Stretch Mark Mama: Lewis And Clark National Historic Trail: Fort Clatsop

For most of my life, "history" has been very inaccessible to me. I pretty much have to see something to believe it, and in case you need the reminder, I ain't been alive for most of what we call, "history."

You see my dilemma.

And seeing as I don't have a time machine and can't rightly go back and watch history in the making, I have to patch together my knowledge via book after ~~boring~~ book after documentary after book.

So. You can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Fort Clatsop, a piece of history come alive right before my beady green eyes!

Fort Clatsop was the "home" built by the Lewis and Clark team while they wintered near the Pacific coast. The fort housed twenty-seven enlisted men in three separate quarters. Lewis and Clark shared the captains' quarters, and Sacagawea and fam got a room of their own. It is thought that Clark's slave, York, stayed in the orderly room. That means that 31 men, one woman, an infant, and a dog all shared about 250 square feet of space.

Hell-o!

And did I mention that it rained for 94 of the 106 days they were there?

WELCOME TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, GUYS.

They spent the winter making notes, prepping for the trip back east, and losing their ever-loving minds. Why? Let's take a journal sample from our spelling champ, Clark:

December 31, 1805
"Last night was Cloudy and Some rain, this day prove Cloudy and Showerry are day."

January 1, 1806
"This morning proved cloudy with moderate rain, after a pleasent worm night during which there fell but little rain."

January 2, 1806
"A Cloudy rainey morning after a wet night."

January 3, 1806
"The Sun rose fair this morning for the first time for Six weeks past, the Clouds Soon obscure it from our view, and a Shower of rain Suckceeded."

SUCKceeded, indeed!

My family toured Fort Clatsop right at the time we were studying it at home, which made the whole experience eight bazillion times more exciting. Well, for me, at least. And for you, you know! You get the official tour via pictures. You're welcome.