Great Falls

Our next stop on our trip to Glacier National Park was the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, Montana.

We met some really nice volunteers and rangers who are passionate about this center.  We looked at exhibits and listened to a presentation about the expedition and grizzly bears.

The expedition apparently thought that grizzlies would be no match for their modern day weaponry, but they quickly learned differently.

I have to admit that I didn't know much about the Lewis and Clark expedition other than it was to explore the northwest after the Louisiana Purchase.  Ask me anything about the expeditions into the Yellowstone territory, but I must have been absent in my history class when Lewis and Clark was covered.   

Now I know more though.   The expedition was over 8,000 miles and took place in 1804-1806.The terrain was rough and the weather conditions were harsh.  We had followed the Missouri River on our drive to Great Falls.  We were amazed at the size of the keelboat that the expedition took on the river.  The trip up the river was rough.  Only one member of the expedition died during the journey and that was from suspected appendicitis.

After leaving the center we headed out to look at some of the waterfalls.  Above is Rainbow Falls.

Pelicans on the river.

This is Black Eagle Falls.  Next we headed out to the Great Falls and Ryan Dam.

The best view of the Great Falls is from Ryan Island Park.  To get there we had to cross a suspension bridge and hope that all the people behind us obeyed this sign.  The bridge did a fair amount of swaying with only two people on it. 

Luckily my trickster husband behaved himself and did not rock the bridge while we were in the middle of it.

I think what this sign really meant was "run for your life is you hear 8 short blasts".

The falls were indeed beautiful.  There terrain is rough.  You can only imagine the expedition having to portage their boats around all the falls.

One thing you'll notice about all these falls are the dams above them.  I guess back in the early 1900s people were more concerned with hydro electric power than maintaining the natural beauty of the sight.  How much more beautiful would they be without the damn dams?  Another era in our history when those in charge didn't give a hoot about the environment or maintaining public lands. 

This plaque made me laugh.  "Discovered by Capt. Meriwether Lewis June 13, 1805".  Give me a freaking break.  These falls were discovered by the indigenous people who lived in this area for generations before Lewis and Clark came through.  We, as white people, take a lot of credit for things the native people had in their lives a long time before we arrived.

After lunch we continued our journey to Glacier.