Wednesday morning and we are leaving Muscatine. The day started out sunny and a little on the cool side. I wondered how long this cool would last? We wanted to drive south towards Hannibal, MO. Now you ask why Hannibal.......well remember, when we were in Elmira, N.Y. We saw Samuel Clemons gravesite???? We never thought that on the same trip we would be seeing where he grew up and his birthplace.. Hannibal, MO. Is where he grew up. We arrived at Mark Twain Landing campground and set up our campsite.
Tom called a local Riverboat company to findout if we could book a dinner cruise on the riverboat for tonight. Yup, he gives all the info needed so we headed into Hannibal from our campsite for a little adventure. After all Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were from the area so there must be lots of fun times to be had.
We arrived in town were there is a statue of Tom and Huck, complete with fishing poles swungover their shoulders. We noticed a sign if you manage to walk all the way up to thelighthouse the little broken down store will give you a certificate stating as much. We start the climb......up what seems like 75 steps (complete with benches to have a break) and arrived at an old road with Becky's Flower Garden.
We took a break and noticed steep steps upward, looks like at least another 75 to 100 steps. Tom sat down to rest and I continued the climb. I arrive at another old street only to find another set of steps. Well, I'm this far I can't just stop now.....so off I climb another set of steps....only to arrive at another old road with still more steps......yup, I do the next group of steps and I finally see the old lighthouse. Now remember me telling you
Thursday, was going to be hot, humid with an unbearable heat index. We started early heading to Florida, MO. That is where Mark Twain actually was born.
the day started out cool?.......well the temperature had been rising all day and it's like 90 out now and the humidity is like 80% so I am hot, sticky and needing cool air. The lighthouse is set amongst big old trees so I am not getting any of that. Now I must still walk down all those stairs.......I finally get down and I pick up my certificate.
We found out that the downtown trades, BIG TIME, on the Mark Twain name. I guess that's to be expected..anything to draw a tourist in. I walked up and down the streets of downtown and find some interesting stores but not really very many.
We found out that the downtown trades, BIG TIME, on the Mark Twain name. I guess that's to be expected..anything to draw a tourist in. I walked up and down the streets of downtown and find some interesting stores but not really very many.
We also found Lovers Leap ....... It is south of town and where the song about Little White Dove and the Indian Boy being from opposite tribes meet their fate. From there we went back into town and saw Samuel Clemons boyhood home, Becky Thatcher's family home, the law offices of Samuel Clemons Father and finally headed towards the dock for our riverboat cruise.
The dock area is right in downtown Hannibal. We arrived a little early. The dinner cruise is to start at
The dock area is right in downtown Hannibal. We arrived a little early. The dinner cruise is to start at6:30....when we boarded the riverboat we had a table assigned to us. During the loading process we had a musician playing his guitar, a banjo, playing the harmonica and singing river type songs. After dinner we retire to one of the upper decks and watch a magnificent sunset over the Mississippi. The setting sun is spectular over the hills in the background......almost too pretty for words.
The musician comes out on deck and once again plays for us. What a wonderful day this has turned out to be.
Thursday, was going to be hot, humid with an unbearable heat index. We started early heading to Florida, MO. That is where Mark Twain actually was born.
His two room clapboard cabin has been moved inside a special visitor center, a little ways from the actual site it once stood on. After visiting the visitor center we went to Florida. It is now a ghost town and still has a few really old homes still standing. Charley rode with us. The car never got turned off .... burned a little extra gas to keep her cool.
We finished in the area and went to Paris then Monroe City then we arrived back at our campsite. We vegged for the rest of the day, trying to figure out where we will head to next.
We finished in the area and went to Paris then Monroe City then we arrived back at our campsite. We vegged for the rest of the day, trying to figure out where we will head to next. 
1 comment:
Also loved Hannibal and all of the Mark Twain sites. Is the Norman Rockwell museum still in downtown Hannibal? Have now been to the Mark Twain home in Hartford, CT and I guess he's buried in Elmira, NY where his wife, Libby was from. Very lovely home and Harriet Beecher Stowe lived right next door in an equally lovely house.
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