We were seduced by Mastodons much as one of the Roadside Attractions on Rte 66 called to us in the 1950’s. We found a park with a Mastodon skeleton and a very scary recreation of a giant sloth.
Sloth is, of course, my spirit animal – but not the 10′ high variety.
St Louis’s iconic Gateway Arch is beautiful, fascinating and historic. It commemorates Jefferson’s expansion vision and the gateway to the west as lived out by Louis and Clark.
A tram takes one up to a tiny viewing room.
A film explaining the incredibly complicated engineering of the Eero Saarinen 630′ high design makes the feat even more impressive. A new park and river walk are almost ready to open – though they’re flooded and mud covered now so opening will be delayed.
St Louis’s old Courthouse was the scene of the first Dred Scott trial, finally decided by the Supremes in 1857, ruling that African Americans were not and could never be citizens of the United States. The beautiful building is now a National Park Museum with films and excellent exhibits about that horribly damaging pre-Civil War case and about the Lewis and Clark Expedition that opened the west.
Mississippi Mud – it’s everywhere…fascinated by Louis and Clark, we planned a visit to replicas of the Lewis and Clark boats they dragged west. Foiled – before the river rose and they moved the boats to high ground. 6′ deep water invaded the display space and logs floating down the river piled up.
St Louis turns out to be a very human friendly and hip city. Bike lanes, parks and an exceptional Botanical Garden. In addition to enjoying the displays, we were searching for new plants for our yards.
Hannibal, MO on the Mississippi, population 18,000, is a very different MO than the hip and happening St. Louis. Hannibal’s the boyhood home of Mark Twain. We explored the Cave described in great detail in Tom Sawyer and other stories. We also enjoyed a performance of “Mark Twain” (or someone impersonating him) retelling some of his stories.
Tom and freedom loving Huck are everywhere.
The Mark Twain Museum campus consists of several buildings. They’re the actual home’s of Twain’s childhood friends who were models for his colorful characters Huck Finn, and Tom’s girlfriend, Becky Thatcher. The buildings have been moved near Twain’s boyhood home, creating a park. This was the Twain home…
Huck Finn’s family lived in hardship.
The very comfortable home of girlfriend Becky Thatcher.
Twain museum contains original Rockwell paintings created to illustrate Twain’s books, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.
Excellent travel companions and friends, Yona and Ed brought their car and picnic gear and the books and their fun selves. Now they’re doing a 12 hour drive home to PA and we’ll be getting on a plane – we’ve been spoiled rotten. Thanks Ed and Yona!!!
Travel is fun but there’s no place like home!
