About an hour due-south of Nauvoo is Hannibal, Missouri –
Mark Twain’s Hometown. My dad was a huge Mark Twain fan, and I remember him
reading to me from “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” and quoting
Twain-isms frequently. So I just had to go.
MARK TWAIN
My first stop was The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum,
down near the waterfront of Hannibal. There are a number of properties that are
included, and just oodles of displays and artifacts. Large signs tell the story
of the Twain Family, and each sibling is highlighted. And among the items on
display are: the famous White Jacket he was always spotted in, one of his
pipes, his very typewriter, his desk & chair, and even a bronze cast of his
hand.
As you move to the
other buildings, you first go behind the Clemens’ home to the Huck Finn House,
which is a recreation of the actual home of the friend that was inspiration for
Huck. And the home has the history of slavery in the area at the time.
(Something Twain later came to speak out against.) Included is a story he
shared about a young slave that he knew, and his mother’s sensitivity to the young
boy’s plight is something that stayed with Mark Twain for the rest of his life.
Across from his
Boyhood home – still surrounded by THE White Picket Fence (of whitewashing
fame) – and you will cross to Becky Thatcher’s house. The character of Becky was
inspired by Laura Hawkins, and this was her family’s home – now housing a Gift
Shop and educational displays aimed at educating younger visitors.
Down the street (and
included in the $15 admission) is the Museum. The first floor is dedicated to
the Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn background. The second floor is focused on his
Riverboat Pilot days – including information on his Steamboat the John J. Roe
(no doubt named after some fabulous ancestor of mine). And the third floor has
the original Norman Rockwell paintings of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn – dozens of
original Rockwell’s line the walls, and they are spectacular. Many of them have
both the “rough draft” and “final” version – which is interesting to see the
process.
Among the humor of
Twain’s life were some sad moments also. Among the displays are details about
each of his four children – two daughters that died at ages 18 & 24, a son
that died at only 19 months (a death mask of baby Langdon is displayed), and
his daughter Clara, his only child to live to adulthood. Clara had one daughter
– but when this granddaughter died, she was the last of Mark Twain’s
descendants.
But among one of my
favorite displays was a First Edition of “Eve’s Diary” (which you can read free
online
HERE). It’s a tongue-in-cheek tale – and ends with a very famous line.
“The story ends with Adam's speaking at Eve's grave, ‘Wherever she was, there
was Eden.’” I’ve always loved Twain humor, and this story most especially – and
it wasn’t until this trip that I realized that he wrote it shortly after his
dear wife died, no doubt a tribute to her.
MARK TWAIN RIVERBOAT
It is amazing to stand on the shore of the Mississippi
River, and incredible to dip your toes in its waters – but I couldn’t resist
the chance to take a Riverboat Ride ON the Mississippi.
There is a Mark
Twain Riverboat Ride, on a boat named the Mark Twain. And it’s designed in the
fashion of the Riverboats like Sam Clemen’s himself piloted. I love being on
the water, even if only for an hour – there is something so soothing and so
relaxing about the sound of the water and being in the open air.
The Riverboat
Captain knows every inch of this stretch of the Mississippi, including the
island in the middle there which was the inspiration for Jackson’s Island (from
Huck Finn). And if you can find a way across to the island, you can even camp
in that very spot.
The shores are
lined with trees, and the shoreline is dotted with little inlets and
peninsulas. And the Mississippi River is still a main thoroughfare for commerce
– barges and tugboats move up and down the river constantly. (And apparently
it’s far cheaper than trucking or other modes of more-modern transportation
too.)
 |
| View from Lover's Leap, Hannibal |
They have a Dinner
Cruise, but it didn’t fit my schedule – although if I go back I’m going to add
that to my list. Especially if I have a travel companion next time. Dinner on the
water would be fabulous date. I had to settle for a Brat with Chips alone for
lunch this time.
LOVER’S LEAP
Not far from the museum is Lover’s Leap, named after the
following legend:
It is said that many years ago, two
tribes lived on opposite shores of the Mississippi here. One chief had a much
adored daughter, and she fell in love with a brave warrior from the other
tribe. The tribes fought over who had the right to fish these waters, and after
the young warrior “trespassed” he was beaten and sent back across the river and
home to his tribe. His chief was outraged and got this young warrior and many
others to load into their canoes and cross the river in revenge. But before
they could reach the opposite shore, they were met – midstream.
The young maidens of the village climbed to a high cliff to watch the
battle. The chief’s daughter, seeing her love slain in battle, it is told that
she jumped off the cliff to be with him in the deep waters of the Mississippi
forever. And this cliff has been called Lover’s Leap ever since. (My own abridged version of the one told by
my Riverboat Captain.)
Not only quite a tale, but an amazing view of miles and
miles of the wide Mississippi River. Beautiful during the day, and probably a
fun parking spot with someone you love after dark!
GIANT STATUE OF MARK TWAIN
On my way back, I heard about a Giant Statue of Mark Twain
somewhere along the highway. It’s a bit hard to spot, but it truly is a Giant
Statue. It’s about 30-feet tall, and was
handmade from cement – no bronze or marble here. No one quite knows what Larry
Koelling was thinking when he built it, but a plaque between Twain’s feet give
credit where credit is due.
QUOTES
And to wrap up the day, I skimmed through a copy of “The Wit
and Wisdom of Mark Twain” – and here are my personal Top 10 Favorite Mark Twain
Quotes:
1.
Never try to teach a pig to sing; you waste your
time, and you annoy the pig.
2.
Both marriage and death ought to be welcome; the
one promises happiness, doubtless the other assures it.
3.
Clothes make the man. Naked people have little
or no influence on society.
4.
Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the
most.
5.
Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day
after tomorrow just as well.
6.
Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you
down to their level and then beat you with experience.
7.
Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be
able to tell the difference.
8.
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let
people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
9.
Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you
don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.
10. Humor
is mankind’s greatest blessing.
Ok, so admittedly I got a few days behind on my blog. But
there it is – the bulk of my trip. There were a few other great stops that I
just ran out of time to blog about, like: the Sugar Creek Covered Bridge, a
beautiful old wooden bridge now about 200 years old; a 1.4-mile stretch of
hand-lain Brick Road, on Route 66, done during the Depression; the John Wayne
Museum, the American Gothic House, an old WWII German POW Concentration Camp,
three Mormon Temples, a Sunken Garden, a Giant Lincoln Head in Wyoming, and Truckhenge – among others.
