Part 2: Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center and Giant Springs State Park - Thursday, June 16, 2022

Continued from Part 1...

After we completed our walking tour downtown, we drove out to the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center. The center closed at 5:00 pm which left us about 1-1/2 hours to go through the museum. We won't have time to watch the movies, so we will come back another day for those.

In our travels, we have been to many Lewis & Clark Historic sites. I have read "Undaunted Courage," by Stephen E. Ambrose. How I wish I could have been a member of the Corps of Discovery; to have discovered fantastic new places, to have registered new species of flora and fauna, to have mapped the part of the country previously unknown to citizens of our country. 

I would have loved to be a part of meeting and understanding the indigenous people. What a life that would have been; although a more demanding existence would be hard to imagine. They had to portage around falls, try to meet the natives and maintain a peaceful co-existence, find their way, and learn about how to provide sustenance for their group. They endured "fierce heat, sudden storms, blistered hands, and lacerated feet."

In short, it would have been HARD. They traveled through nasty terrain with cacti, sticker bushes, rattlesnakes, bears, mountain lions, bison, steep mountains, and at times, lack of food. They had to build boats, barter for horses, food, and drink. The Lewis & Clark National Historic Interpretive Center covers many of these conditions. Let's take a look.

The two flowers below are on display outside the interpretive center.

Deadnettle (Lamium species) perennial groundcover.

The Bitterroot flower below (Lewisia rediviva) was discovered by Meriwether Lewis on July 1, 1806. You will notice that this displayed flower is covered by a cage. That is because they are protecting the flower from deer.

Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva). 

The national park offices require face masks indoors, which they provide. We put them on and entered the center. In the foyer, is a painted bison with interpretive signage. 

"The Bison Branch," by artist Ron Ukrainetz of
Great Falls, Montana.

The evolution of the bison in art.

I showed my America the Beautiful (Senior) National Parks Pass and we entered the museum. There is a huge inlaid compass on the floor in front of us.

The inlaid compass has Native American art 
in the center and then flora and fauna art in
the next ring. The outer rings are sponsors
who brought the compass to fruition.

Our eyes were immediately drawn to the life-sized diorama of the Corps of Discovery portaging a heavy wooden canoe around one of the falls. Wow!

Portaging canoes around the falls took the 
strength of everyone, including the chef!

Their first impression of what they faced.

Next, they had to plan their portage route.

The portage was incredibly hard work.

It was "all hands on deck" to move this
boat around the falls.

There's a large, movie-theater-like auditorium that shows three different movies ranging in length from 20 minutes to 40 minutes. We knew we wouldn't have time for them today. Our plan was to come back on a rainy day to watch them and look at any exhibits we didn't have time for today.

In yesterday's blog, you saw the falls with the dams placed on top of them to provide power. Here, on the walls of the museum, are photos of what the falls looked like before men messed with them.

Great Falls of the Missouri.

Black Eagle Falls.

Colter Falls (now hidden below the water).

Crooked Falls. (No dam on this falls.)

The falls' photos, art, and other information are hanging in the stairwell to the museum on the lower level. 

Flags of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

The meanings of the flags.

"Offering at the Great Clearing," by Jesse W.
Henderson (see plaque below).

The downstairs interpretive center galleries...

Chosen for their knowledge & leadership, these "co-captains"
were the heart and soul of the Corps of Discovery.

Early settlement in Great Falls, Montana.

Keelboat.

Pirogues.

The Native Americans...

Local Indian Nations.

Mandan village.

Bullboats and buffalo.

Sacagawea...

Learning as they go...

Measuring distances.

They were tasked with mapping the lands they 
visited.

"The Explorers at Giant Springs," by Bob Scriver,
sculptor (1998).

A new innovation: sailing on dry land.

Approaching the mountains...

In 2020, when I walked in Helena, my 51st capital, 
we took the boat tour to Gates of the Mountain.

A beaver is responsible for messing up Clark's 
directions.

Flora and fauna...

Whistling Swan.

Snow Goose.

Thirteen-lined ground squirrel.

Ragged Robin (Clarki pulcella).

Penstemon (Penstemon willcoxi).

Lewis's Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis).

Bobcat (Lynx rufus).

We finished our interpretive center visit. From there, we headed a couple of miles down the road (and downriver) to Giant Springs State Park and Fish Hatchery. You have to pay for parking in their lot. 

This is a gem of a park with stunning Giant Springs as the main attraction. Here, you have the shortest river in the U.S (Roe River) within feet of the longest river in the U.S. (Missouri River). 

Bob at Giant Springs State Park entrance kiosk.

The state park map.

The state fish hatchery was not much to see. 
It was closed when we were there.

Overlooking the Missouri River (past the benches).

Giant Springs on the left; the Missouri River
on the right.

A history lesson about the springs.

Giant Springs is very photogenic.

I love the sandstone erosion here. Water escapes
from the cracks in the rocks above the Madison
Limestone formation.

Roe River enters the Missouri River here.

This is a pretty bridge across the Roe River.

My handsome husband in a gorgeous location.

So pretty and it sounds lovely.

Here's a short video of Giant Springs and the rapid Roe River.

Today was a very busy day for us. We walked a lot and learned a lot! Join us tomorrow when we go to First People's Buffalo Jump.