by
Kristin Lokemoen
Originally printed in
Show-Me Missouri magazine
Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and the Corps of Discovery departed St.
Charles, Missouri on May 21, 1804, to begin their expedition into the unknown.
Their journey was backbreaking, fraught with danger and took 28 months. This
summer you can see and experience the
Lewis & Clark Trail in air-conditioned
comfort via motorcoach, and it will take just 16 days. The trip is offered by
Shebby Lee Tours, which specializes in interpretive tours of the western trails.
The journey begins in St. Louis with a get-acquainted dinner on historic
Laclede's Landing. Get an overview of where you're headed at the Museum of
Westward Expansion at the Gatewav Arch, and visit St. Charles, the last outpost
of "civilization" the party would see as they headed west. Other Missouri stops
include the National Frontier Trails Center in Independence, the Arabia
Steamboat Museum in Kansas City and Fort Osage near Buckner.
As the tour heads northwest, it will follow the Missouri River for more than
1,500 miles. On the Iowa side of the river near Sioux City stands the monument
to the only man who died on the Lewis & Clark Expedition, Sgt. Charles Floyd.
In South Dakota your accommodations overlook the river. An evening of
living history and a traditional fish fry await us here. As we travel
across the wide expanses of the North Plains you'll have several opportunities
to learn
how the development of the west affected those who were already there, the
Native Americans.
Bismarck, North Dakota, marks the midpoint of the journey. The Corps of
Discovery spent their first winter near here at Fort Mandan. Visit the
reconstructed site, and the excellent Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in
nearby Washburn. That evening you'll cruise the Missouri River on the Lewis &
Clark Riverboat.
The journey continues from Bismarck. A model earth
lodge is a highlight at the Knife River Indian Village, the only national park
which commemorates the Plains Indian. At the western edge of North Dakota sits
beautifully restored Fort Union. It served as one of John Jacob Astor's major
fur trading posts on the Missouri River.
Pompeys Pillar, named for Sacagawea's son, features the only remaining physical
evidence of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. William Clark carved his name in the
rock on the return trip in 1806. It is located near Billings, Montana.
On a stretch of the Missouri in western Montana, towering cliffs appear to block
the way. As the river changes direction, the cliffs seemed to Pull apart. Capt.
Lewis called it the Gates of the Mountains. An interpretive boat ride through
the area will be a highlight of your tour. The scenery and wildlife make for an
unforgettable experience.
The tour spends two nights in Great Falls, visiting such outstanding sites as
the new Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center, beautiful Giant Springs and the
Charlie Russell Museum, a tribute to the famed western artist who was a St.
Louis native. Then it's time to travel over the Lolo Trail, the most difficult
part of the journey for the Corps of Discovery. A local historian will help you
understand the chronology and a visit to the Nez Perce National Historic Park
brings appreciation of the invaluable role this tribe played in the expedition's
survival.
Traveling through the Columbia River Gorge is a breathtaking experience. You'll
visit the new Discovery Center in The Dalles and see why Multnomah Falls is the
most visited site in Oregon. And, like all great tours, one of the highlights
has been saved for last. Along the beautiful rugged Oregon coast, you'll visit
the site where Sacagawea and Capt. Clark saw a beached whale and tour Seaside,
where the expedition made salt. The tour ends at the re-creation
of Fort Clatsop, the Corps' home for the dreary winter of 1805-06.
On the final day the tour travel to Portland for the return flight. You'll take
with you memories of an exciting venture through some of America's most
magnificent territory, much of it unchanged since Lewis saw it more than 200 years
ago. You will also take home with you a true understanding of how this
expedition expanded our country "from sea to shining sea."
