North to Alaska - Lewis & Clark, Powered Up & Disappointment

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North to Alaska - Lewis & Clark, Powered Up & Disappointment

We certainly learned about Lewis & Clark through the years in our American history classes. We’ve seen historic markers along their route from St. Louis up the Missouri River to the Pacific. It was, however, at Fort Clatsop, their winter shelter for three months from December 1805 to March1806, that we came to realize just what a monumental task Thomas Jefferson had assigned to them and what a tremendous feat they accomplished.

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North to Alaska - The Forest Primeval

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North to Alaska - The Forest Primeval

Though Longfellow was describing Acadia in his famous poem, the Redwoods National & State Parks contain primeval forest… 39,000 acres of old-growth redwoods that were growing before any recorded history. A walk among these ancient trees is mind-boggling. Long before Europeans ever stepped foot on this continent, these trees were growing and thriving here. We could see, smell, and touch these millennia-old living things. How humbling.

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Days 1 & 2 - Valley of Fire

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Days 1 & 2 - Valley of Fire

It was hot and dry with a scorching southerly wind whipping up dust and pollen. We wanted an easy first day and settled on our favorite state park, Valley of Fire, ~60 miles northeast of Las Vegas. We avoided the interstate and took the scenic route through Lake Las Vegas and along Northshore Road.

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