Shebby Lee Tours

01/10/2023

Shebby Lee has posted a new Trail Talk:

As a devotee of PBS, I am often exposed to the same ads a little more frequently than I deem absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, there is one ad (for Ancestry.com) that always brings a smile to my face with its tagline: “Who are the strong women in your family?” First of all, I come from sturdy ...

07/05/2022

Shebby Lee has posted a new Trail Talk: Vicissitudes
https://www.shebbyleetours.com/post/vicissitudes

Oh, Goody! Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are now headed for yet another national political scandal which threatens - yet again - to tear the national bonds asunder! It certainly does feel familiar. I was a new mother when Watergate happened, and despite considerable obstacles to obtain...

06/16/2022

Shebby Lee has posted a new Trail Talk: What's in a name?
https://www.shebbyleetours.com/post/what-s-in-a-name

05/12/2022

We want to endorse this great honor to TAP Supporter and good friend, Dee Dee McGowan - the Cultural Director of the Coeur d'Alene Resort and Casino.

We want to send a huge congratulations to Dee Dee McGowan, our Cultural Tourism / Tour Bussing / Sponsorship Manager! Dee Dee won the Movers and Shakers award from the founders and culture keepers of Spokane United We Stand & the ANHPI Community. Dee Dee met the criteria for BOTH community service and the preservation of cultural heritage. Congratulations, Dee Dee! We are so proud of you!

02/04/2022

Shebby Lee has posted a new Trail Talk: Native American Storytelling:
https://www.shebbyleetours.com/post/native-american-storytelling

Like many parts of American Indian culture there is a proper time and place for all activities. For many tribes traditional storytelling is reserved for the winter months. This was a practical choice given the fact that during the other seasons, people were busy growing, gathering, and hunting food....

12/07/2021

Shebby Lee has posted a new Trail Talk:
https://www.shebbyleetours.com/post/america-s-day-of-infamy

It has been exactly eighty years since America was attacked at Pearl Harbor - on our own soil - and without provocation. Although we didn’t know exactly how we would enter the war, we were not entirely unprepared, as the United States had voluntarily become the arsenal to the world under the leade...

11/16/2021

Hear ye, hear ye, let it be known! Fort Mandan has received its first snowfall of the season! The fort is currently looking quite dapper in its light covering of snow, and is available for viewing during any one of our guided tours. During our winter season, we offer guided tours of the fort three times each day (Monday through Saturday), and our tour times are as follows: 11am, 1pm, and 3pm. Anyone wishing to view the fort can purchase tickets at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, and with your $8 admission, you gain access to our museum exhibits as well as a tour of Fort Mandan. We hope to see you soon!

11/11/2021

Today we honor and commemorate the 37 members of the Corps of Discovery who served in the U.S. Army, along with the thousands of men and women who have served our country for nearly 250 years.

There’s always a bit of confusion between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. What’s the difference?

Memorial Day (the last Monday in May) honors service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle.

Deceased veterans are also remembered on Veterans Day, but the day is set aside to thank and honor living veterans who honorably served in military active duty – during wartime or peacetime.

Veterans are all around us – be sure to express your appreciation and gratitude to our country’s heroes.

Photo: NPS

Alt Text: A U.S. flag is loosely draped on the left side of the image. The heading on the right side reads: “Veterans Day 2021, Honoring the U.S. Army Members of the Corps of Discovery.” Under the heading the names of the 37 soldiers are listed in two columns with the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail logo in the center.

11/02/2021

Shebby Lee has posted a new Trail Talk:
https://www.shebbyleetours.com/post/backseat-genealogy

For many years as we were raising our unconventional family, we spent an inordinate amount of time commuting from various rural homes to schools and workplaces in town. To keep themselves occupied on these daily commutes (plus other excursions) our heirs entertained themselves with various exercises...

10/05/2021

Shebby Lee has posted a new Trail Talk: The Triumphant Return.
https://www.shebbyleetours.com/post/the-triumphant-return

Author’s Note: I had always thought I would write about one of the most extraordinary experiences of my entire life at some point, but just never got around to it. Last month’s Trail Talk, My Brush With Fame, was what I now recognize as barely half of the story. Luckily I had kept a journal of t...

09/30/2021

Aaron Arrowsmith was considered the finest mapmaker of his day. One of Arrowsmith’s 1802 map editions would be carried by Lewis and Clark, since it was the most comprehensive map of the West available at that time.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/aaron-arrowsmith.htm

09/30/2021

Lewis and Clark encountered the Teton Sioux or Brule Lakota just south of today’s Lake Oahe, near current day Pierre, South Dakota. This was one of the tensest times during the entire trip.
After Lewis and Clark held council with them on September 25, 1804, the captains invited the three chiefs, Black Buffalo, Partisan, and Buffalo Medicine, onto the keelboat and gave them each half a wine glass of whiskey. The Partisan, a contender for power in competition with the other two chiefs within his community, allegedly feigned drunkenness. Clark got them off the keelboat and rowed to shore in one of the pirogues, where three young Lakota men seized the cable while another hugged the mast. The Partisan said he had not received sufficient presents. Clark said the Partisan insulted him in a personal nature although he never wrote what those translated insults were. Clark wrote, "his intentions evident to do me injurey, I Drew my Sword and ordered all hands under arms”. He went on to say “The grand Chief then took hold of the Cable & Sent all the young men off, the Soldier got out of the perogue and the 2nd Chief walked off to the Party at about 20 yards back, all of which had their bows Strung & guns Cocked”. Clark offered his hand and it was again refused by Black Buffalo. Clark took about 10 steps towards the pirogue when the 1st and 3rd chiefs waded into the water requesting to get in the boat as well. Clark allowed them on board, proceeded about a mile and then anchored on a small island in the middle of the river for the night. He named the island “Bad Humor Island” as all the men were in a bad humor.

