"Fixing for a Start" William Clark, May 14, 1804

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark spent the winter of 1803-1804 at Camp Dubois, on the east bank of the Mississippi River near Hartford, Illinois preparing for Expedition Discovery, bound for the Pacific Ocean by way of what they hoped would be a combination of navigable rivers.  They had planned to break camp in April, but delayed their departure until May 14, in order to procure about 120 gallons of whiskey and other vital supplies from nearby St. Louis.

I plan to follow them by bicycle 213 years later.  Along the way I will compare and contrast my observations and hardships with theirs.  Like them, I plan to keep a journal.  Mine will be in the form of this blog.

My trip will be broken up into multiple segments due to a number of commitments I have over the course of the spring and summer. You are welcome to follow me if you wish.

I need to procure some supplies myself (not whiskey), and am hoping to depart from Hartford within the next week.    I'll be in touch when I'm ready to go!