You probably know a little bit about Hannibal, Missouri, because of the books written by a guy named Mark Twain, but I bet you don’t know much about the history of African Americans who’ve lived in Hannibal, even though Hannibal has had African American residents from its earliest days. I didn’t until I talked
Sam Clemens grew up in Hannibal, Missouri. We all know that. Those years provided fodder for his future works of fiction and shaped a good part of his character (and maybe the bad parts, too). We know that, too. Sam Clemens in 1850 During his life, Clemens related many happy memories of
Hannibal draws a lot of tourists eager to step into the world created by Mark Twain, which is a remarkable thing considering he wrote about a world that existed (more or less) 150 years ago. Hannibal has a lot of Twain to offer, but it's also an old river town worth getting to know on its own merits.
The Great River Road in Missouri passes through historic small towns, like internationally famous Hannibal, but if you get just a little off the highway, you can easily find dense bottomland forests, sand bars, overlooks, and great hikes. Scroll through the images in this gallery to help figure out what you want to visit next.
If your budget is tight this year and your dream trip to Venice is on hold, now is a great time to hit the road to get reacquainted with the history and culture of the Mississippi Valley. And what could be more fun than visiting festivals along the river that mix history and culture with
Scene at National Tom Sawyer Days in Hannibal, MO (photo taken July 4, 2014). See more photos here. Fence painting contest at National Tom Sawyer Days; Hannibal, MO
