Hannibal, Missouri
"America's Hometown"
We took the opportunity to visit the childhood hometown of Samuel Clemens, The Mark Twain Museum, and we are ever so glad that we did. The museum includes several of the original houses plus an interpretive center about his life and works. Of course we've all read Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, perhaps Life on the Mississippi, but there is much more. The gift shop offers sets of his complete works which I longed to have. Researching shows me that all are available as free kindle editions which will be more practical for our lifestyle
A sample from the interpretive center:
Facts about Facts.
Huck Finn's House
Items seen at the Gift Shop
I bought this shirt
And Tom bought this one (in a different color)
Familiar sayings for which I did not know the source.
And more:
Her real name was Laura Hawkins
Tom and Huck Statue
From there you climb many steps to the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse and beyond.
The view from the hill up and down the Mississippi
After the walk up the hill and back refreshments were called for.
"Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company" - Mark Twain
Nice people, good beer and food.
The next day was rainy and gray but we started out with a drive up to Riverview Park.
"His religion was humanity".
We drove across the river into Illinois to see Hannibal from the other side.
You can see the lighthouse on the hill.
A short drive up the river leads you to Quincy Illinois, a lovely old town full of interesting architecture.
River views at the mouth of Quincy Bay.
A dirt (mud) road along the river north of Quincy.
And that's as far as we went.
The next day we crossed back into Illinois again and drove north to Davenport Iowa.
We made it a point to take some back roads rather than staying on the Interstate.
"We've all come to look for America . . ."
