Lewis & Clark Trip Day 15: Iowa & Nebraska (5/22/2021)

Saturday, May 22, 2021

*On 8/3/1804, Lewis and Clark held their first council with the Otoe and Missouria Indians. Clark also reported the site was ideal for a fort.*

Lewis & Clark Council Bluff Monument (2003, by
Oreland C Joe) depicts the First Council

Meriwether Lewis holds the Peace Medal
while William Clark takes notes

Representatives from the Otoe and Missouria
tribes accept the Peace Medal

Tamiko sits with the interpreter

Now Kent accepts the Peace Medal

Lewis & Clark Historical Marker; one of the missions
of the Corps of Discovery expedition was to 
meet and greet with the locals

Nothing wrong with traveling 15 miles under the speed limit ...

If I was an alien traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail, following the back roads of a narrow corridor across America, I would assume by the campaign bumper stickers, signs, flags, and banners, that 99% of the US citizens voted for Trump. I must say that a prevalence of US flags displayed far outnumber the Confederate flags.

*On 8/3/1804, the Corps of Discovery camped in a loop of the Missouri River, and noted geese, wood ducks, cranes, and white pelicans.* 

DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, located in the loop of an
oxbow lake, a former section of the Missouri River, is closed (KSS)

DeSoto Eagle (2003, by Richard Hart)

Missouri River Overlook at DeSoto NWR

One end of the oxbow lake of DeSoto NWR, where we saw a
couple of Canada geese and a Ardea herodias/Great Blue Heron

*On 8/9/1804, the Corps of Discovery camped in another tight bend of the Missouri River.*

Onawa, IA: Lewis & Clark State Park is located in the loop of
an oxbow lake that once was part of the Missouri River where
the Corps of Discovery camped; the Visitor Center was closed

Looking across at the Lewis & Clark campsite

Onawa, IA: Lewis and Clark State Park replica of
the keelboat which is supposed to be in the water
to give tourists a ride on the oxbow lake

When looking to see if the keelboat has a keel, Kent
discovered that this one has a propeller! (KSS)

~On 5/23/1999, Ada and Bert S visited the Lewis & Clark State Park in Onawa, IA.~

1999: Bert with replicas of the red pirogue
and the keelboat, which is in the water!

Onawa, IA; Lewis & Clark Historical Marker

*On 8/11/1804, Lewis & Clark climbed a hill to visit the grave of Omaha Chief Blackbird.*

A jumbo jet cloud

Skid marks on a wet dirt/gravel road we traveled

This was as close as we could come to Blackbird Hill,
site of Omaha Chief Blackbird's grave; he died of smallpox;
legend is that he is buried sitting up on a horse

*On 8/13/1804, Lewis & Clark visited Omaha Big Village.*

*On 8/18/1804, Private Moses Reed was convicted by court martial of desertion and stealing a rifle.*

Homer, NE: Lewis & Clark Historical Marker

View towards the site of the Omaha Big Village

View in the opposite direction with the road and railroad

*On 8/20/1804, Sergeant Charles Floyd, Jr died, apparently due to a ruptured appendix.*

Sioux City, IA: Sergeant Floyd Monument (1901)
where his remains have been placed in the base

Sioux City, IA: Lewis & Clark Historical Marker

View from the Sergeant Floyd Monument

In Sioux City, IA we passed through the Betty Strong Encounter Center (2007) that examines encounters between cultures.

Tulie & Arayah (2020, by A J Olnes), Tulie
wants to be a veterinarian and
Arayah wants to be a model

Shaun & Emery (2020, by A J Olnes), Shaun
wants to be a monster truck driver and
Emery wants to be a glittery artist

Encounters (by Henry Payer, Jr, in pictograph style)

Now to the Sioux City Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center:

I hope not to "encounter" Crotalus viridis/Prairie Rattlesnake
on this trip, so am satisfied with this version of a reptile
"discovered" by Lewis & Clark

Lewis oversees scientific research to
determine how much water a white
pelican's pouch can hold: five gallons

Animatronic Clark & Lewis at the burial
of Sergeant Charles Floyd, Jr (KSS)

Another example of the Corps of Discovery medicine chest;
in the back R corner is a clyster syringe for injecting enemas

The little pills labeled "Thunderclappers" were used for
constipation, and contained mercury

Animatronic Sergeant Floyd tells us
a little about himself

A Lego Lewis & Clark scene (KSS)

Seaman, Lewis's Newfoundland dog, seems curious
about the "barking squirrel" the men have caught

Spirit of Discovery (2002, by Pat Kennedy)
depicts William Clark, Seaman, and
Meriwether Lewis

There are also sculptures (by Mike Flanagan) of
the wildlife seen by Lewis & Clark (KSS)

Sioux City Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center (2002)

Next: Lewis & Clark Trip Day 16.