Day 8 Vacation-Fort Mandan

We had spent a lot of time visiting South Dakota so it was time to move on to North Dakota! 

Our first stop was Fort Mandan. Nathan has always been a big Lewis and Clark fan. Fort Mandan was where Lewis and and Clark spent the winter of 1804-05. It's on the Missouri River and it's right near the Hidatsa and Mandan villages. It was here that Lewis and Clark met Sacajawea. 

This is not the original fort. It had already burned to the ground when Lewis and Clark headed home the next year.  This is a rebuilt replica. Luckily, Clark had left detailed plans so it's very much like the original. 

Once you entered the Fort, this is what you see. It was rather triangle shaped. Basically, it was just "bedrooms" for everyone, a blacksmith room, a storage room, and a food storage room. There were about 9-10 rooms. 

North Dakota!! We were basically following a rainstorm. It was kind of funny. It seemed to follow us wherever we turned. However, once we got to Fort Mandan, we had outrun it. 

This is not in the Fort. This was a little kids area they had there. The kids had a little too much fun playing with all the play food and supplies. 

I'm not sure what they are doing to Seaman. 

I'm not sure who she's trying to be here. There are just so many options, but I don't think either Lewis or Clark is one of them. Captain Jack Sparrow maybe. 

So back inside the real fort, we toured all the rooms. This was the Blacksmith's room. 

Jeremy found a big gun. 

This was in the interpreter's room. His name was Charbonneau. He had his very own room and was the only one who did. Even Lewis and Clark shared a room. 

Nathan found some soft pelts in the trapper's room. 

In Lewis and Clark's shared room. Lewis's desk. 

Clark's desk. Or maybe it was the other way around. I don't remember. 

A storage room for all their gear. 

The food room. 

The rooms for the men. There were 4 nearly identical rooms. Each room had a bunkbed with 2 spots and then an attic space. They all took turns sleeping either upstairs and sometimes they lucked out and got a bed. I wonder how cold it was upstairs during that winter? 

Nathan in one of the fireplaces. 

Elizabeth in another of the soldier's rooms. 

Looking from one side of the fort to the other. 

We took a little walk down to the Missouri. 

The kids played here a bit and Elizabeth collected some rocks. Again, it reminded us a great deal of the Columbia from back home. The scenery is a lot the same. 

We have now visited a LOT of Lewis and Clark spots. We've visited where they spent the winter on the Oregon Coast, and many other river spots along the way. They camped where we live too so we've done all the stuff in our area. I think we are Lewis and Clarked out. We've done about all the stuff we can!