The first time I visited my future father-in-law’s study I was struck by two things:  the enticing collection of history books that filled the shelves (surprising to me, since he was the Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of South Dakota and long-time theatre professor – not a historian).   The second was what appeared to be a yellowed newspaper clipping, professionally framed, and entitled,  The New Yorker’s Idea of the United States of America. The clipping

No one questions the historic significance of the sites along the Lewis & Clark Trail – the first trans-continental exploration designed to fill in the blanks on the map and hopefully stimulate commerce.  Following the trail is educational – the opportunity to walk (or paddle) where history happened, and all that.  But the fact that much of the journey is spectacularly beautiful is less well-known. Having traveled the entire trail more times than I can count, I can testify th

I have been leading modern-day explorers over the Lewis & Clark Trail more or less regularly since 1997, and as you read this I have embarked with another enthusiastic group on our own great journey west. As I prepared for this year’s expedition and found myself growing more and more excited about it, I wondered why – given the enormous amount of work entailed – I keep doing it, and more interestingly, why I like it so much. After all, despite annual fine tuning and improveme

One could argue – I would – that some of the most enjoyable days I’ve spent on tour were those covering many miles of what early settlers mistakenly took for the “Great American Desert”.  It’s ironic that these settlers – nearly all of them farmers – didn’t recognize fertile agricultural land when they saw it.  But because they didn’t, much of this land has remained unbroken and undeveloped, for us to enjoy today.  One of the reasons our travelers are so taken with the West i

Remember how you used to look forward to field trips when you were in school? It was a chance to break away from the routine, experience something new, anticipate an adventure, and get out into the greater world beyond that stodgy classroom. That feeling of adventure is exactly what you get when you explore the great American West with Shebby Lee Tours. On a Vanishing Trails Expedition you might take a horseback ride across the open prairie; thrill to the excitement of a wild

Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and the Corps of Discovery departed St. Charles, Missouri on May 21, 1804, to begin their expedition into the unknown. Their journey was backbreaking, fraught with danger and took 28 months. This summer you can see and experience the Lewis & Clark Trail in air-conditioned comfort via motorcoach, and it will take just 16 days. The journey begins in St. Louis with a get-acquainted dinner on historic Laclede’s Landing. Get an overview of where yo