Wow! What a great week for all things Lewis and Clark. We’ve had the opportunity to hear some great lectures and programs, take a guided bus or boat tour, and kicked off the new Lewis and Clark National and State Historic Park. We saw hundreds of people show up to view the new exhibits at the interpretive center and about 70 people enjoyed Gary Lentz’s program at the Fort Columbia Theater. It’s great to see residents and visitors alike, learning more about their history and the local environment.

This Wednesday, Nov. 24, area fourth- graders will have the opportunity to re-enact a significant moment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. After receiving a program about “the vote” taken a Station Camp, the students will actually be able to vote themselves, online at the Destination: The Pacific Web site. This program is based on the evening on Nov. 24, 1805, when the captains polled the members of the expedition on where they should spend the winter.

Sgt. Patrick Gass describes it this way, “At night the party were consulted by the Commanding Officers as to the place most proper for winter quarters and the most of them were of opinion that it would be best, in the first place to go over to the south side of the river.”

The significance of this poll is that Clark’s slave, York, and Sacagawea were both allowed to voice their opinion as well as the rest of the group. This wasn’t necessarily a first but that doesn’t matter, it happened. The captains understood the importance of teamwork and open communication. Hopefully the students who visit the interpretive center this Wednesday will leave with a better understanding of these principles of democracy.

The programs about Lewis and Clark are often very educational and enjoyable, but sometimes I feel the need to take a break from the guest speakers and the journals and just get into the woods. This week I enjoyed a hike with my wife and baby through the woods at Leadbetter State Park. Leaving from the south parking lot we walked through the Sitka spruce and salal and into the shore pine and kinnikinnick.

It was great to see Norah’s eyes wide open, taking in all the sunlight streaming through the trees. We made a loop by connecting with the north parking lot and then walking the road back to the van. Just a few weeks ago we enjoyed sharing that park with my parents who were visiting from Minnesota. I highly recommend getting up to Leadbetter now before many of the trails are flooded over.

It may be an over simplification, but the local state parks offer something for everyone. This morning at the interpretive center, we had three buses of senior citizens stop by. This week, the fourth-graders are coming. “Ocian in View” attracted people of all ages. Anyone who enjoys hiking has some great places to do so. I hope that you’ll enjoy these special places soon.