Showing posts with label boat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boat. Show all posts

Friday, August 16, 2019

Literature and History in Hannibal, Missouri

After a big, complimentary breakfast at the Holiday Inn & Suites in Hannibal, Missouri, Brittany, Amanda, and I got ready for a jam-packed day.

There was quite a bit to do in the city made famous by Mark Twain, who was known in his hometown under his real name, Samuel Clemens.

We had seen some of Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home & Museum the previous day and went back to visit some of the buildings we missed.

It was interesting to see Becky Thatcher’s House, the Huckleberry Finn House, and J.M. Clemens Justice of the Peace Office. 

Becky and Huck Finn were popular characters in the Mark Twain series, but J.M. Clemens was the actual name of Samuel Clemens father.










One of my favorite exhibits within the Boyhood Home buildings was something I’d love for every child to see. It was called “Growing Up to Fast.”

Using the examples of Becky, Tom, Huck, and Jim, all growing up in different levels of income, it examples how their life would be at that time. It explained their ability to go to school, and if (and when) they might have to leave to go to work. 

Many children during this time in Hannibal would have to forego finishing school to help support their family.

Within the block with the recreated houses is also the Haunted House and Wax Museum. 


It’s worth a visit to look through the museum, especially the life-like replicas of the characters Mark Twain wrote about.

The Hannibal History Museum shows the industry passing through this Missouri City, as well as other famous people who lived here. Among them were “Unsinkable Molly Brown” who survived the Titanic, and performer Cliff Edwards, who is best known as the voice of Disney’s Jiminy Cricket.

We walked down to the dock to take a scenic cruise on the Mark Twain Riverboat. The trip, which runs along the Mississippi River, straddling Missouri and Illinois, was very relaxing. There is narration throughout, telling you all about the area and Mark Twain.

Mark Twain Riverboat’s sightseeing cruise is an hour and they have a snack bar with some food, soft drinks, and alcoholic drinks. There is also a dinner cruise. You do not need to worry about the weather as the boats are completely enclosed. It’s also very accessible and I had no trouble taking my scooter on and off.

When we left the boat, we headed over to Mark Twain Caves and Cave Hollow West Winery. While Brittany and Amanda explored the caves, I tasted the offerings at the winery.

I was pleasantly surprised at just how good Cave Hollow West wine is. There were two wines that were so good I went home with bottles: An Innocent Broad, a slightly sweet blend of Vidal and Vignoles, and Lighthouse White, a sweeter white with citrus notes.

When they returned from the Cave, which is celebrating its 200th birthday this year, we sipped some more wine and enjoyed some snacks on the patio.

I needed some rest, so we went back to the hotel for a bit, deciding to have dinner after the show.

I was very impressed with Mark Twain Himself, a one man show in which actor Richard Garey, dressed as Mark Twain, presents an impromptu look at the author’s life through his writings. The show changes with each performance so you never know what part of his life you will be learning about.

We were more than ready for dinner at Mark Twain Brewing Company.  I nibbled on giant pretzel with beer cheese sauce while Brittany and Amanda sampled the beer.

In addition to their brews, this eatery is known for its barbecue. 

We sampled the brisket and the ribs, with smoked in house and topped with their own BBQ sauce. They were all good.
Mark Twain Ramblers Red Ale, Scotch Ale, King Arthur IPA, Chocolate Coffee Stout

For dessert, they had one of my favorites, pecan pie.  

I went back to the Holiday Inn & Suites to turn in for the night. 

Brittany and Amanda headed downtown to take the Haunted Hannibal Tour. They had fun with the combination of ghost tours and history, which ended at Hannibal’s Old Baptist Cemetery.


Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Birthday Along Pictured Rocks

It was my birthday and I planned to spend it enjoying the beauty of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

I was staying at the Alger Falls Motel in Munising. The tourism board had arranged a two boat rides for me the day before and I had another one to go. It was a beautiful day for it too.


The Pictured Rocks Cruises is the one I was looking forward to the most because it highlights the most beautiful rock formations in this area.

I had the tour scheduled for the morning and it did not disappoint. The sites are just breathtaking, from Miners Castle to Painted Coves and Lovers Leap. It reminded me a lot of some of the things
I saw in Los Cabos, Mexico.

