The steep and winding roads leading up to the iconic Mount Rushmore memorial are deserted these days. This mecca of tourism in South Dakota, which ordinarily swarms with tourists, is now drawing only the occasional handful of visitors desperate to escape their extended confinement in the time of the coronavirus. But they did first take a few precautions for the trip to South Dakota, one of the few United States states not under virus-imposed lockdown. “Here in South Dakota, we’re happy that our governor just said, ‘Take precautions, be safe, but you don’t have to shut down,'” Wicks said. “Our visitation is definitely lower than it normally is this time of year… We usually have a lot of school groups,” said Maureen McGee-Ballinger, a Mount Rushmore educator and spokeswoman.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 28, 2020 16:18 UTC