Lewis & Clark Trail Interpretive Center's Outdoor Exhibits - Sunday, June 19, 2022

 A few days ago, we visited the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and rushed through the indoor exhibits at the end of the day. You can read that blog here.

Because rain was predicted today, we returned to the Center to watch three movies. Then, we went outside to explore the exhibits immediately around the building. 

Let's go that way!

Meriwether Lewis worked as the botanist on the expedition and collected many new species of flora. One of those was Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva), a beautiful wildflower native to the western United States, and is now the Montana state flower. The Bitterroots on display have chicken wire over them so deer and other critters won't eat them.

Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva).

If you would like more information on this plant, you can read about it on the fs.usda.gov/wildflowers website.

Many wildflowers were in bloom around the exhibit area. Here are some of them:

Brown-eyed Susan, Blanketflower
(Gallardia aristata).

Western Blue Flax; Wild Blue Flax
(Linum lewisii) [Again, note the lewisii...
this was discovered by Meriwether Lewis.]

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

Western Blue Flax; Wild Blue Flax.

Yellow Sweet Clover
(Melilotus officinalis).

Narrow-leaved Yucca (Yucca glauca).

Cockscomb oreocarya (Oreocarya glomerata).

Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
Mildly poisonous.

We continued around the outside of the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center viewing informational signs along the way.

The falls of the Missouri River as experienced
by Lewis & Clark.

We took the path down to the back of the building.

Black Eagle Dam upriver.

Preserving the Lewis & Clark Historic Trail along with
the modern day River's Edge Trail.

Yes, it rained while we were watching
the movies.

Water is a powerful sculptor!

The water-sculped cliffs along the Missouri River.

Bob with a statue of Seaman, the
expedition's dog.

The back of the museum.

I loved on the statue a little more than Bob did.

Cliffs alongside the Missouri River, Great Falls, Montana.

After our day exploring here, we headed back to the 5th wheel. Tomorrow, we finally enter Canada!