Today we headed to Hannibal, MO to see the birthplace of Mark Twain. We arrived at the museum at 9AM sharp. The actual Mark Twain museum is pretty boring; it is pretty much a catalog of Mark Twain's works put in fancy displays. So, we worked through that pretty quickly. We moved on to his boyhood home which we also were a little disappointed in. We weren't sure why when we discussed it at first, but after thinking about it, I think it is because everything in the home is behind Plexiglas and there are big signs in the middle of the rooms (behind the glass) providing context. Other historic houses we've been to have guides or reenactors in the rooms that you can ask questions of, and I think for us (Beth and I anyway) that is part of the fun.
After visiting the Mark Twain sites in Hannibal, we spotted a scenic overlook and lighthouse (though I don't believe the lighthouse ever served any particular purpose). It was a long climb and we were hot and tired by the time we were done. Which made the next stop to Mark Twain Cave even more appealing.
Although, in the end, we actually decided to visit Cameron Cave. Cameron cave is right next door to Mark Twain Cave. The same family owns both caves. The story is that one of the Camerons discovered the cave on a cool February day because steam was rising from a small hole in the ground. The family kept the cave secret for a long time because they saw how tourism had destroyed the Mark Twain Cave (people putting their oily hands all over delicate cave formations, etching their names in the stone, etc) and were reticent to allow the same fate to befall this cave. They gave private tours for a period of time but eventually the National Park Service declared the Mark Twain Cave and Cameron Cave as national monuments and the family decided to open it for tours. However, the family will not allow the cave to be modernized, so it is shown by flashlight only, which was why we chose this tour over the Mark Twain Cave tour.
The tour was about an hour long. It was a little different cave than others we have been in because there are really no large rooms in the cave; it is all narrow passageways. There were not very many cave formations (stalagmites, -tites, etc.). The passageways are connected together in many ways, so, it is easy to see how one could get lost in a cave like this, going around and around in circles. The most interesting feature in the cave? Cave crickets. I've never seen one before. I tried to get a picture but it didn't work out and I didn't want to hold up the folks behind me by stopping for too long.
Following the cave, we dashed to Grafton, IL. Zoë's primary request for the trip was to go zip lining and we found Grafton Zipline to be the best option on our trip. We were always a little concerned about the logistics of the matter (we didn't want to make reservations since we didn't know when we would pass through) so we weren't sure what to expect when we got there. Today (a Friday) anyway, we need not have been concerned. When we arrived we were offered a choice between departing immediately and waiting an hour for the next trip. We weren't really ready to go and so opted for the next trip (a good thing, apparently, because while we were out, that group returned and apparently they caused a lot of problems on the tour).
So, anyway, we waited around for the appointed time (took some pictures, changed into more suitable clothing, etc) and then got suited up (strapped up? not sure what a zipliner would call this preparation. Buckled in?) and hit the course. The tour was about an hour long and is more or less what you might expect. You are strapped to a line by a device with rollers and a brake. You slide down the line (at a pretty good clip) until it is time to apply the brake (as signaled by the tour guide). The tour starts at the top of a substantial hill (really, a silly steep hill, and no switchbacks, really, just up, there was some concern about the van making it and it did smell like it had a bit of a rough time of it when we got to the top) and proceeds through steps to the bottom (there are a number of platforms that you stop at to switch lines) so there is no need to climb up, etc. The longest zipline was 2000' and on the line you reach speeds of maybe 50 mph (it doesn't feel as fast as that on the line). We put our GoPro camera on Ira's helmet (they had helmets ready to go with the mount on them) so we'll post some video at some point.
The other substantial sight to see in Grafton was the Fin Inn. I can't remember why but I've been fixated on this place since well before we started the tour. Highlight: an aquarium window at each table with fish such as catfish, paddlefish, and snapping turtles. They also had turtle soup on the menu, which was on my list to try (we made a turtle sauce piquant for our Cajun party last year, but that is the only turtle I've ever had). The soup was surprisingly sweet, I wonder if that is just how they do it in the South or if it is specific to this restaurant; I guess I'll have to try it elsewhere. Otherwise, Fin Inn was good, most of us had the all you can eat fried catfish (breaded in cornmeal and deep-fried, WHOLE catfish (well, gutted, of course), which came as a surprise to us Northerners, but, we discovered boning catfish works pretty much the same as trout, so, we didn't have too many problems with bones).
We departed Fin Inn for St. Louis but found a couple additional sights to see on the way. On our list was a confederate prison monument and the old route 66 bridge (still standing). We decided to find the bridge first. It took a little time to figure out where exactly the bridge was and get the GPS set to send us there. On the way we were distracted by the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower, a huge tower marking (we found later) the departing point of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The tower was well past closed by the time we spotted it so we could only take photos from a distance (apparently there is a tour to the top of the tower for some pretty amazing views). So, by the time we got to the old Route 66 Chain of Rocks Bridge (so named for a series of rapids in this area) it was nearing dusk (and park closure). We hustled down the bridge to see what we could see before it got too dark. It is a cool old bridge with trees growing up along side of it and a beautiful view of the river. While on the bridge, we noticed little castles to the South. According to Wiki, these are water intakes for St. Louis.
So, by this time, it was too dark to visit the confederate prison monument, so, we called it quits for the night.
Today is the one week mark for our journey. We've reached St. Louis, MO and are on track with our tentative schedule (however, I think that is about to slip because the kids want to see EVERYTHING in St. Louis).
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