We often think of the Washington coast as marking the finish line for east-to-west travelers — most notably the Lewis and Clark Expedition that arrived here in November 1805 after their epic transcontinental exploration of Native American lands and cultures.

A Chinook Observer subscription includes access to our extensive online archives, including dozens and dozens of articles about the expedition. For example, check out this one from 2003 about Capt. William Clark and his Black slave, York, who played a key role in the expedition: tinyurl.com/Clark-and-York.

Last week, our Patrick Webb was on hand to record the culmination of Kyndal Ray Edwards’ year-long, 3,300-mile cross-country walk that began in Florida. Our unique online breaking news coverage (tinyurl.com/Edwards-walk-breaking) generated thousands of views. We’ll have a full-scale report in the April 19 edition of the Observer.

Noteworthy west-to-east voyages have also succeeded here. For example, I was on the scene in 1991 when French adventurer Gerard d’Aboville finished his solo rowing trip from Japan to the mouth of the Columbia. It was an emotional moment that made international news when he set a wobbly foot back on dry land at the Ilwaco port.

One of the Pacific Coast’s most historic arrivals happened decades before the Observer’s birth, when the first-ever, round-the-world U.S. Exploring Expedition arrived here in July 1841. Although we weren’t here to provide a first-hand report, our brilliant historical writer Nancy Lloyd gives us the next best thing with her account: tinyurl.com/Wilkes-Expedition-1841. If you’ve ever wondered about the origin of the local maritime place name “Peacock Spit,” this story will tell you all about it.

For a place that sometimes seems remote from the Pacific Northwest’s bustling cities, a lot happens here at the intersection of the mighty Pacific Ocean and the Great River of the West. The Chinook Observer stays on top of it, remaining true to our mission of reporting every bit of news we possibly can.

Your support is key to our survival and to the survival of memories of this legendary place. Thank you.

Illustration: A painting from 1848 by Capt. Henry Warre shows Cape Disappointment and the waters near Peacock Spit, just outside the Columbia River’s north channel, before construction of the lighthouse.