Adventures on the Mississippi!

One week from today, the girls and I are heading out to Missouri for an adventure! Probably not as big as the adventures that Tom and Huck had in the mind of Mark Twain, but very big adventures all the same. We are going to see FAMILY!! Some that I haven't seen since I was last there 6 years ago!!! Yep, it's been too long!

And while we're there, I hope to visit a few other places that I've NEVER been to as well. I was born in Hannibal, MO, home of Mark Twain. We grew up right in the midst of some really great culture and history, but sometimes when you're so close to it you don't really appreciate it like you would if you lived far away and came out to visit it. (Case in point, ME!) Sorta like my friend who told me she'd live here in Northern CA all her life and had never been up to see the redwoods. Tragic.

I do have a few vague and distant memories of summer fun in Hannibal. We didn't realize at the time that it's such a big tourist attraction! I remember going "frogging" late at night with my brothers. Just us and a flashlight and a smelly pond. Dad let us catch frogs to enter into the Frog Jumping Contest at the Tom Sawyer Days festival that weekend. Yes, frog jumping. They also had fence painting contests, and my favorite, the Tom and Becky contests!! Kids would dress up in these amazing costumes and they would be judged and voted on to see who would represent the town for the next year. (A hill-billy Miss USA, if you will. But I was enthralled. I wanted to be Becky Thatcher!!)

I don't know that any of the Tom Sawyer fun will be happening while we're there, but we do plan to visit Hannibal and see some of the sights!!

I'm older now, and much more appreciative!!! Hmmm, do you think my girls will be?? We'll see!

Here's my list of things to do/places to visit:

The light house (a long climb up but worth the view!)
Lover's Leap (depressing, but a good story)
River boat ride??
Mark Twain Caves
Dip my toes in the mighty Mississippi!!
Mark Twain's home

Looking forward to making lots of memories!! Hurry up, vacation!!

I need to pack.....