We noticed that Lewis and Clark are important historical figures in these parts as we came to the border between Washington and Oregon. The mouth of the mighty Columbia River is the place where the two explorers found an end to their search for a vital east west connection.
(Painting by C. M. Russell, 1905)Their expedition, commissioned as the Corps of Discovery by President Thomas Jefferson (1804-1806), took them up the Missouri River, through the Continental Divide, and down the Columbia. The two explorers were vital in opening up the western expansion of the U.S.
Lewis and Clark National Park provides an informative interpretative center and miles of panoramic coastline at the mouth of the Columbia. We stopped to enjoy the wonderful attractions available to us at this pivotal geographic location.
In the photo I am looking across the mouth of the Columbia River toward 'Cape Disappointment' where a previous explorer missed the importance of the historic river. I had never realized how large and significant the river is to the area and the country's history.
