Fresh eyes on the west: tracing the path of Lewis and Clark helps us rediscover the meaning of home - Sunset Grand Tour - Cover Story

Sunset, March, 2004 by Peter Fish

NORTH BONNEVILLE, WA

Beacon Rock State Park. 29 campsites at trail landmark. From $16. Milepost 35 on State 14; www.parks.wa.gov or (509) 427-8265.

WHITE SALMON, WA

Inn of the White Salmon. A pretty 16-room inn. From $106. 172 W. Jewett Blvd.; www.innofthewhitesalmon.com or (800) 972-5226.

STEVENSON, WA

Dolce Skamania Lodge. This 1993 lodge has an 18-hole golf course and trails through 175 wooded acres. 254 rooms from $129. 1131 S.W. Skamania Lodge Way; www.skamanialodge.dolce.com or (800) 221-7117.

PORTLAND

The Governor Hotel. The glorious Lewis and Clark mural in the lobby makes this historic downtown hotel a good choice for trail travelers. 100 rooms from $185. 611 S.W. 10th Ave.; www.govhotel.com or (503) 224-3400.

SEAVIEW, WA

The Shelburne Inn. This hotel has 13 rooms and 2 suites as well as the Shoalwater Restaurant ($$$), which offers cozy lunches and microbrews. From $119. 4415 Pacific Way; www.theshelburneinn.com or (800) 466-1896.

ASTORIA, OR

Hotel Elliott. Plush, newly renovated 1924 hotel in Astoria's historic downtown; most upper-floor rooms have river views. 32 rooms from $105. 357 12th St.; www.hotel elliott.com or (877) 378-1924.

WARRENTON, OR

Fort Stevens State Park. On the coast near Fort Clatsop and Astoria. 19 tent sites from $13, 477 RV sites from $17, 15 yurts from $29. 100 Peter Iredale Rd.; www.oregonstateparks.org or (800) 551-6949.

--P.F. AND ABIGAIL PETERSON

RELATED ARTICLE: Best reading

Adventuring along the Lewis and Clark Trail (Sierra Club Books, 2003; $17), Elizabeth Grossman. This guide directs you to the trail's best outdoor experiences.

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The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (University of Nebraska Press, 2003; $30), edited by Gary Moulton. Required reading; single-volume abridgement of Moulton's 13-volume edition of the journals.

On the River with Lewis and Clark (Texas A & M University Press, spring 2004; $18), Verne Huser. A river lover's guide to the expedition.

Traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail (The Globe Pequot Press, 2003; $16), Julie Fanselow. This guide by Sunset contributor Fanselow mixes history with comprehensive travel advice.

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West (Simon & Schuster, 1997; $17), Stephen E. Ambrose. The late historian's book started the bicentennial boom.