08/10/2021

Kentucky was at the edge of the frontier at the turn of the 19th century, so it should not be surprising that the first nine men to be recruited for the permanent party of the Corps of Discovery were associated with Kentucky.

They were Charles Floyd, Nathaniel Pryor, William Bratton, John Colter, Joseph Field, Reubin Field, George Gibson, George Shannon, and John Shields.

But only one of the nine was a Kentuckian by birth. Six others were originally from Virginia and had moved to Kentucky as young boys, and two others were from Pennsylvania and had immigrated with their families to the Kentucky frontier.

Can you name the one man who was born in Kentucky?

Photo: LewisandClarkCountry.org

Image: Collage illustration of several members of the Corps in celebratory poses. They are all wearing buckskin clothing.

08/06/2021

Interesting exercise for Lewis & Clark fans.

If the Lewis and Clark Expedition members could compete in the Olympics today, what sports would they compete in? 🏊 🏃‍♀️ 🛶 🚴

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are in full swing, and in honor of these summer games, we’d like to add a twist to today’s post. The different members of the Corps of Discovery came from varied, unique backgrounds, and because of those backgrounds brought a variety of useful skills to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Many of the skills and abilities possessed by Corps members translate well to the different events of the modern-day Olympics. As such, we’ve compiled a list of Olympic events, and which members of the Corps of Discovery had the best shot at bringing home gold!

Read our Olympics picks: https://www.nps.gov/articles/imagining-the-lewis-and-clark-expedition-competing-in-the-olympics.htm

Image: A large modern building with a glass window front sits on a grassy lawn with two flags out front. In front of that is a sign with a dove and the interlocking 5 Olympic rings.

Photo: Library of Congress

08/05/2021

Bus Facts: Buses are the greenest form of transportation. They take up to 50 cars off the road with each trip. Buses help combat overcrowding in parks and cities.

06/07/2021

U.S. Travel’s Roger Dow joined U.K. and U.S. aviation and travel leaders during a call for the re-opening of transatlantic travel today—a move essential to jumpstarting economic recovery. Read more here → bit.ly/reopentransatlantictravel

05/04/2021

Shebby Lee has posted a new Trail Talk: Nature Deficit Disorder.
https://www.shebbyleetours.com/post/nature-deficit-disorder

Do you have Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD)? Before you ask, I never heard of it either. But I am a faithful NPR listener, and I recently heard an interview with an author who apparently coined the phrase. Unfortunately, I only heard the tail-end of the interview (I was driving and couldn’t take not...

04/10/2021

The perfect visualization of what we are all feeling!

04/06/2021

Shebby Lee has posted a new Trail Talk: Evacuation https://www.shebbyleetours.com/post/evacuation

Have you ever had to evacuate your comfortable and familiar home to save your own life, or the lives of others? It’s a chilling thought. Despite living surrounded by pine forests and mountainous terrain, in a thoroughly arid state, I had never experienced evacuation - until now. I lived through th...

04/02/2021

Great news!

The agency updates its guidance because of studies documenting the real-world effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines and the rapid pace of vaccinations, now close to 3 million people daily.

03/26/2021

The Lewis & Clark Expedition was part exploratory and part educational. Follow in the wake of their magnificent adventure with Shebby Lee Tours this summer on the Lewis & Clark Trail, July 30-Aug. 14.

Meriwether Lewis dove into the naturalist elements of the Lewis & Clark Expedition in March 1804. He began collecting samples of unique plant life to send to Thomas Jefferson. The "Osages Plums, and Apples" were part of this scientific work. Since he was new to the area and only had access to these plants in Pierre Choteau's (pictured) garden, Lewis had to talk to people about the plants in the wild- gathering information on the growth range, fruits produced, and uses for humans.

The "Osage Plum" was likely the wild plum, Prunus americana. It produces edible flowers and delicious fruits.

The "Osage Apple" is now known as the Osage Orange, Maclura pomifera. It is also called the hedge apple. This tree is easily recognizable with its strong, orange-tinted wood and roots. The tree produces fruit in the form of large green balls with a strong smell. These fruits feed different wildlife species.

02/19/2021

Thank you, Senators!

WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, introduced legislation that will help improve the tourism industry across the country by studying the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism indus...

02/11/2021

Just because... This is from the book BIG PANDA AND TINY DRAGON by James W Norbury. (Thank you to those who commented below and helped me track it down.)

01/20/2021

Congratulations Joe Biden Kamala Harris The White House Vice President Kamala Harris President Joe Biden! We look forward to working with you to keep the private motorcoach industry moving forward.

01/06/2021

Shebby Lee has posted a new Trail Talk: The Matriarch
https:/shebbyleetours.com/post/the-matriarch

When I was born - in that ancient primordial age, far, far away - I had four great-grandmothers. There are literally dozens of four-generation portraits in our family photo albums, so I assume the older generations understood just how unique this multi-generational configuration was, and felt the ne...

12/23/2020

Find Peace in Parks!

Whether you think the weather outside is frightful or delighful, stay connected with national parks in-person and virtually as the year comes to an end and a new one begins!

❄️ Stay connected with national parks across the country with online resources and virtual experiences.

❄️ Visiting a park? Recreate responsibly and help protect America's treasures while looking out for each other's health and safety.

❄️ Find inspiration exploring some of the scenic views of nature and cultural places in parks. Share some of your favorites.

See more ways to connect at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/find-peace-in-parks.htm



Image: Collage of outdoor and other park-related shapes in the form of a fir tree.