Historical Speakers and Gourmet Cuisine
Missouri River Canoe Trip July 15-17
Paddle the Wild & Scenic Upper Missouri with Stephenie Ambrose-Tubbs, celebrated author and outdoor enthusiast. Uncover the layers of history, most notably, the cross continental journey of Lewis & Clark with fellow guest who share the same quest for knowledge and adventure.
Stephen Ambrose’s book, Undaunted Courage, has inspired many to paddle this section of the Missouri River also known as The White Cliffs. You’ll camp where they camped, see what they saw and learn about their trip through Stephenie’s engaging discussions, breadth of knowledge and inspiring love of the rivers and lands of the Lewis & Clark Trail.
Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs is co-author of The Lewis and Clark Companion; An Encyclopedic Guide to the Voyage of Discovery. She lectures nationally about her experiences and observations on the Lewis and Clark Trail which she first followed in 1976 with her father, bestselling author Stephen Ambrose. She works with conservation and citizens groups to preserve and protect the trail and adjoining wilderness areas. She holds two degrees in History from the University of Montana and currently writes local history and serves on the Boards of the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center Foundation, the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, Friends of Montana PBS and the American Prairie Foundation. Her book of essays on Lewis and Clark was be published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2008. Stephenie and her husband John live in Lewis and Clark County, Helena, Montana with their sons Alex and Riley.
Missouri River Canoe Trip July 22-24
Paddle, Hike and Discover the past with Ritchie Doyle Historical Interpretive Specialist. History and sense of adventure come to life through Ritchie’s enthusiasm. Paddle the Wild & Scenic Upper Missouri White Cliffs, camp where they camped and see what they saw. Experience and learn about the Lewis & Clark expedition in way only possible by actually retracing their journey. For any river traveler, this trip offers a very accessible route of discovery: geology, wildlife, Native American culture, early explores and the pioneers that followed. The landscape has changed little since Lewis & Clark passed through the Upper Missouri in the spring of 1805. River travelers today can appreciate the words of Meriwether Lewis when he wrote of the endless “seens of visionary inchantment…”
“Ritchie Doyle made the trip for me! His boundless energy and talent regarding the history, stories, songs and musical ability were amazing. The Corp of Discovery came alive with this man. I can’t say enough about how he made the trip an exciting awareness of our heritage…”
Sheila Miller
Loveland, CO
Missouri River Canoe trip August 13-16
Travel with Ray Risho and his team through the White Cliffs of the Missouri River Breaks and paddle to a new culinary port at the end of each day. This 4-day trip follows the same stretch of river as our 3-day trip. The extra day allows for plenty of time for historical interpretations, side hikes and exploring in addition:
• Afternoon lectures given by Ray on the featured cuisine of the day
• Daily cooking demonstration with handout recipes
Featured Ports on the Missouri River
• North Africa, Italy and the Middle East
Ray Risho, founder of Missoula’s celebrated Perugia Restaurant, independent scholar and chef, has spent a lifetime of travel studying global cuisine. He has presented more than ninety popular teaching dinners, an original concept titled “Ports of Call,” featuring classic menus from around the world. He teaches a course at the University of Montana’s, Osher Life Long Learning Institute titled: Cuisine Artistry: Global Cuisine, and gives workshops and cooking demonstrations at Missoula’s Good Food Store. In 2008 the Missoula Cultural Council awarded Ray and his wife Susie the 2008 Cultural Achievement Award for supporting the arts and enhancing the quality of life in Missoula.
Salmon River Whitewater Rafting June 23-27, 2011
Join Ritchie on a river journey down the Salmon River – River of No Return. Ritchie has a special connection to the Salmon River Canyon, where his mother is from, Shoup, ID. Move at the river’s pace and leave the rest of the world behind. This 90-mile stretch of premier Idaho whitewater is a classic river trip of the American West. The Salmon River carves out the second deepest canyon in North America. Each year run off deposits fresh sand beaches, creating a river paradise at every camp.
The craft… The Main Salmon is a class III whitewater river. Most of the rapids are pool-drop or wide S-curves and empty into calm pools. This is perfect for whitewater enthusiasts of all levels. Kick back and relax on an oar boat, join a paddle team or jump in an inflatable kayak for the maximum adventure.
The canyon… Barth Hot Springs, a highlight of the trip, is a natural hot springs with amazing views of the river. This free-flowing river cuts through the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, largest road less area in the lower 48 states, wildlife is abundant—Bighorn sheep, deer, moose, black bear, otters and water fowl
Ritchie Doyle is an actor, artist, teacher, writer and Independent scholar, born and raised in Western Montana along important parts of the Lewis and Clark route, giving him a down-to-earth understanding of their difficulties and fatigues on the rivers and in those “tremendious” Rocky Mountains. Mr. Doyle has been a member of the Montana Committee for the Humanities Speakers Bureau since 1993 and has presented William Clark nearly 200 times, including appearances for The Montana Historical Society, The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center (Great Falls, MT), Montana Storytellers Roundup and The Western Heritage Center. On April 29, 2003 Mr. Doyle presented William Clark at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.
Additional Links
Rates & Dates
Recommended reading, lodging & gear – Salmon and Missouri
Missouri Itinerary - PDF
