The Other Famous "Mark" From Missouri

Well hey y'all! We was justa sittin around the ol' homestead tryina stew up some ideas for fun times when the thought just came crashin into our noggins like a lightning bolt to a walnut. CRACK! There's another world-re-nowned writer from these here parts apart from our very own Mark: ol Sam Clemens, later to publish under the pen name Mark Twain, was from just up the Mississip in sleepy Hannibal, Missouri! So we packed up some of Grandma's finest spiced cupcakes, and a few cold Diet Cokes and we hit the road for Hannibal!

This is the boyhood home of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, or at least the preserved Americanized version of the historical site. Much of the events and settings of Mark Twain's (Samuel Clemens) most memorable books, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, were drawn from the memories of growing up in this small Missouri town.

Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Christine and Uncle Joe toured Mark Twain's boyhood home and the surrounding buildings used for inspiration for Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn's adventures. These books were some of the earliest children's literature written in a way that illustrated that adults aren't always the smartest and that mischievous kids aren't always such a terrible thing. You can probably recognize that theme in the Harry Potter books as well. Mark Twain was also a sarcastic, humorous old satirist known for his wit in his prose. He'd fit right in with this family.

We thought if Sam Clemens were here today, he would hate selfies, so took some ironically.

We had a good time strolling through the old buildings and laughing at the many humorous quotes. Aunt Christine was certainly a fan of the one above. Every time we turn around she's made another friend with a dog.
It was a fine day for strolling as well. The temperature was in the high 70s (that's Fahrenheit for you UK weirdos) and with the cool breeze blowing in from the river, it felt pretty nice.

Uncle Joe's favorite story, of Tom Sawyer cleverly persuading all the neighborhood kids to pay him to do his chores for him. Aunt Christine obliged for the photo, but that was it. Back to reality.

All that strolling really worked up a proper thirst, so we shuffled down to the Mark Twain Brewery to have a drink and fill up on some grub.

Not too shabby. We'll see what Grandpa has to say on his worldly Trip Adviser rundown.
After some lunch, Uncle Joe wanted to take a look at the Mark Twain Lighthouse, conveniently located up about 600 stairs. Aunt Christine, Grandma and Grandpa declined, and instead checked out a closer view of the Mighty Mississippi River.

I, on the other hand, realized halfway up the stairs that I was too foolish for starting and now too stubborn to stop. The view from the top was pretty nice, though.

This is less of a selfie and more just me hunched over trying to catch my breath from all those damn stairs.

After that, I was ready to just sit in a cool, dark place and relax. Grandma knew just the spot.

              We headed a few miles south of town to explore another source of inspiration for Mr. Clemens in a large cave now known as Mark Twain Cave.
The story goes that when I was a young boy, Grandma and I had stopped in Hannibal on our way back from dropping off Mark at school at Truman State University in Kirksville. I had wanted to go and explore the caves in Hannibal, but I guess we didn't have enough time (or Grandma's patience) back then, so Grandma promised she'd take me back some day. Well, fast forward about 20 years, and here we are! Grandma is true to her word!

Exploring the caves was worth the wait. Plus, it just felt good to get out of the heat as the temperature, much like my stubborn ass on those stairs, just kept climbing.

Apparently, another of Missouri's most famous had been in the cave before as the tour guide talked up a little pencil scribble on the wall as Jesse James' signature.
We learned a lot, but I imagine we would have learned much more had Professor Maddie walked us through the caves.
After we survived our adventure in the cave, it was time to head home. We all made an unofficial pact to go back and read the original Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn books to refresh our memory. What do you know? Maybe there is a bit more history in this old state of ours'. I reckon we just may have to keep diggin...
Hope everyone enjoyed Scott's visit, and hope everyone are doing well. We miss you guys!