Lewis and Clark at Columbia

Happy Birthday Meriwether Lewis

August 18 was Meriwether Lewis’ 250th birthday. Clay reflects on the short life of this protégée to President Jefferson and one of the nation’s most well-known explorers.
Clay shares his thoughts on life on the road and living in a 184 square-foot portable home.
Clay arrives in Salinas and Monterey, California, the home turf of a young John Steinbeck.
Clay will join noted author and MacArthur Awardee Patricia Limerick at the Vail Symposium in Colorado on August 21 to discuss George Orwell’s novel 1984.
Last stoplight on the interstate highway
The last stoplight on the entire interstate highway system was located in Wallace, Idaho. When the elegant latticework of the I-90 viaduct was completed in 1991, Wallace held a funeral for the last stoplight, now safely protected in the Wallace Mining Museum.
John Steinbeck loved Montana — actually, he fell in love with it. So far as we know, he had never been there before 1960. His travels across the country had all been at lower latitudes.
John Steinbeck stumbles into an uneasy father-son relationship during a quiet stopover near Coeur d’Alene.
illustration: Steinbeck and Charley with bears in Yellowstone
Steinbeck and his dog Charley have an eventful visit at Yellowstone National Park.
Clay visits the Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum which presents its exhibits in the context of biblical history.
John Steinbeck’s French poodle Charley is the star of Travels with Charley. The dog must have been remarkable because he steals the show in every scene he’s in. Steinbeck wrote about him with great grace, affection, and humor.