The Oregon Trail's role in the westward expansion of the United States is beyond dispute.
But that's different from actually recreating the journey in today's world.
Who'd want to, with the long, dusty days, the chilly nights, the lack of water and creature comforts?
Rinker Buck, that's who. And the writer even convinced his brother to join him for a journey retracing the Trail, from Missouri to Oregon.
It's all in his book The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey.
Rinker joins us with the details of his trip. And first warning: he's from New Jersey, and can't stop calling it "OR-uh-gahn."