and if you expect a seat in the amphitheater, you’d better plan on being in line right away in the morning.
• Bring something squishy to sit on. The granite amphitheater is impressive to look at, but not comfortable to sit on all day.
• Bring games or books. This is an all-day event, and it’ll be smart to have diversions on-hand – especially if you have kids. Or if you’ve got a short attention span.
• If you plan to take pictures, bring a small tripod. You don’t want something big and bulky to carry around or cluttering up the aisles in the amphitheater. If you want serious photos of the fireworks, take a small, lightweight unipod or tripod.
• If you can’t get to Rushmore in the morning, consider finding a spot near the memorial to watch the show. Several places in Keystone have great views of the fireworks, and some nearby hills aren’t bad, either. Bring a radio – at least one local station broadcasts the show live, so you can listen to the program without being in the amphitheater.

The whole Black Hills come alive during the Fourth of July weekend, so check out downtown Deadwood and Rapid City for parades, sales at stores and live bands at certain restaurants and pubs.