We spent a weekend exploring Hannibal, Missouri. Hannibal is located north of St. Louis along the Mississippi River. Hannibal is the home of the famous author, Mark Twain.

We first visited Mark Twain Cave. Tours run about every half hour and start from the Visitor’s Center. The tour starts out with a short video and then about a half mile walk through the cave with the tour lasting a total of 60 minutes. We enjoyed this cave tour since there was a lot of history like being able to see Mark Twain’s signature in the cave and also stories of how his exploration of the cave tied into his most famous book – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

The next it was pretty rainy so we decided to go back to Hannibal and do the Cameron Cave Tour which is located in the same place as Mark Twain Cave. This tour is far less popular and we were actually the only two people on the tour! This tour is unique since this cave does not have any electricity. They give you a souvenir mini flashlight to use on the tour. Both caves are interesting in their own right, but I think I preferred Cameron Cave since it was more in its’ natural state. Both caves are what they call “labyrinth” caves since the passage ways form almost perfect blocks and it would be easy to get turned around in.

After leaving Mark Twain Cave the first day, we stopped at Lover’s Leap overlook which sits high above the Mississippi River and overlooks Hannibal to the north.

We then went to Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home which is located in the heart of Hannibal. By purchasing a ticket at the Visitor’s Center, it allows you access to a self-guided tour through several historic houses. I vaguely remember visiting when I was younger!

We then visited Friendship Brewery and Sidekicks BBQ & Sweets located just across the street. This place has a cool, laid-back vibe and we highly recommend the pulled pork nachos!

We actually stayed in Jacksonville, Illinois which is about an hour east of Hannibal. We had a hard time finding pet friendly rentals in Hannibal so we opted to stay in a charming historic log cabin. We found this place on AirBNB and recommend it. The hosts even left homemade coffee cake for us to enjoy!

One must travel to learn. – Mark Twain