The Fantastic Trip

I went to Portland on a school trip with all of the Extension students from November 18th to November 21st. During the trip, I had many valuable experiences. Above all, I learned a lot about the journey of Lewis and Clark at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. There were many exhibits which contained tools, houses and clothes they used.

First of all, we listened to stories about the Corps of Discovery from a man, and he showed us some tools which they used on their journey. I was surprised that they always knew where they were by using a tool to see the position of the sun. In addition, they also knew the distance of the journey by only estimating and guessing, and it was almost exact. Although I already had a little information about the journey because we studied it in American West class, almost all of his stories were new and interesting for me.

Second, I saw a lot of things such as clothes, tents and boats. I tried on the clothes with my friends, and I felt that they were not heavy enough to keep us warm. Next, I went into a tent which the Corps of Discovery used on their journey. There was a rug which was made of animal's hair, but it still seemed cold inside the tent. After that, I rode on a boat. Although it was big and long, I felt a little scared when I imagined turbulent waves hitting us. It was clearer for me to see these things than only to listen about them.

Finally, I touched many things which the Corps of Discovery used on their journey to the Pacific Ocean. They built a fire by banging a stone against metal. Therefore, I tried doing the same as they did. However, I couldn't make a fire at all, so I was disappointed. Next, I tried lifting up a wagon whose weight was one tenth of the actual wagon. Surprisingly, I wasn't able to lift it by myself even though it was not the proper weight. It was easier for me to understand things by touching them rather than looking at them.

As you can see, I learned a lot about the history of the journey which Lewis and Clark took more than 200 years ago. I was able to not only enjoy visiting the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center but also deepen my knowledge of the Corps of Discovery by my five senses. I think that this experience will be one of my unforgettable memories of the Portland Trip.