Today we celebrate the anniversary of our country's Declaration of Independence from a tyrannical monarchy. The fireworks, parades, and fairs are always the highlight of an American summer.
On this day, my son and I went for a two-hour drive (each way) to Hannibal, Missouri - nicknamed America's Hometown. Hannibal, as most people know, is the hometown of Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. This historic river town is home to Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Becky Thatcher, Aunt Polly and a host of iconic characters that draw us back to a time when riverboats ruled and life moved at a slower pace.
Sadly, Hannibal today isn't the quaint river town that most of us imagine. Many historic buildings have fallen into terrible disrepair. The Becky Thatcher House just reopened after a four-year renovation, but the Grant Drugstore is so bad, it's too dangerous to allow people to do any more than look in a window. An employee of an art gallery we met told us that renovations have been going on in the last ten years, but much more work needs to be done. I shake my head and wonder what Mark Twain would think about his home town if he saw it today.
In spite of my melancholy over Hannibal's deterioration, my son and I had a good time while there. The craft show was lovely, the carnival was fun, and while the fence painting contest wasn't quite what we were expecting, we enjoyed the visit. We finished our day with dinner at the local diner - Mark Twain Dinette and Family Restaurant. The diner celebrated 70 years last year and is clearly a popular eatery. The food was great and atmosphere very friendly.
We didn't stay for the fireworks in Hannibal. My son was tired and wanted to go home, so we made the drive home in time to see the fireworks in our own neighborhood. For the first time, my husband and I were able to watch the show from five different locations around our house from the comfort of our front porch. The "official" show was two miles away and not really visible from our house, but the neighbors put on a really good show. Noisy, but wonderful all the same.
I'm so thankful for a lovely day to celebrate our nation's birth, our Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, and spend time with one of my very favorite guys.
