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Posted at January 23, 2008 10:01

The Great River Road Delivers Scenic Byways, Eagles, City Lights, River Heritage, & Adventure

By James Bondank

For nearly four hundred miles, the Missouri portion of the Great River Road meanders along the west bank of the Mississippi River. It visits charming small towns, a big city, locks and dams, fine architecture, well-known restaurants, and more on its path from the Iowa border to the Arkansas state line, and while it could be driven in a day, part of the attraction is a slow journey along the Mighty Mississippi.
In its entirety, the Great River Road stretches 2,340 miles and was developed by the governors of the ten states adjacent to the river in 1938 as a national river parkway to promote commerce in those ten states, according to the Mississippi River Parkway Commission; however, the road itself is not a single byway but a collection of routes.
     At the Iowa border, two-lane Route 81 launches the first leg of the journey to Canton, where Lock and Dam No. 20 is the northernmost lock and dam on the Mississippi River in Missouri. Opened in 1935, the dam is 2,369 feet long. Passing ships are raised and lowered through the locks by gravity. Only the gates are mechanically powered. Canton also boasts the longest continually operating ferry on the Mississippi, which links Canton to Meyer, Illinois.
     While there are several good spots along the road to bird-watch, South Riverfront Park is a perfect place to watch for eagles, which can be seen along the river in winter months. They can often be spied snatching a fish from the water below the dams on the Mississippi.
     Highway 61 supports the next leg of the journey as it heads toward LaGrange. There, riverboat gambling at the Mark Twain Casino at the south end of town harkens back to the days when showboats and gamblers aboard them used to ply the river. Those banks at LaGrange are also a hot spot to stick your toes in the sand at the beach at Riverfront Park and watch the summer powerboat races.
     A few minutes further south, fishing for bass, bluegill, and catfish along with swimming and boating at Wakonda State Park could occupy more than a few hours.
     Highway 61 then leads into Hannibal, home of the newspaper reporter, writer, and riverboat pilot Mark Twain, known locally as Samuel Clemens. His presence can be felt throughout Hannibal—from the statues of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn on Cardiff Hill to the statue of Twain himself, overlooking his beloved Mississippi River in Riverview Park. Samuel Clemens was born in 1835 in Florida, Missouri, and moved to Hannibal in 1839.
Twain can still be visited at his boyhood home downtown or at the Mark Twain Museum. Although physically, of course, he’s not there, a collection of exhibits and artifacts details his life and the era in which he lived. The truly serious Twain enthusiasts will get out of the car at Mark Twain Cave and tiptoe into the past where Twain played as a boy and where he set several of his story lines involving Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher.
     Unique shops, restaurants, and river cruises on the Mark Twain Riverboat beckon from downtown, as well.
     From Hannibal south to St. Peters, Route 79 takes up the Great River Road and is an especially scenic stretch. Often cresting the many hills along the river, a section of the road from the northern Pike County line to Clarksville is a designated Missouri Scenic Byway. In addition, it is also a National Scenic Byway known as The Little Dixie Highway of the Great River Road, so named because of Southern-style architecture and Deep South ambience of charming riverfront towns. Bicyclists know this as one of the completed sections of the Missouri River Trail. Both on- and off-road paths are available in varying lengths.
     An abundance of Victorian-style architecture awaits visitors on their arrival at Louisiana. As part of the region’s 50 Miles of Art corridor, sightseers need to take time to view the many murals on display throughout the town. Arts, crafts, pottery, and pewter can be found in downtown shops, and artisans can often be viewed at work.
     Along the road on Route 79, scenic overlooks provide inspiring views of the river valley, not unlike those that Mark Twain enjoyed in the 1880s.
     At Clarksville, “Made in Missouri” takes on a special meaning. Missouri’s art heritage is alive and kicking in this small burg of 490 people. Artisans from across the country relocated here several years ago in response to a call from the state. Potters, glass blowers, painters, and more live, work, and sell their trade here in a city where all of the downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places. Architecture buffs can find Queen Anne, Italianate, and Greek Revival examples all over town. Two particular gems are the Northern Methodist Episcopal Church and the Turner-Pharr House.
