MISSOURI

On November 1, I arrived in the Hannibal, Missouri area to explore all the locations made famous in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I don’t think I ever read these books when I was young so I read them before arriving and everything was fresh in my mind. I had a reservation for two weeks at Woodzy Acres RV Park, located 8 miles south of downtown Hannibal but once I got there, I didn’t like it. I certainly didn’t want to spend two entire weeks there so, after only three nights, I moved 25 miles father down the highway to Cozy C RV Campground. The weather was pretty nice for the first week but the second week brought single digit temps and three inches of snow. I definitely stayed north too long. The worst part was going up on the ice-covered roof to chip ice off the top of my slide-out so I could close it to leave. I don’t ever want to see snow and ice ever again!

My campsite for only three nights at Woodzy Acres RV Park. I didn’t like this place because it was run down and no one was on site running things.

My frozen campsite at Cozy C RV Campground.

Hannibal, Missouri is a quaint little town on the Mississippi River. Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) grew up here and many of the characters and situations in his books are based on him and his childhood friends. He renamed the town St. Petersburg for his books. The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum cost $10 and I was able to tour the Clemens home, Becky Thatcher’s home (she’s based on Clemens’ first sweetheart, Laura Hawkins), Huckleberry Finn’s house (he’s based on Tom Blankenship, son of the town drunk), his father’s law office and the museum. A one-hour riverboat ride cost $24 and pointed out locations down river from town that are featured in Mark Twain’s books like the island the boys get stranded on and the cave where Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher get lost and Tom discovers Injun Joe’s stolen gold. The cave is open for tours but I didn’t get to it.

At the top of Cardiff Hill (also featured in the books) is the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse, erected in 1935 to commemorate his 100th birthday. Here I was thinking I wouldn’t see another lighthouse until I got to California.

Downtown Hannibal, Missouri.

The Clemens home in Hannibal, Missouri was the setting for Tom Sawyer’s Aunt Polly’s house.

The famous fence that Tom Sawyer tricked his friends into painting.

The real-life Laura Hawkins’ home became Becky Thatcher’s in the books.

Huck Finn’s shack down by the river actually belonged to Tom Blankenship’s drunken father.

This sculpture in the Mark Twain Museum depicts Twain with Huck Finn listening to his story and Tom Sawyer looking over his shoulder.

The riverboat took me past “Jackson’s Island” featured in both the Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn books.

Hannibal, Missouri as seen from the river with river barges heading in both directions.

The Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse stands atop Cardiff Hill, overlooking the Mississippi River. It may not be a “real” lighthouse but it’s the only one on the river.

KANSAS

By mid-November, it was time to position myself in a good location to fly to New Jersey for Thanksgiving so I moved to Lawrence, Kansas, just west of Kansas City. Lawrence is a college town so there are plenty of dining and shopping opportunities but not much in the way of sightseeing.

My campsite at Kansas City West/Lawrence KOA.

The biggest excitement during my stay was the sighting of Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 locomotive on it’s national tour commemorating the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad. The Big Boy was the largest steam locomotive ever built and of the original 25, only 8 remain and the 4014 is the only operational one. After nearly 60 years in storage, Union Pacific spent two and a half years and millions of dollars restoring it in time for the 2019 tour.

I don’t know much about trains but many of my photography friends are heavily into them so when I learned that Big Boy was going to pass right by my campground, I just had to go see it and send them all photos. It’s very impressive as it passes by making the ground shake while the engineer gives the whistle a workout.

Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 passes near my campground on it’s tour around the country.

Click to watch a quick video of Big Boy 4014 as it roars past spectators at the crossing.

This map shows how close the railroad crossing is to my campground. Usually I hate being this close to train tracks because they’re really annoying!

I flew to New Jersey for 12 days for Thanksgiving, requiring me to hire a cat sitter. On this occasion, I used Rover.com and found Rachael, a wonderful young lady who is doing extra jobs to save for her wedding. Not only did she take good care of my girls, but she gave me a ride to and from the airport for less than Uber would charge.

Since leaving New Jersey, we’ve started a new family tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving on the weekend at my son Matt’s home in Alexandria, Virginia. I drive down from New Jersey with my best friend Diana who also happens to be his mother-in-law. Yup, her daughter married my son. It’s perfect!

