Unlike the explorers of two centuries ago, we did not encounter over 50 tribes of Indians, some hostile, most of whom had never seen a white man before. We did not fight grizzly bears or ward off wolves foraging for food; nor did we gather wood and make fires to cook whatever we might catch on land or sea. The animals we saw were mainly through binoculars, courtesy of our 50-passenger cruise ship, the Spirit of Discovery. We didn't topple trees and chisel them into dugout canoes to ford undammed and untamed rivers. We did not have to climb and cross the Rocky Mountains, freezing and half-starved.
This trip was far more than a fascinating and historic exploration. By the end of the week, we felt as if we had personally come to know Lewis and Clark; Clark's manservant, York, the one black man in the corps; Sacagawea, the Shoshone Indian woman; and Seaman, Lewis' Newfoundland dog who protected and helped the explorers through two extraordinarily difficult years. We learned about Lewis, a true leader, learned scholar, outdoorsman and, like his mother, a healer, a white medicine man. It was Lewis who delivered Sacagawea's baby boy and saved Seaman's life by operating on him using drugs, needle and thread. Clark, with bright-red hair (the Indians thought his head was on fire), selected by Lewis to be co-leader, later adopted Sacagawea's child and sent him to Europe to be educated. After the expedition, Clark was appointed head of Indian affairs in the Louisiana Territory and then became governor of Missouri.
We sailed from Portland, near the spot where, after their historic journey of more than 4,000 miles eastward across the United States, the Corps of Discovery sighted the Pacific Ocean. As Clark wrote in his journal, Nov. 7, 1805: "Ocian (sic) in view! O! The joy." And "noise brakeing on the rocky Shores - may be heard distictly." (Neither Clark nor Lewis would have won a spelling bee.)
On day two, we explored the Columbia River Gorge and took a bus to beautiful Multnomah Falls, where we experienced our first hard-hitting, nonstop rain. The hardiest among us, including my husband, climbed for an hour toward the 620-foot waterfall. (OK, they had umbrellas!) I toured the gift shop and drank coffee.
On day three, we were cruising the Snake River that twists for 1,100 miles west of the Continental Divide between the twin cities of Lewiston, Idaho, and Clarkston, Wash. We went on foot to places where the corps set up camp and where they traded with the Wallawollah Indians.
On day four, on a jet boat whose motor, alas, roared noisily, drowning out the sounds of nature, we headed into Hell's Canyon, through the deepest river gorge on earth, with a maximum depth of 7,900 feet. We never found out exactly what this had to do with Lewis and Clark, but seeing bald eagles sitting on poles staring at us along the way and watching golden eagles swooping into the river for their catch and returning to their nests - and seeing magpies trying to steal from the nest - was a lesson in nature and sheer joy.
Then we anchored by today's city of Walla-Walla, Wash., where we toured the abundant wine-tasting spots in the center of town. Carrying bottles of wine to enjoy at home, my husband and I went for an old-fashioned ice cream sundae in this quaint, quiet town - a far cry from our home city of Los Angeles.
Near the end of our trip we toured a replica of Fort Clatsop, which the corps named for the Clatsop Indians and where the men were compelled to spend nearly four bitter-cold months (Dec. 8, 1805, through March 23, 1806) and endure almost perpetual rain (for all but 12 days), before starting on their return journey. We walked through the log cabins and sat on the rough-hewn wooden beds and chairs, newer models of the corps' originals. We then hiked hilly trails surrounded by dense forest. For a couple of rare hours, the sun shone, allowing us to take off a layer of clothing. Later, in the nearby city of Astoria, we visited a fish-smoking house. Wouldn't Lewis and Clark have enjoyed their salmon this way, cleaned, salted, smoked and ready to eat?
Sadly, Fort Clatsop was destroyed in a fire on Oct. 3. An open fire in a hearth in one of the enlisted men's quarters somehow spread to the rest of the fort. Plans are under way to rebuild.
It was an exciting, adventuresome trip. Unlike on larger cruise ships I had been on, Cruise West is very informal. The gold bracelets and fancy dresses and suits are best left at home. Meals are informal; usually two choices of entrees, and seating is where you like, with whom you like. The dessert chef was wonderfully imaginative. The crew (all English-speaking) may interact with the passengers, especially when explaining the locks. There are no live shows, big-screen movies, dancing lessons or a gym for exercise or yoga. (The latter is something we sorely missed.)
Each evening we reviewed the day's events and, thanks to Herman J. Viola of the Smithsonian Institution, we learned far more than either my husband (a university professor of sociology and history) or I had ever learned at school or anywhere else. It was exciting and fun. Best of all, there was no history exam at the end of the trip.
IF YOU GO
Cruise West goes to various destinations. For more information: www.cruisewest.com or (800) 203-8306. Suggested readings: "The Journals of Lewis and Clark," by Anthony Brandt with afterword by Herman J. Viola; "Undaunted Courage" by Stephen E. Ambrose.
Marilyn Zeitlin is a freelance travel writer.