There were kayakers below us seeing Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore from a whole different angle. I have to admit I was a bit jealous that I wasn’t able-bodied enough to join them.

After I got off the ship, I decided to take a drive around town. Munising is a fairly small town considering it has one of the most spectacular spots in the Midwest.

There are local shops and restaurants along the main road. I looked around a little and stopped at the Frozen Flamingo for ice cream.




Before I headed back to the motel for a rest, I went to Horseshoe Falls. I heard it was one of the most accessible of the many waterfalls in this area and that was true.

Horseshoe Falls has an easy to follow walking path to and around the falls. I loved the signs along with way with Native American sayings, as well as information about the falls. There is also a large spring that comes into the area.

I picked up my friend Lynn from Escanaba airport in the evening. I had looked around for a restaurant for a nice birthday dinner and found one not far from there in Gladstone.

The Freshwater Tavern had both atmosphere, overlooking Lake Michigan, and delicious food (even the rolls).

Before we headed back to the Alger Motel in Munising, we took a scenic drive along Lake Superior for the sunset.  

Although my time in this town was coming toward, there was lots more Michigan to come.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Lakes of Beauty in Munising


My first trip up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was in the wintertime. I took a ride to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and, even in winter, I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. 


I vowed to come back and explore this area more and it seemed like an ideal way to spend my birthday.


I left Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee and drove through Wisconsin to the UP. I had decided that Munising was a base for me to start and it was the right choice.

It was near sunset when I arrived at the Alger Falls Motel. The Munising tourism board had set me up there for two nights. The rooms were large and the location was central.

 


I was a bit hungry and decided to go for something local. I drove down to Muldoon’s and had my very first Pastie, a local favorite they were known for.

 A pasty is a hand pie looks like a cross between a turnover and a calzone, or for those who have been to the U.K., a meat pie. I decided I was not in a beef mood and got one vegetable, and one apple for dessert.



I took my pasties down to the Munising dock. It was a beautiful scene of boats and glistening water, and the perfect way to end the day.

After a full night’s sleep back at the motel, I was ready for an extremely full day in Michigan. Lake Superior was the center of it all and the turquoise water was waiting for me.

 


First up was a fairly new attraction, the Munising Pirate Cruise. It was a warm, beautiful day for this family filled cruise.

It was a nice combination of pirate fun for the kids and adult sightseeing. I enjoyed watching and photographing both as we went up Grand Island and back along the cost of Pictured Rocks.

 


It was even more beautiful than I had imagined. I saw the Grand Island lighthouses, old and new, and rock formations that could only be made by nature.

I grew up near the ocean. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about enjoying life on Long Island, but the idea of these calm, clear, colorful, hurricane and shark-free waters of the great lakes appeals to me much more.

 


After the boat ride, I had most of the day free until another cruise in the evening. I headed back to the motel for some rest and then out to a late lunch/early dinner.

I decided on a local favorite, Dogpatch, for the salad bar and delicious pulled pork.


Despite rain in the forecast, it was ideal evening weather for the Shipwreck Tours with a glass bottom boat.

The boat was going in the same directions as the morning one, but the itinerary and purpose was different. We were going to see many of the shipwrecks left in these clear waters of this Great Lake.

 


The windows on the bottom of the ship were large and clear and it was easy to see the wrecks. The boat went in and out of some of the Grand Island caves, even stopping in one for us to get a closer look, as well as selfies.

The formations of these caves were a work of art. I was looking forward to seeing the ones on the other side, at Pictured Rocks, the next day.

 


I was extremely relaxed on this amazing body of water and had another peaceful night sleep. I was excited that I had more days to explore the wonders of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Visiting the Sault

It took us all day to drive up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but Brittany, Jamie, and I were excited about the trip ahead of us over the Mackinac Bridge.

The trip to Sault Ste Marie was a first for all of us. This city on the Lake (Superior) is filled with history and fun and we were ready to experience it.

The Sault Ste Marie tourism board arranged for a large suite for us at Superior Place.

It is in a good location and quite comfortable, with a pool and gym for use at the Best Western across the parking lot.

We got an early start in the morning and headed downtown to find someplace for breakfast. Oh, Crepe immediately caught our eyes and we decided to go in.

