The Way West

Lewis and Clark opened the American way west.   They inspired our romance with traveling west.  Over two hundred years later, Americans have created a ritual of road trips west.  

1.  The Journals of Lewis and Clark, edited by Bernard DeVoto (1953).    The title says it all.  From St. Louis to the Pacific and back.  Edited by the great western historian DeVoto.  Bought used but can't remember where. 

2.  Lewis and Clark: Historic Places Associated with the Transcontinental Exploration, edited by Robert Ferris (1975).   A modern retracing compiled by the National Park Service.  Complete with black and white pictures, maps, and paintings.  Bought used somewhere. 


 3.  Undaunted Courage: Merriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West, Stephen E. Ambrose (1996).    Best seller that provides the full text of the adventure from beginning to the end of of their days.  Bought used somewhere.

4.  Out West: A Journey Through Lewis and Clark's America, Dayton Duncan (1987).  Duncan follows in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark meeting new characters along the way.  Bought used. 

5.  First Across the Continent: Sire Alexander Mackenzie, Barry Gough (1997).   Before Lewis and Clark, Sir Alexander Mackenzie crossed Canada to the Pacific in search of the northwest passage.  Includes pictures and drawings.  Bought used somewhere.