The late television producer, Don Hewitt, famously stated that his mantra during his 30+ years as guiding light of CBS’ Sixty Minutes was one simple sentence: “Tell me a story”.
This is good advice, not only for television news but for just about any human endeavor. People are hungry for authentic experiences which can give meaning to their lives, and seek such experiences even when on vacation. Or perhaps especially on vacation. Only when you are away from the distractions of our busy 21st century lives, can you devote your full attention to pursuing your personal aspirations. For many of us this includes a component of learning, and where better to start than our shared historic past?
For 35 years now, Shebby Lee Tours has been featuring tours that tell a story. Our Vanishing Trails Expeditions follow the routes that Native Americans, explorers, fur traders and pioneers blazed across North America. But it’s not enough to just hear the stories. We also see where they took place, what the conditions were like and meet some of the characters themselves along the way. For example, we might hear a lonely soldier describe his life in a windswept frontier post as he goes about his daily routine, or help a pioneer woman attempt to cook a nutritious meal for her family out of cornmeal and salt pork cooked over an open fire.
Many of America’s most spectacular parks are located in the Great American West as well. Although still a young country, the United States pioneered the idea of setting aside wilderness areas for the enjoyment of all. This foresight has produced public lands which allow a much-needed respite from hectic urban lifestyles. Our national parks tours help to bind us together and form a common heritage, both natural and cultural.
The historic and natural components of our journeys are made up of hundreds of stories both personal and epic such as Manifest Destiny, the Civil War or the fur trade. Pursuing these routes and learning their stories, helps us to understand who we are, where we have been, and how we as a society might approach the future.
When you join a Shebby Lee Tours expedition you’ll learn wonderful stories about the people and events, places and landscapes that give meaning to our nation’s development and to our own lives.
This year take a vacation of historic proportions. Check out our upcoming departures, each and every one a story which could change your life!
See you on the Trail!
Shebby Lee is a historian, writer and tour operator specializing in the historic and cultural heritage of the Great American West. Her early training was in the theatre and she served a tour of duty as an entertainer with the USO. She is also an Admiral in the Nebraska Navy