The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Cape Disappointment

After reading Stephen Ambrose's
Undaunted Courage, I just had
to visit the Lewis & Clark
Interpretive Center.

The United States had just 15 states

when the Corps of Discovery left Camp

Dubois, north of Saint Louis, Missouri 

under the command of Captains

Meriwether Lewis & William Clark

on May 14, 1804.

Lewis & Clark were explorers &
soldiers who gave their all to
complete President  Jefferson's
orders to find a passage to the
Pacific Ocean,to document the
trip & collect samples for
scientific research.

The Corps of Discovery crossed

many different terrains....

The grass covered sand

hills in Nebraska

The Corps crossed the treacherous,
snowy Bitterroot Mountains
in September, 1805.

Meriwether Lewis drew

detailed maps of each

leg of the expedition.

The members of the Corps
of Discovery made dug out
canoes for the trip down
the Columbia River.

Replicas of sample cases used

by the Corps of Discovery

to document & share 

newly discovered plants.

Eric sights in on "game"
the Corps of Discovery
hunted while crossing
the country.

The Corps of Discovery stopped

at Station Camp on the north shore

of the Columbia River from

November 15 - 24, 1805.

The trip from Camp Dubois, north of Saint Louis, Missouri to the Pacific Ocean took two years, four months and ten days.

Each member of the Corps of Discovery, including Shoshone interpreter, Sacagawea, and York, William Clark's slave, voted on the site for the winter camp.  Fort Clatsop, on the south side of the Columbia River was chosen for the encampment.  The time was used to repair clothing, shoes, add to food stocks and getting much needed rest for the return trip to Saint Louis, Missouri.  

 The Corps of Discovery left Fort Clatsop on March 23, 1806 and returned to Saint Louis six months later on September 23, 1806.