Day 20 - Travel Day to New Town, North Dakota

Just another travel day……………….NOT! 

We had so much to do along the road; it kept us busy all the way.  Our first stop in the morning was at the North Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan replica.  We drove up to what we thought was a herd of buffalo roaming about.  They were metal silhouettes placed among the rolling hills at the center.

Buffalo herd at Fort Mandan Site

We split into two groups and one group toured the center, while the second group went on down the road a couple miles to see the site of the Fort, where (near this location) Lewis and Clark wintered in 1804-1805 on their way west.  Our guide was very interesting and informative.  The Fort was constructed in 6 weeks by the Corps of Discovery.  We saw the living quarters of the Captains, the Interpreters, the guards, and the soldiers barracks. The Mandan Indians were just down the river, which is how Lewis and Clark first met Sacagawea, who came to the fort with her husband, Touissant Charbonneau, and became one of the interpreters for them .   She gave birth to her son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau there in February of 1805.  This is the baby that accompanied them on their voyage of discovery and that Clark nicknamed, “ Pompi.”

Fort Mandan Replica

Captain Lewis and Clark's Quarters 

Clark's Scientific Instruments...

Interpreter's Quarters

and his "laptop" 

Sakagawea and Pompi

Then we went on to the Knife River Indian Village.  This is where Sakagawea lived.  We toured a Hidatsa lodge with a wonderful Park Ranger as guide.  This lodge was more completely furnished than the first one we toured.  It had a spiritual altar, as well as a cache which was dug below ground about 6 – 7 feet, and was used to store their various grains.  Back inside the center, we were treated to a movie about a Hidatsa Indian woman growing up in the villages.  The voice was of an interpreter who translated the entire dialogue from the interview which was told to her entirely in the Hidatsa language, as the storyteller either did not know how to or refused to speak English. 

Hidatsa Lodge

Buffalo Skin pictograph

The rest of the way we traveled across rolling plains, farmlands, with high grasses blowing in the wind.  This is definitely Dakota territory.  We arrived at our campground at the Four Bears Casino and Marina.  After a bit of confusion, we were all parked.  The view from the marina is great!

Our view for miles

Spence and Madi Schaaf #2