GREETINGS FROM HANNIBAL, Missouri (MO) USA
State number 32 – Missouri (or Missoura as it seems to be called in the south of the state) and in fact we have driven from one side of the state to the other – west to 
east – in the day. And …………. “we’re not in Kansas anymore” – (boom-tish !)
We had quite a bit of ground to cover today so there were only some brief stops along the way. But very significant ones !
We left Manhattan and headed for I 70 to move things along a bit. To get between points quickly, the interstates are fantastic ! And the whole system of interstates is something that, in our travels, is just unique to the USA. Yes, Germany has the autobahns, but the scale of the system the US has is just mind blowing and phenomenal !
And today, just west of Topeka in Kansas, we drove on a section of about 8 miles which was the first section opened in 1956 after President Eisenhower had signed the Federal Aid Highway Act. We also have Adrienne’s “I-Exit” app which means you can find anything, anywhere !
I – Exit app
Our entry into Missouri was via Kansas City.
I have noted previously that I find the naming habits in the USA very amusing. So logically (?), Kansas City is in Missouri, not Kansas, although to be fair, it does straddle the Kansas/Missouri border – but only just. And it is still generally known as “Kansas City, Missouri”. There was certainly not a lot of imagination used in the early days – founded in 1830, the port on the Missouri River where it joined the Kansas River they called Kansas. But this became confusing in 1854 when the Kansas Territory (now state) was established. So to avoid the confusion, the port at the Kansas River was named Kansas City to distinguish it from Kansas Territory (now state) – and it was in Missouri. Anyway……
We stopped off on the Missouri River, still on the Kansas side, at Kaw Point. This is where Lewis & Clark camped on their way west and is where the Kansas River joins the Missouri.
Lewis & Clark surveying their path heading up the Missouri
From here we skirted parts of the Missouri River throughout the morning. The river and area generally has a lot of historical significance. Lewis and Clark came along the Missouri River during their westward exploration. It was a significant part of the Santa Fe Trail with the railways expansion west (we drove through Topeka early in the morning – from the famous “Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe” railway – and The Battle of Lexington (just west of Waverly on the map above) was a significant one during the Civil War – where the South had one of the major wins of the war during the year of 1861. We had some lovely views of the river along the way.
The Battle of Lexington
Marceline, MO was a very recent addition to our itinerary. Much to her shame, Adrienne found out only a couple of weeks ago that this was the boyhood hometown of one Walt Disney. So, as we often do, it meant a quick re-schedule of our route to add in one of those “I have to go there !” stops (Adrienne will say that’s how half our trips are planned – but “I” had to go there !) And would you believe it – the main street is called “Main Street USA” ! Although the Disney family only lived here for 4 years, Walt’s barn (where he first started charging local kids to see his “farm yard circus”) and “Dreaming Tree” (a large cottonwood tree on the farm) laid foundations through to his later Disneyland creations and ideas and the town is said to have provided him the inspiration for the film “Lady and the Tramp”. Needless to say the town makes the most of those 4 years anyway ! The lady who did the tour at the museum, now actually lives in the original Disney family home.
Disney Museum, Marceline – in the original Santa Fe railway station where Walt & family disembarked after travelling from Chicago where he was born.
After dragging Adrienne out kicking and screaming 6 hours later (only joking !), we then headed further east toward Hannibal but before reaching there we stopped in Florida (not the state) which is the actual birthplace of Mark Twain. The village is now surrounded by Mark Twain Lake, in Mark Twain State Park, which was created from the damming of the Salt River. (The dam is important for the regions flood control, hydro electricity, water supply and conservation). Mark Twain’s original home is now within a museum showcasing his life.
Mark Twain’s birth home is now located within the museum
However it is Hannibal – his boyhood home – that the name Mark Twain is known for. Samuel L. Clemens (aka Mark Twain) used it as the setting for his famous works “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” – the latter often called “The Great American Novel”. He has been lauded as “the father of American literature” for his work. There are numerous historical sites related to him in Hannibal and sites depicted in his fiction.
Our hotel is in the historic part of the town and we walked down to the river from here past the famous home and whitewashed fence. On the river, the riverboat “America” which does paddle steamer riverboat tours up from New Orleans was in dock. The smaller “Mark Twain” which does day cruises was just coming into dock.
Hannibal, MO
Tom Sawyer’s house
Mark Twain riverboat
We had dinner at the Mark Twain Brewing Company – a boutique pub/restaurant. Adrienne decided that “when in Rome”….. so had a couple of samplers of the local brews ! We also had a couple of their gourmet burgers for dinner – which were great – together with Fried Portobello Mushrooms for an appertiser – very, very tasty !
Tomorrow, we only have a short drive to our next stop, St Louis.
Today’s Trivia – Hannibal, MO was the hometown of Colonel Sherman T Potter in M*A*S*H !
Did you guys feel any tremors lately? They were reporting a magnitude 6. something in Oklahoma on our TV??
Well yes but not the Oklahoma one – we had left by then.
In Manhattan the hotel we stayed at was near the railway line. A large train went past and I dont know if it was the train or not but the whole building shook !
We didnt feel any other movement when other trains went past so who knows ?