A Year in a Car For No Apparent Reason » Announcing the Great National Trails Research Road Trip!

The KJAZZ pledge drive is over! It was quite a success, but kept me VERY busy this last month. I’ve barely had a chance to start planning my next road trip, but I’ll be leaving late next week. I’m focusing on doing research and interviews on the National Trails. This trip I’ll be heading up again through California, Oregon and Washington. Not sure yet how I’m heading back down. Much of it will depend on the weather I suppose.

I’m looking forward to seeing some friends in the Bay Area, Portland and Seattle, but mostly this will be a working trip. I’ll have 6 weeks or so on the road and already I’m feeling overwhelmed by everything I want to research and see. I’ll be passing through areas tied to the following trails:

Juan Batista de Anza
Pacific Crest
Pony Express
California
Oregon
Lewis and Clark
Nez Perce

Depending on what the return route ends up being I may cross the Continental Divide Trail or the Morman Trail as well.

Yesterday, I spoke for a long time with Travis Boley who manages the Oregon-California Trail Association and he’s been fantastic in helping me get a start on figuring out who to contact and hopefully interview while I’m out on the road. Looking for more suggestions though.

Anyone have favorite historic or trail related spots? Any ideas for topics for some short-form (6-10 minute) audio documentaries or people to interview?

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Categories: Locations
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7 Responses to “Announcing the Great National Trails Research Road Trip!”

Wally Anderson wrote a comment on March 8, 2009

On the Lewis and Clark trail the visitor center at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri in North Dakota is a good one. Both the Dakota’s state roads that flank the Missouri river are numbered 1804 and 1806 corresponding to the years of the expedition. Sargent Floyd’s Monument is Sioux City Iowa Is worthwhile. Sioux city also has a Lewis and Clark visitor center.

Jessica wrote a comment on March 9, 2009

Perfect. Thanks Wally! I probably won’t us out that far East on this trip, but hope to during my summer trip.

tattingchic wrote a comment on March 10, 2009

Have fun visiting all of those places! :)

Jessica wrote a comment on March 19, 2009

Thanks! Btw, the far end of the trip is the tatting conference in Spokane. I’m really looking forward to it.

Jon and Donna Skovlin wrote a comment on March 27, 2009

We hope you contact us when in eastern Oregon. You can explore the beginning of the Nez Perce Trail through Wallowa County.

Jessica wrote a comment on April 16, 2009

Hi Jon and Donna,

I do plan on contacting you soon here. I’m heading out for Spokane today and will be there for a few days then heading south. I haven’t quite figured out yet what route I’m taking back, but I do plan on exploring the Nez Perce Trail along the way.