3/1/2003
By Nancy Hendrickson
In 1803, two Virginians prepared to boldly go where no Americans had gone before. Follow the Corps of Discovery on its history-making expedition with our bicentennial guide.
Two hundred years ago — long before Gore-Tex, GPS and modern mountain climbing gear — two Army officers from Virginia were gearing up for the ultimate wilderness adventure: the original crosscountry road trip. The United States had just negotiated the Louisiana Purchase, a bargain transaction that allowed the young country to double its size for only three cents an acre. More important than price, however, was the opportunity to explore the western half of the continent.
Meriwether Lewis, William Clark