(Journalist Katy Koontz of Knoxville, Tenn., grabs a snapshot of Thomas Jefferson’s nose from a rare vantage point.)

I had a chance on Saturday to hike to the top of Mount Rushmore with members of the Society of American Travel Writers for a rare view of the national monument. SATW’s Central States Chapter was in Rapid City for its annual meeting.

Despite some wind, it was a glorious, sunny South Dakota day when two dozen of us headed up the mountain. Huffing and puffing – they weren’t used to the altitude and I’m just out of shape – we climbed the steep slope.

(Photograher Colby McLemore of Knoxville, Tenn., grabs a profile shot of George Washington.)

(Taking a rest en route, the travel writers and photographers snapped photos of the monument.)

Outside the Hall of Records, I talked with photographer Bruce Meyer and writer Diana Lambdin Meyer from Parkville, Mo. Diana first came to the Black Hills at age 12. As a couple, they have been to the Black Hills maybe five times, she said.

“We really love the Black Hills. … Bruce has said he’d like to be buried here,” Diana said.
Bruce, still catching his breath from the climb, added with a smile, “And that might happen on the way down.”

(A very accommodating mountain goat was kind enough to pose for pictures on Rushmore.)

As Ed Menard of the National Park Service explained the history of the Hall of Records, the travel writers in small groups took turns ascending to the top of George Washington’s head to snap a few quick photos and a peek at Thomas Jefferson’s nose.

The travel writers – a group not easily impressed — were very impressed.
It’s hard not to be. As anyone who has seen Mount Rushmore from the ground, the stone carving is a breath-taking sight. Every time I drive west out of Keystone and catch a glimpse of Mount Rushmore’s faces, I still feel that brief rush of awe — and I’ve been living here for years.

From on top, it’s even more amazing. Instead of seeming even bigger, the granite faces somehow seem smaller, more on a human scale. You get a real appreciation for sculptor Gutzon Borglum and his crew, hanging over the rocky edge with rock drills and dynamite, turning rough granite into four very human figures with incredible realism.

The SATW members also toured a cave, got an up-close view of the bison in Custer State Park and checked out the restaurants in downtown Rapid City. They will be kicking out travel stories about the Black Hills for the next two years, said travel writer Tom Griffith of Deadwood. A member of SATW, he served as co-chairman of the event.

The Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau took good care of the SATW. The Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Association jumped in, too. Both groups realize that travel writers can really do a lot for a tourism destination.

And for the record, despite the scenes from “National Treasure 2,” there is no lake behind Mount Rushmore.

(Visitors take turns posing next to the old steel winch that has stood behind George Washington’s head since the monument’s carving days.)