From Mexico to Hannibal MO

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Wednesday, June 2nd and Thursday, June 3rd.

Today we plan to travel east along the Missouri River to the Mississippi River and then travel north along the river up to Hannibal. On our way along the Missouri River, we stop at Herman, a tidy town which capitalizes on its German heritage. We visit the Stone Hill Winery to try out their white wines, but don’t leave town without sampling some German-style beer as well.

We follow the Missouri to Saint Louis, where it joins the Mississippi. We zip along the waterfront to view the famous arch and then head north along the Mississippi. We spend the night at Clarksville, where our motel overlooks the river and we can watch the tugboats pushing huge barges of cargo south.

The next morning we continue moving north on The Great River Road, one of the many named scenic byways we find in most states. This road, which we have been following since St. Louis, will carry us into Iowa.

We arrive in Hannibal, which has played up its connection with Mark Twain and the small town characters of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. The buildings and businesses evoke the small town of the Twain stories and children dressed as Tom and Becky Thatcher stroll the town.

We bid goodbye to Twain and head north for Iowa City where we find a beautiful campsite at Coralville Dam just outside of town.

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Photos

Missouri River
We travel along the fertile Missouri River Valley on our way east to the Mississippi.

covered bridge
We take a detour to see one of the few remaining covered bridges in Missouri.

Unusual construction
We are intrigued by the bridge's complex construction.

Herman, MO
We drive around Herman, a town along the Missouri chosen by German immigrants for its similarity to the Rhine River valley.

Stone Hill Winery
We drive to the top of the hill where we stop in at Stone Hill Winery to taste their Rhine River style white wines.

The Famous Arch
We arrive in Saint Louis in late afternoon and drive along the waterfront where we photograph the famous arch, a masterpiece of engineered beauty and symmetry.

Clarksville
We then start our drive north along the Mississippi River and stop for the night at Clarksville, an old river town.

Tugs and barges
From our motel we watch powerful tugboats push barges through the locks at Clarksville.

Downtown Hannibal
Our car is parked along the main street of Hannibal, which has been transformed into a tourist destination.

Hannibal, Missouri
Many restored buildings contain businesses that cater to tourists wanting a taste of Twain lore. Here is the "Becky Thatcher" house on the town's historic square.