They have a menu with a little something for everyone. I went for the sweet (Nutella and banana), while the girls did more savory crepes, with bacon, sausage, and eggs.

This year celebrates the 350th anniversary of Sault Ste Marie, the oldest city in the state of Michigan.

Sault Ste Marie has another attribute you won’t find in another Michigan (or Midwest) city: its name is duplicated across Lake Superior in Sault Ste Marie, Canada.

The first thing on our agenda was to see the Soo Locks, where billions of dollars’ worth of iron pass through on freighters.

The best way for us to see this was on a boat, so we headed to the dock to board the Soo Locks Boat Tour.

From the boat, we could see the whole operation and even got to experience the locks taking the boat down, over, and back up again.

The only time I had previously been through locks was on a Viking River Cruise on the Danube. Brittany and Jamie had never done it before.

The other part of the ride that we found to be unique was that we went out along the U.S. side and came back through Canadian Waters.

The International Bridge, just passed the locks, separates the two countries.

Although you can be “in” Canada with Soo Lock Boat Tours along the lake, you need a passport to get from one country to the next through the bridge.  

After the boat ride, we went down the road to Museum Ship Valley Camp.

This unique site is especially popular with kids as the museum is inside an actual boat used in the Soo Locks.

The Valley Camp consisted of three freighters that were launched from Ohio three weeks apart, during World War I, landing in Sault Ste Marie.

There is plenty to explore at Valley Camp, while you read about the various freighters that came through here, the Eastland Disaster of 1915, and even the fish (perch and whitefish) that are typically found in this Great Lake.

We were really hungry by the time we finished touring the boat and decided to go straight to dinner before heading back to the hotel.

The Palace Saloon was the perfect choice for authentic Mexican food.

We started out with a few of their fruity margaritas, as well as the house made queso they are famous for. 

I also wanted to try their fresh guacamole.

For our dinner, we had shrimp skewers, a burrito, and a chimichanga. Everything was delicious.



We were all exhausted when we got back to the Superior Place and settled in for the night.

We had another full day of fun ahead of us in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

King Tut and Dinner on the River in St. Louis

It was a beautiful summer day and my friend Betty and I were heading to St. Louis.

We were going to spend the afternoon at the St. Louis Science Center before taking off on a Gateway Arch River Cruise for dinner.

We decided to leave the car in the lot by the boat and take an Uber to the museum and back. 

The cruises left right below the Gateway Arch and we had quite a view from that spot.

The St. Louis Science Center is located within Forest Park. Like the other museums there, it is free to the public.

We didn’t realize that the museum closed at 5:00 pm so we couldn’t see it all, but we had enough time to go through the main thing we came for:

The King Tut Exhibit.

With our tickets we received our recorders for the guided audio tour. 

I really didn’t know what to expect since it had been many years since I had seen anything on King Tut. 

This exhibit was so much more than I ever expected.

It is set up so that you are walking in the steps of archaeologist Howard Carter when he discovers the King Tutankhamun site in 1922. Nothing else like it had ever been found.

The exhibit then takes you through the tomb and the artifacts, including the mummy cases and tomb treasures. 

It consists of lots of gold in every shape and form.

Betty and I were both amazed at all of this splendor, created thousands of years ago with minimal tools.

The King Tut Exhibit is open at the St. Louis Science Center through January 7, 2018. There is a charge for this exhibit, but it is definitely worth it.

We had some time before the river cruise and we had Uber driver take us around Forest Park. 

I had been to the Art Museum and the Zoo, but hadn’t spent any significant time in the park since I was a kid.
Our driver had us back at the boat in time for the cruise. We had not had any substantial food all day and couldn’t wait.

The tables were reserved and the buffet was set up when we boarded. There was a banjo player and Betty and I each order a glass of wine and began to relax.

Dinner on the Gateway River Cruise included a beef carving station, chicken, fish, vegetables, potatoes, fruit, and pasta salad.

We helped ourselves to full portions and the food was very good.


The dessert was a choice of Red Velvet and Chocolate Fudge cakes. I had a little of each and they were both delicious.

It was a beautiful night and the ride along the Mississippi River was wonderful. 

We went outside to catch the sunset and watch the boat get ready to dock.

Dinner cruises, which you can reserve on the website, run through October and start back up in April.

The one-hour sightseeing cruises go until November and start again in March.