     The town is also home to Lock and Dam No. 24, which is 1,340 feet long and opened in March 1940.
     Next, Route 79 takes us from the small town to our biggest city, St. Louis, with its own inimitable style.
     The Gateway Arch, adjacent to the Mississippi River, rises 630 feet into the sky—an impressive sight by day or night. A tram carries passengers to an enclosed area at the top. Designed by architect Eero Saarinen, the Arch was completed in 1965 at a cost of thirteen million dollars. An integral part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, the Arch was built to commemorate the westward pioneers.
     The old Chain of Rocks Bridge, formerly U.S. Route 66 across the Mississippi, is now a biking and hiking path.
     Just outside of the metro area in West Alton lies the Edward “Ted” and Pat Jones – Confluence Point State Park. This day-use park is situated at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Visitors can enjoy the passing parade of ships and birds, as this area is part of the Mississippi Flyway, a spring and fall migration route for thousands of birds and waterfowl on their journey between Canada and the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service estimates that about 60 percent of the nation’s migrating waterfowl use this route.
     Heading south out of St. Louis, the Great River Road joins Highway 61 and barrels off toward Ste. Genevieve. Settled by the French in the late 1740s, Ste. Genevieve’s National Historic Landmark District is filled with French Colonial and Federal architecture. The Felix Vallé House is a centerpiece to Ste. Genevieve. Open for tours, this Federal-style limestone building was built in 1848 for the Vallé family and is a Missouri State Historic Site. Also on site is the 1792 Bauvais-Amoureux House, one of five poteaux en terre, or vertical-log construction, homes in the country—three of which are in Ste. Genevieve.
Ste. Genevieve also claims to be home to the oldest cemetery in Missouri. Memorial Cemetery, off of Fifth Street, is the final resting place to French and Spanish area pioneers. Currently, restoration work is being done to locate overgrown graves, but no new graves have been added since the 1800s.
     Just thirty miles further south on Highway 61, chimes and bells ring out at Perryville. The town features a classic town square, courthouse with chiming clock tower, and the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, complete with its own bell tower, which welcomes visitors of all faiths. Featuring late nineteenth and early twentieth century Revival-style architecture, the buildings and grounds of the shrine are part of St. Mary’s of the Barrens Historic District.
     Still a guest of Highway 61, seekers will find Missouri’s Wall of Fame, which is a mural depicting the likenesses of famous Missourians, such as Stan Musial, Vincent Price, Walter Cronkite, Yogi Berra, and talk show host Rush Limbaugh, at Cape Girardeau. A map of the Great Murals Tour is available at the visitor’s center on Broadway.
     Civil War aficionados can also explore Fort D at Cape Girardeau. Constructed in 1861 and open for tours, the fort protected the city from Confederate forces during the Civil War. John Wesley Powell, who led the first expedition through America’s Grand Canyon along the Colorado River, designed the fort.
     After visiting the fort, the “Home of Throwed Rolls” is just a short trip down Highway 61 toward the Bootheel. Earl Lambert originally opened Lambert’s Cafe at Sikeston on Main Street, but today’s version is on East Malone. Here, Norm Lambert made road-food history when a customer asked a busy Norm to “throw” him a roll rather than wait for table delivery. Rolls have been sailing aloft ever since.
     Before Highway 61 delivers the Great River Road to Arkansas, New Madrid, known chiefly for the New Madrid Fault and a series of earthquakes in 1811-12, is the final stop. The 1811-12 earthquakes were felt all over the country, and the New Madrid Historical Museum on Main Street details the history and future of the fault. There is a seismograph on the premises as the fault is still active.
     Missouri’s Great River Road is one of the Midwest’s finest road trips. History, architecture, state parks, bicycling, fishing, St. Louis, and more await. Adventurers are sure to enjoy the journey.

 

February 2008

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