Mount Rushmore
South Dakota

Here's your chance to show the kids the four most famous guys in rock: Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln. This artistic accomplishment took 14 years, 400 workers and who knows how many sticks of dynamite to carve the 60-foot granite faces. It began as a wacky idea in the 1920s to promote tourism to the Black Hills, and it worked.

When to go: Morning, when the granite shines best
How to get there: Rapid City, S.D., 35 miles away, has a regional airport. Once at the memorial, the major sites are within walking distance.
What to see: Take the half-hour guided ranger walk for a quick history.
Side trips: Badlands National Park and Custer State Park

Get more information at www.nps.gov/moru.