![]() He also requested them to document their travels and note vegetation and wildlife. President Thomas Jefferson tasked the Captains and the Corps with searching to see if the land he purchased (the Louisiana Purchase), extended north of the 49 th parallel. Learning about Captain Lewis’ encounter with a grizzly The story told at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center focuses on the Corps’ interaction with the Plains Indians and their trek westward to the Pacific. The sandstone-colored building is built into a bluff along the Missouri River, designed to blend with the landscape. ![]() There are many history lessons in this Center and it deserves multiple visits to absorb it all. Today, just downstream from Black Eagle Falls, sits the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center operated by the U. Not just one, which is what they were expecting, but a series of five waterfalls that all had to be portaged. The entourage came up the Missouri River and hit a snag in their timeline as they neared present-day Great Falls in June 1805. We could cover many history topics but decided to focus on Lewis & Clark and the Corps of Discovery. As we left the building and drove home they were still talking about the art. The kids were as fascinated as I was and we spent a lot of time looking at each People Tree. His collection of People Trees circles the perimeter of one room, and each time I visit I try to imagine what was going through his mind. He collected garbage (today we call that recycled products) and used it to decorate deciduous trees. Lee Steen lived in southern Montana and made what some people would call outsider art. My favorite room at Paris Gibson Square is the Lee Steen room and I was eager to get to it. One room featured a temporary exhibit of art made from concrete, another was all about hearts and health. The exhibits are definitely unique and the building’s former classrooms house a nice variety of art. The kids were impressed with so many things before we even started looking at the art – the grand entrances, the “creaky” narrow-strip oak floors (they noted their floors are wide-plank) and the super-tall ceilings. This multi-story sandstone building was built in 1896. We visited Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, a contemporary art museum housed in an old public school building in Great Falls. Russell Museum multiple times so we decided to try something new. Rock City is on private land but the landowner allows public access with no advance permission required. The Missouri then flows in to the Mississippi River. This site was named for a choice made by Lewis & Clark near present-day Loma, Montana. Another lesson here is that the Marias flows into the Missouri River at a place we call View from the north side where the Marias flowsĭecision Point. When you overlook the edge of the rocks and spires, you see the Two Medicine River flowing into the Marias River. Wind, water and ice continually shape the designs of Rock City. Montana’s weather can have some huge swings – from warm and melting to freezing and back to warm. I told the kids the next time we visit there could be changes in the landscape. I call them hoodoos or caprocks but the kids decided that they were going to pretend they were running through a castle. These formations are primarily sandstone, which erodes over time, and hardened sediment that tops off the sandstone. It created something resembling a castle with spires and towers. As the sea gradually evaporated, Overlooking the caprocks When the glaciers melted, they made deep cuts in the land forming an inland sea. The geology/geography part – the landscape at Rock City, like much of our region, was once covered by glaciers about 80 million years ago. And to top it off, the day we went was one of the hottest days of the year. This place is incredibly unique but it isn’t trendy like a resort or theme park. I wasn’t sure what their reaction would be. I took the kids to an area called Rock City six miles north of Valier, Montana. Read along while I reflect on some recent experiences. Kids love exploring and I know three that are always up for an adventure. A “city” made out of rocks, people made out of trees and a lesson in history – the fun way to learn!
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