One of the more interesting facts I know about Mark Twain is that on the day he was born (Nov. 30, 1835) and the day he died (April 21, 1910) Halley’s Comet passed overhead.
The odds of this happening to anyone are astronomical as this natural phenomenon occurs only once every 75-76 years.
However, the heavens seem to be aligned for him again in 2010 when the 175th anniversary of Twain’s birth (born Samuel Langhorne Clemens); the 100th anniversary of his death; and the 125th anniversary of the publication of his most famous work “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” all collide.
I found out all these interesting facts and more on a trip to Hannibal last Halloween weekend where I was a guest at Garth Woodside Mansion, one of Twain’s favorite haunts in Hannibal.
The Garth Mansion was constructed in 1871 and is rated the No. 1 Bed and Breakfast in Missouri.
It was built as a country home for Colonel John Garth, boyhood friend of Samuel Clemens, and sits on a lovely hillside surrounded by 130-plus year old oak trees.
As I pulled up the long driveway, it appeared a perfect setting for a Halloween celebration and once inside owners John and Julie Rosen made me feel right at home starting with a drink of their own private label Mark Twain bourbon at the bar in their onsite restaurant, the Woodside.
You may choose any of eight luxurious rooms in the mansion and sleep in the same room on the second floor as Clemens often did.
I stayed in the adjoining John Garth Room and toasted the great author from the comfort of my private whirlpool tub.
The warmth of my gas fireplace made the room especially cozy and I soon settled in for a peaceful night’s sleep in my feather bed after a wonderful meal at the Woodside.
In the morning, I enjoyed a hot gourmet breakfast served while I peered out at the two curious pet llamas — Lexi and Cookie — who grazed in their own private paddock near the three Woodside Cottages and the ultra luxurious Dowager Cottage.
The 1,500-square-foot Dowager Cottage was recently built for the discriminating guest who requires total privacy with amenities like a 10-foot walk-in shower with 11 shower heads, two-person whirlpool tub, king-sized feather bed, Bose Surround Sound System, and a gorgeous stone fireplace complete with a huge picture window and deck overlooking a wooded pond.
For room rates and availability go to www.garthmansion.com.
Now it was time for me to go out and explore.
I began at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in downtown Hannibal. Start at the Interpretive Center where a series of all new exhibits were opened in 2005 to present you with facts about young Samuel Clemen’s life.
The nearby Huckleberry Finn House was also reconstructed in 2005 from photographs of the home of Tom Blankenship, the real boy who inspired the character.
The Boyhood Home was completely restored in the early 1990s and just across the street is the Becky Thatcher House, the childhood home of Laura Hawkins, the real name of the girl who served as Tom Sawyer’s famous love interest.
Outside you’re invited to leave your mark on the white picket fence that is whitewashed each Fourth of July as part of National Tom Sawyer Days.
Next I hopped on the Hannibal Trolley for a sightseeing tour of the city and eventually got off at the Mark Twain Cave, one mile south of town on Highway 79.
A guided, one-hour tour through the limestone cave revealed interesting rock formations and brought to mind the harrowing excerpts from “Tom Sawyer” when Tom testified against Injun Joe in a court of law only to have Joe jump out the second story window of the courtroom screaming,
“I’m gonna get revenge on you if it’s the last thing I do,” before secretly finding the best hiding place of all — the cave.
Several special events are scheduled in 2010 including the new “Twain on Main” Festival over Memorial Day Weekend.
Each year a specific book of Mark Twain’s is featured and 2010 will showcase “Roughing It” — a rollicking travel book about his first journey out West.
Hal Holbrook will come to Hannibal for a special performance of his one-man stage show April 17 at the newly restored Orpheum Theater just days away from the 100th anniversary of Twain’s death.
However, each day from June 1 to August 31, “A Daily Chat with Mark Twain” will be performed at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum. This free performance will run daily from 2-2:20 p.m.
And the First Friday Film Festival will show a movie based on Twain’s books or life each first Friday of the month throughout 2010.
Hannibal’s newest attraction — Big River Train Town — is a model railroader’s dream and is open year round in the historic district downtown.
For updated information on the special events for 2010, visit www.twain2010.org.
For complete information on Hannibal go to www.VisitHannibal.com or call toll free at 1-TOM-AND-HUCK.
About the author: Mark Bradley is a tour director and currently resides in Chillicothe. He is a 1973 graduate of Illinois Valley Central High School and 1977 graduate of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with a degree in radio/TV.
For more about Mark Bradley, click here.
Chillicothe, Ill. —
