On our way west we went off the interstate for a trip to Boonville, Missouri. The billboards touted the Isle of Capri Casino and Resort. The casino was clean and neat. We got our player’s cards, but no free play as we already signed up at a sister casino in Louisiana. We did win a bit at this casino stop.
Statue of a young Sam Clemens as a riverboat captain
Today we spent the day in Hannibal, Missouri. Famous for being the home of Samuel Clemens, also known as the author Mark Twain, Hannibal is a really interesting and very historic small town on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River.
Mark Twain is of course everywhere, both in name and in picture. One local restaurant proudly proclaims that it has Mark Twain fried chicken on the menu. Hmmm I didn’t know that Twain had scooped the colonel.
The orignal homes of Clemen’s family and those of other real life people who became the fictional characteres in the Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn books are open for tours.
In addition to all the Mark Twain attractions, this river town is filled with some magnificent old Victorian homes, some restored, some in the midst of restoration and some in need of immediate attention.
Clemen’s (Tom Sawyer’s) home and that famous white-washed fence
Tom Sawyer’s first love, Beck Thatcher, who exisited in real life when Clemens was but a young lad
Well of course there is a Mark Twain Dinette in Hannibal!
” the extensive view up and down the river is … one of the best on the Mississippi.”
Mash tank in the brew house. The production areas were not only spotless, but the building interior painted and beautiful.
Just now Sher and I took the free tour of the Anheuser-Busch brewery, home of Budweiser beer. We were able to park in the designated tour parking lot. We had time to visit the welcome center and gift shop before our tour started after a short 20 minute wait.
This tour is just amazing. Two tour guides narrated the tour with mic’s so you could easily hear. It takes about 50 minutes and does require a lot of walking. The first stop is the Budweiser Clydesdale stable. Talk about pampered animals!
The tour will give you a concise history of the company and you see the actual brewing vats and learn the brewing procedures as well. It was striking how big the facility is and how much beer is brewed there each year. Hope you enjoy the pictures below!
Storyboard of the brewing process. We got a sample of Bud Lite at this stop.
Luke, one of the Budweiser Clydesdales in rotation to pull the famous Budweiser wagons
One of four Budweiser wagons in the stable rotundra
Beechwood aging tanks, the last step before final filtering and packaging. Each tank holds 3600 barrels of beer!
Exterior of the Brew House, built in 1891 – 1892.
Roadtirement 