The night I arrived, my BFF Diana and I went to our favorite bar—The Anchor Inn— for Ladies Night.

It worked out perfectly that all three sisters were in town at the same time. L-R: me, Barbara, Katy.

My daughter Michelle came in from Philadelphia to celebrate Thanksgiving with her best friend so I stopped by for a hug.

Strolling through Old Town Alexandria, Virginia to enjoy the Christmas lights.

Ladies laughing over Thanksgiving dinner. L-R: Michelle (my daughter), Diana (BFF and Matt’s mother-in-law), Gwen (my daughter-in-law and Diana’s daughter). Do you have it all straight?

Reed family portrait. L-R: Matt, Michelle, me.

Although I always make sure my cats are well cared for when I go away, they like to let me know they do like it when I leave. I had a recliner in my house in New Jersey they shredded down to the wood frame.

It was pretty cold during my stay in Kansas and I continued to have trouble using more propane than expected to keep the camper warm. I had talked with the maintenance man at the campground about the problems I had in Missouri with my tanks losing pressure due to the cold and, while I was in New Jersey, he checked my tank and filled it for me so I wouldn’t run out. More outstanding service by KOA employees.

OKLAHOMA

By now I was itching to get father south so I moved to Eastern Oklahoma for a week before heading to Texas.

My campsite at Checotah/Lake Eufaula West KOA. Too bad it was too chilly to enjoy the patio.

There isn’t much to see or do in Eastern Oklahoma. Lake Eufaula is supposed to be pretty nice but winter isn’t the best time to enjoy the lake.

To break the boredom, I slammed my hand in the truck door. I had broken the top joint of this finger at work in 2017 and now I took care of the rest of it. I’ve healed completely but that finger is a little crooked now.

TEXAS

I finally got to Texas on December 11 and stayed just over a week at Lazy L RV Park in Sherman where I’ve stayed several times in the past. I came back to North Texas to spend the holidays again with Mark and his family. His sister Faith owns a 20-acre ranch and the plan was to hire an electrician to install a standard RV outlet on her barn so I can stay there and avoid the campground fees. I paid for the work and gave Faith money to cover my use of her water and electric. Now I can stay here anytime in the future.

My temporary campsite at Lazy L RV Park in Sherman, Texas.

Foggy morning in the RV park.

I paid to have an RV outlet installed on the barn so I can stay here anytime.

My trailer parked on the ranch between the house and the barn.

When Mark arrived, he did some plumbing work, which included adding a spigot next to the trailer.

There were plenty of projects to keep Mark busy. Here he is replacing my bathroom faucet with a little help from Tillie.

He replaced my standard door lock with an electronic one that I can program with my own code or use a key fob.

I never liked that my kitchen faucet control was sideways, causing puddles on the counter from my wet hands.

Mark rotated it to the front so no more mess.

Faith and Mark enjoying some face time with the horses.

Mark and Johnny.

Faith exercising Gal.

Faith brought Johnny by the camper disguised as a reindeer.

I’ve never ridden a horse and I still haven’t. I just sat on Johnny for a photo.

One of my favorite things to do here is sit on the porch and watch the incredible Texas sunsets.

Mark went home after New Year’s and I joined ten other women in Cancun, Mexico to celebrate my sister Barbara’s 60th birthday.

My sister’s nickname is Boo so I made this banner using a play on words.

By the end of January, it was time to get moving but I’m planning to come back to the ranch next Christmas.

My 980-mile route from the Rossville, IL to Whitesboro, TX.

Next post: South Texas.

My name is Lindsay Reed and I’m a photographer and retired graphic artist with a passion for both lighthouses and road trips. I am living as a full-time solo RVer in my 33 foot Grand Design Reflection Fifth Wheel trailer ( I spent my first two years in a 31 foot 2005 Coachmen Mirada motohome) and plan to spend the next few years traveling the U.S. and Canada photographing not only lighthouses, but everything else there is to see in this wonderful land. I hope you enjoy my blog and will follow my adventures in the months and years ahead.