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The president of the United States himself established the mission and its goal. The American government was about to sponsor an epic journey of exploration that would be fraught with danger and unknowns, would require keen technological ingenuity to accomplish, and would be carried out by a group of men who were skilled, scientific observers and whose physical courage was beyond question. The year in this story is 1803, the president is Thomas Jefferson and this epic exploration would be undertaken by a group of about 30 men known collectively as the Corps of Discovery, accompanied by an extraordinary young Shoshone woman named Sacagawea, and led by two army captains, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. As the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition continues its celebration, there is no shortage of options for those vacationers who want to commemorate the event and honor the intrepid souls who made the original journey. Following the path of Lewis and Clark, from St. Louis, Mo. to the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River near present-day Astoria, Ore., leads you through a dazzling American tapestry. The landscape segues from the broad horizons of the Great Plains to the grandeur of the Big Sky country, from the towering majesty of the Continental Divide to the rugged coastline of the Pacific Northwest. You can make the trek as rugged as you want for your teenaged children and yourself, or simple enough for your young family to enjoy. Here’s how: Background The Louisiana Purchase was finalized on July 4, 1803, and in a single stroke, President Jefferson had physically doubled the size of the United States. No time was to be wasted in beginning the exploration of the vast, new territory. Jefferson wrote out his formal instructions to Capt. Lewis on that very same July 4, laying out the goals of mapping a new route to the Pacific Ocean, making contact with the Native Americans in the region and collecting natural specimens for scientific study. The expedition pushed off from St. Louis in May 1804. They traveled the length of the Missouri River, crossed the Continental Divide in the summer of 1805, reached the Pacific Coast in November of that year, and roughly retraced their route eastward, arriving back in St. Louis in late 1806. From this coast to that place Those of us in California might find that the western portion of the journey, from Montana to the Pacific Coast, offers the most convenient options when planning a family vacation to celebrate this bicentennial. Much has certainly changed over the course of 200 years. Lewis and Clark showed the way and the American people followed. There is one notable, little spot, though, that still looks very much the same way it did when the 2 captains first cast eyes upon it in July 1805. Missouri Headwaters State Park is located about 30 miles west of Bozeman, Mont., near the town of Three Forks. This largely undeveloped 535-acre park preserves the region where 3 smaller rivers join together to form the Missouri River. In order to cover more ground, the expedition had split up in this area. Lewis and part of the Corps stayed on the Missouri River while Clark and the rest of the men explored the countryside hoping to make contact with the Shoshone Indians with whom they could trade for supplies. On July 27, 1805, Lewis arrived at this spot and made this notation in his journal— “…we arrived at 9 a.m. at the junction of the SE fork of the Missouri and the country opens suddenly to extensive and beautiful plains and meadows which appear to be surrounded in every direction with distant and lofty mountains.” The modern-day visitor can hike the Flat Rock Trail to the top of the outcropping of the same name and, aside from the minor distractions of distant power lines and roads, revel in the same magnificent view described by Capt. Lewis 2 centuries ago. Below you, coursing through the meadows and plains, are the 3 rivers that join together to form the Missouri. Lewis and Clark named the rivers in honor of the authors of their expedition, President Jefferson, Secretary of State James Madison, and Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. The Corps of Discovery made camp at this spot for a few days to rest, replenish their supplies and consider the most promising route to take them across the Continental Divide. Today, camping and fishing in Missouri Headwaters State Park is a pursuit of recreational pleasure, not the matter of pressing necessity that it was for the Corps of Discovery. There is a spot in the park called The Confluence where the Jefferson and Madison rivers join together. Stand on this point of land, preferably in the early morning, cast your gaze downstream and squint your eyes slightly. It should not be too hard for your imagination to take over and present you with the hazy image of a group of determined men rowing and poling for all they are worth against the powerful flow of the river. Yes, they are tired, but they are far from beaten and nothing is going to stop them from reaching their goal. Give them a nod of encouragement and thanks and feel free to bring yourself back into the 21st century. Michael J. Medley of Cherry Valley is senior writer for Inland Empire Family Magazine. IF YOU GO The options for planning a vacation to mark the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition range from picking a spot along the trail and planning your own trip there to taking advantage of the many available vacation packages designed to honor the expedition. There are 2 websites that offer a wealth of information about the Lewis and Clark Trail, and they should probably be your first step in making plans. The first, www.lewisandclarktrail.com, is an independently operated resource. In addition to its own information about the expedition, it offers links to each of the states along the trail and to many of the organizations offering vacation packages.The National Park Service operates a site, www.lewisand-clark200.org, that offers a bounty of research and educational material about the expedition. For information about Missouri Headwaters State Park, visit the website for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, www.fwp.state.mt.us. Here is a sample of some of the available vacation packages: Amtrak offers the Lewis and Clark Trails & Rails program of selected rail journeys along the Lewis and Clark Trail. For more information, visit www.amtrak.com or call 1.800.USA.RAIL (872.7245). Kookaburra Guided Whitewater Trips offers 1-, 2-, and 3-day vacations on the “Lewis and Clark Stretch” of the Salmon River in Idaho. For more information, visit www.raft4fun.com or call 1.888.654.4386. The Yellowstone Safari Company, headquartered in Bozeman, Mont., offers river and auto safaris along the Lewis and Clark Trail in Montana and Yellowstone National Park. For more information, visit www.yellowstonesafari.com or call 1.866.586.1155. Compiled by Michael J. Medley |
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