Troutbirder II

Troutbirder II
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Thursday, October 12, 2017

Keelboat of Lewis and Clark

The last day of our solar eclipse & Lewis and Clark bus tour saw us heading up the Missouri River traversing across Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. We stopped at several museums and State Parks along the way with some very good ones in the Council Bluffs and Sioux City area.
At one we met some untethered and uncaged ferocious animals. Naturally, we didn't back off a bit. Mrs. T. took on one right away, headfirst.
Not to be out done, I managed to hold off a marauding Grizzly bear.

While visiting Lewis and Clark State Park, we took the opportunity to view the full-sized reproduction of Lewis and Clark's keelboat/barge, "Best Friend," which was constructed by Butch Bouvier of L&C Replicas. Imagine, if you can, the expedition winding its way up the Missouri River while sailing, pulling and poling the 55-foot boat.  Lewis and Clark State Park lies on the shores of Blue Lake, an "oxbow" formed by the meanderings of the picturesque Missouri River many years ago.
 
Here Butch Buovier, who researched, designed and built the first truly authentic replica of Lewis and Clarks keelboat/barge, enthralls his audience (including yours truly) with tales of his work and interactions with Ken Burns. Burns used his this boat in his documentary of the Corps of Discovery.
And finally for the dog lovers out there we met a  replica of Seaman, Clarks Newfoundland companion. To our great surprise, he was looking at a prairie dog in a little cage who suddenly squeaked causing Seaman to begin barking very loudly before he turned to look at us....:) 

What fun on the trail of Lewis and Clark.....

 

10 comments:

  1. Very nice post Sr T, and funny. That sounds like it was a great excursion. I always liked that drive from Council Bluffs up to Sioux City along the river. I went up there several times to the Dell factory. You'd pick up computer parts at O'Haire airport in Chicago and take them out there in a refrigerated trailer. I think it was the motherboards, as I recall. They came from Korea.

    And then if you keep going, say you want to go up to I-90, right after Sioux City, IA, comes one of my favorite all time place names - North Sioux City South Dakota. When I start saying it to myself I can't stop.

    Anyway, I would have loved to see those boats. I love wooden boats.

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  2. You folk are sooo brave.

    And that boat is terrific.

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  3. I laughed at your encounters with the wildlife, TB. And thanks for the great boat picture. Wooden boats are beautiful. :-)

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  4. Those were funny shots of you two taking on the fierce creatures. That boat was amazing and I could imagine it winding its way across our country. That Ken Burn's special was really cool. He never fails.

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  5. Hi Mr and Mrs T - you obviously had a very happy time touring around ... and seeing Lewis and Clark's keel boat must have been fascinating ... just thinking about the travelling they did back then is fairly daunting. Cheers Hilary

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  6. i have enjoyed stopping here often.I could have left the key under the mat for you while I have been traveling for the week.I just arrived into Miami and waiting for my room. Miss swimming in the Carribean already.

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  7. Love that reproduction of the boat! You just gave me the itch to take out a history book since I'm at the library. I hated history when I was in school but love researching what interests me when it's by my own free will!

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  8. Both of you are very brave and I'm glad you came through your venture in one piece !

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