The view from our hotel in Shelbina, MO (about 40 min. west of Hannibal). It rained thru the night so you would think it had cooled off a little--but not true! it actually just makes the humidity rise--it never got below 80 degrees overnight--and the humidity was about 95%.
I am thankful for Idaho (& Wyoming) rain showers when you know you can go outside during/after a rain storm & have a cool-down!
Looking up at the lighthouse in downtown Hannibal.
A picture by a lighthouse "just Ben's size!"
Tom Sawyer's childhood home & the fence he convinced his friends to white-wash for him while he supervised.
Most of the kids took a turn "white-washing" the fence.
The statue of Tom & Huck--at the base of the lighthouse steps.
Callum really enjoys these characters & this part of history!
The kids climbed the 244 steps up to the lighthouse. Pamela & I decided we didn't want to be in a "sauna" & exercise, so we waited in the shade.
The mighty Mississippi
The kids at the lighthouse.
Becky & Tom!
The Mississippi is in a receding flood stage right now, so we couldn't go to the Mark Twain Riverboat docks. You can see the park where the kids normally could have played.
All the levies are up holding the river back. They said it was up a couple more feet in the last little bit. It does "leak" (a little bit of water is coming out from the bottom).
Crossing the Mississippi into...
Illinois :D
Then we headed to Carthage to see the jail where Joseph & Hyrum were murdered. A group of missionaries (the Brass Band) was performing while we waited in line.
It was in the high 90's with about 95% humidity. Definitely felt like we were in a sauna! (and I don't need to go to another one for a very long time!)
The line just to get inside the building to begin the tour. We had no idea it would take this long. I later learned that they re-modeled the site in 1989 (a few years after I last visited it)
And it was so busy (we were later told that Sundays are their busiest days in the summer). We had a double whammy because they had 5 bus tours scheduled for the 5 1/2 hours that they were opened. So we waited in line outside for 1 hour & then inside for almost another hour.
And since they were so busy, you couldn't just squeeze in to just see the jail (they have a 20 minute video that you start out with & then you have to have a host go with you)
We finished after 5:30 (got there at 2:45). The jail building itself was super crowded (we had about 50 people in our group) & even though the building is air conditioned, with so many people going though (and being "stuffed" in the rooms) it was extremely hot.
the dungeon room (even though it was on the 2nd floor)
the room that the Smith brothers were killed in.
the bullet hole
standing outside the window where the prophet fell out of.
the statue of the brothers--with my kiddos.
