Missouri, that is.
Today, we drove out to Hannibal MO. For the roadgeeks out there, we drove out I-70 to US 61, and took US 61 up to Hannibal, where we picked up MO 79. We drove MO 79 back to I-70 to complete the loop, passing through Louisiana MO. Yes, there is also a Mexico MO and a Nevada MO. No connection to California PA. US 61 is a four lane divided expressway, mostly through farmland (corn and soy). MO 79 is part of the Great River Road, mostly along the river, through farmland and woodland, and numerous small towns. Quite an interesting ride.
As for Hannibal: Color me less than impressed. A small shopping area, with a few neat stores. A batch of museums, all trying to treat fictional characters from Tom Sawyer as if they were real. There was one interesting optics museum, and we did find a real-life soda fountain. There was one interesting aspect to the Hannibal MO: John Kerry was coming there tomorrow (Wednesday), so we got to see the advance work by his supporters and the Secret Service. One never thinks about a candidate’s visit and its impact on the local town. Some merchants weren’t bothered. Others mused about sending him a bill. Given he was speaking at 6:00 PM, it looked like it wouldn’t impact things much.
Some more highway observations: As we got out of the St. Louis area, the reflectorized signs changed to older button copy that reminded me of Los Angeles. Second, the roads in Missouri are in great condition, and put Caltrans to shame. [Begin edit] Lastly, there are lots of supplemental roads, which have letters in square shields, and appear to connect state roads. You can find more information at St. Louis Highways or the The Missouri Highway Page. [End edit]
Tonight was domestic. We went out for Missouri BBQ with Linda (and the waitress was actually familiar with Bear Pit out in Mission Hills), and then went back to Linda’s house and did our laundry.
Tomorrow is the last day of hot and humid, with rain predicted. We’re thinking the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park, which has a display on the 1904 fair.
