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Published: August 31st 2009
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Wed stayed the night at a Super 8 hotel in Hannibal which by the way is the boyhood home of Mark Twain. The area between St Louis and Hannibal had been the prettiest part of the Great River Road.
We left the hotel at 9:15am onto 36 west heading out of Missouri. The early morning temp was 54 but it had risen to 60 by 9am and there were the usual blue skies with puffy clouds.
Route 36 is a 4 lane divided highway which traverses the northern 1/3 of the state. It took about 3 1/2 hours to cross Nebraska at this point. There was a brief area of very flat farmland but mostly it was very hilly and dotted with farms. We saw some cattle farms and one bison farm. Many of the fields had freshly harvested big round bales of hay. Some where wrapped in white plastic and had the appearance of huge marshmallows.
There were many small towns along the route and we stopped for lunch at one named Stewartville. We found the community park and took out our cooler and had a picnic. I actually found the temp a little cool and had to find a
Sunflowers
These were growing all along the roadsides sunny spot to warm myself. Frank just laughed at me. Restaurants and service stations are few and far between out here but most towns have a little community park which is very important to know because in these parks is a bathroom. Just a hint for anyone traveling on the back scenic roads of our country.
All along the roadside were clusters of wild sunflowers. They were gorgeous.
We had the opportunity to stop at the Homestead National Monument of America.
The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most significant and enduring events in the westward expansion of the United States. By granting 160 acres of free land to claimants, it allowed nearly any man or woman a chance to live the American dream. Homestead National Monument of America, commemorates this Act and the effects it had upon the landscape and people. It is located at the site of the first homestead claim by Daniel Freeman. Legend has it that he filed his claim 10 minutes after midnight at the Land Office in Brownville, NE on January 1, 1863, the first day the Homestead Act went into effect.
A homesteader had to build a house, clear the
Pioneer clothing press
Imagine pressing your clothes with this. land and establish a farm. They had to remain for five years before the land was deeded to them.
The site today has a tallgrass prairie landscape behind the museum building. It is just as it was in 1862 with the exception of a fence to keep anyone from spoiling the area. One of the most fascinating things in the museum was a pioneer version of a clothes iron. It was huge, filled with rocks to give it weight and had a set of rollers and pulleys to move the "press". Take a look at the photo. Imagine doing your "ironing" with this !!
After the monument we headed a little further down the road to spend the night in York.
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