Summer Vacation

Historic Hannibal

(Mark Twain's home town)

 

 

 

 

One day was spent down by the river in the "Mark Twain" historical area.

We started with the Boyhood Home and Museum.

 

In the museum, we encountered Tom and Becky.

Tiana was rather scared of them and was not too pleased

with the photo op experience.

Each year there is a contest for the "job" of Tom and Becky.

One of the perks is scholarship money when they are ready for college.

 

Mark Twain's boyhood home.

There were Twain quotes sprinkled around the interior of the house

and this one reminds me of the universal experience concerning our childhood homes:

 

"Nothing remains the same.  When a man goes back to look at the house of his childhood,

it has always shrunk: there is no instance of such a house being as big as the

picture in memory and imagination call for."

 

 

The famous whitewashed Tom Sawyer fence. 

 

By the time we finished touring the homes and museum,

the humidity had pretty much knocked us flat.

We would slip into any store along the street just to experience their air conditioning. 

It was a relief to come to the Interpretive Center where we could enjoy

the cool air until lunch time.

 

In the afternoon, four of our group hiked many steps to a lighthouse overlooking the river.

 

Bethany was feeling downright sick by this time and declined the hike.
We think that the humidity made her sick to her stomach.

Her and I enjoyed the river view directly below the lighthouse.

 

 

While we were waiting to go back to the Interpretive Center for a talk by

Mark Twain himself,

 

 

we had some time to kill so we found a nice shady spot with a bench

and the kids worked on their trick photography skills.

 

 

 There were some curious stares by people driving by but

we could have cared less in our humidity addled state of mind.

 

So we finished up a day of soaking in both literary history

and humidity.  Arid Kansas was looking like a happy place to land

in the very near future.