‘Ocian in View’ 2004 kicks off this Friday at Hertiage Museum

LONG BEACH – Building up to the West Coast’s signature Lewis and Clark event in November 2005, “Ocian in View” will once again present compelling and entertaining programs that explore the significance of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The 2004 “Ocian in View” program will feature two evenings of lectures. On Friday, the naturalist aspect of the Corps of Discovery will be visited with talks about the California condor, recovery efforts and related storytelling citing William Clark’s journals, where this great winged raptor was first recorded.

Saturday’s presentations will offer perspectives and portrayals of George Drouillard, the hunter and interpreter whom Capt. Meriwether Lewis called one of the most important members of the expedition.

Guided history tours, Columbia River boat excursions, a Chinook seafood dinner, and more will round out the weekend’s activities.

Destination: The Pacific is a nationally sanctioned Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemorative event, which will take place from Nov. 11 to 15, 2005, with events stretching from Long Beach to Cannon Beach. Destination: The Pacific will include “Ocian In View” educational programs in Oregon and Washington. The 2004 “Ocian in View” will launch the one-year countdown to this signature event commemorating the corps’ realization of Jefferson’s quest – arrival by land at the Pacific Ocean and the wintering over at Fort Clatsop.

“Ocian in View” is presented by the Pacific County Friends of Lewis and Clark. The program is made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Washington, a statewide non-profit organization supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and local contributors. For more information on the program, call 642-2805 and for available lodging, call the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau at (800) 451-2542 or access the Peninsula’s Web site at (www.funbeach.com). Lewis and Clark information is available at (www.lewisandclarkwa.org).