Trip to Mount Rushmore

[Toast46]

We (from Melbourne, Australia) are planning a trip to Mount Rushmore. We have no idea about the geography around. We will first be driving to Denver by a rented car. At this stage we are not sure how we will get to Mount Rushmore. If we drive it takes around six hours to get to Rapid City or any other location around Mount Rushmore to stay overnight.

First question is where do we stay after driving 6 hours

Leading to the next question; Other than the great "Presidents" face carvings, what else can we do when we get to Mount Rushmore. We intend staying only for one full day there.

Leading to the next question: After completing Mount Rushmore, we intend to go to Chicago. Our first choice was to drop of the "Hire car" at Rapid City and fly to Chicago. Our research shows that there are no direct flights to Chicago from Rapid City. Most flights have a stop over and change planes at Denver and are expensive as a result. As such we are considering driving back to Denver (time consuming but cheaper). Any travel advice on this is very much appreciated.

Thanks and regards
Toast46

Moderator note: please keep all questions about the same trip in the same thread.