Last night, I watched the PBS production of the Lewis and Clark expedition. (Netflix) Sure, I learned about it in school and I even read a book about Sacajawea years ago, but this brought home how extraordinary their feat of traveling from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean along the 'Northwest Passage" actually was. They thought the Missouri River might lead to the Pacific but it took them to the Rockies, which they crossed "on foot". It took them a year and a half to reach the Pacific Ocean, but only six months to return. Including the time (many months) to wait out two winters, the trip took them two and a half years during which time they had no contact with "the civilized world". The extraordinary thing was that they took over 40 men and only one died, likely of peritonitis.

What astounded me the most was the incredible diversity and breath-taking beauty of the landscapes they traversed. I will admit to ignorance: I had no idea that the Missouri River passed through deserts, rain forests and seemingly endless plains. The photography alone was spell-binding.

Poor Lewis! He suffered from depression and committed suicide two years after his return. He never realized what an incredible feat he had accomplished.