Tom Sawyer Days: Hannibal, Missouri

by Jamie Rhein on

When I got out of the Peace Corps, a friend and I traveled across the U.S. mostly by bus. This was a grand plan to avoid getting a job for four months and to take the time to see parts of the country we hadn’t seen before. It worked beautifully and that was the best summer ever. My most favorite place we visited was the place she wanted to go to the least.

“HANNIBAL, CANNIBAL! Why DO YOU WANT TO GO TO HANNIBAL, MISSOURI?!” was her reaction when I told her the very one thing I thought we should not miss on our journey from the East Coast to the West Coast.

I was stubborn and turned to the pages in Lets Go USA to show her the wonders. “Tom Sawyer Days, that’s why. This is small town America at its finest,” I said, hoping I was right and wouldn’t regret my determination.

Hannibal is the town that inspired Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) to write the books Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. What more reason is there than that when it comes to rediscovering an important part of Americana?

Still grousing a bit, my friend finally went along with my plan to buy a bus ticket to Hannibal from Des Moines, Iowa and from there we could buy a ticket to St. Louis for our continued trip westward. Hannibal was everything I imagined and even more charming than I expected. We splurged and stayed in a Bed & Breakfast, and spent the 4th of July going to the town parade, grabbing whatever candy was thrown our way, went to the free ice-cream social in the city park (We were the only ones there I think who were under retirement age), toured Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home and Museum, took The Mark Twain Riverboat trip on the Mississippi River and went to the family barbeque of the couple who owned the B&B. It could not have been a finer time. As for my friend, she was happy that I won the arguement.

“Tom Sawyer Days,” July 3-July 7, is going on its 57th year of celebrating Mark Twain and what might be called, good clean, family fun. There is a variety of entertainment options throughout the week. There was a lot we missed.

Out of the U.S. on the 4th of July? Try a Hard Rock Cafe

by Jamie Rhein on

When I did a search to find 4th of July events not in the United States, I found this article in Suite 101.enter curious. The article mentions Hard Rock Cafes as possible places for an American style Independence Day. Following the tip, I went looking. Here are the special events I found. Since the Hard Rock Cafe Web site lists all Hard Rocks around the world, you might be able to find more events later in the week. The ones I’m listing are where you get free stuff–or a burger that is cheaper than normal. Along with the 4th of July events, there are other events tthroughout July. Several of them capture the flavor of the country where a Hard Rock Cafe is located.

  • At the Hard Rock Cafe in Athens, Greece you can get a cheeseburger and a Miller beer for 8 Euros.
  • In Cologne, Germany, if your birthday is the 4th of July you get a free beer.
  • In Copenhagan, Denmark, if you show your American passport you get a free beer.
  • In Warsaw, Poland, forget the beer. If you buy two you get two of Manhattans, Long Island Iced Teas or Jim Beam.
  • In Barcelona, Spain if you have American ID you get a HRC souvenir.

The Hard Rock in Tokyo doesn’t have a 4th of July event listed yet, but I’m mentioning it anyway. My first visit to a Hard Rock Cafe was here. A Japanese friend took me. I still remember the insanely expensive Mt. Fuji burger,. Since my frieind was buying, I was certainly happy to eat it. The only other Hard Rock Cafe I’ve been to is in Cleveland, Ohio. I brought my Danish friend there for some reason when she was visiting me from Denmark. We probably went here because it was close to somewhere else we were going and it seemed like a touristy thing to do. It was.

Tunnel of Nine Turns: Taroko Gorge

by Jamie Rhein on

Reading Justin’s post about the world’s longest tunnels made me think of Taroko Gorge near Hualien, Taiwan. Taroko Gorge’s Tunnel of Nine Turns isn’t the longest in the world, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s one of the curviest. The tunnel cuts through the rugged mountains of the middle of Taiwan that separates the eastern part of the island from the western part where most of the people live.

The tunnel is exactly what its name says. The ruggedness creates the curves and makes for an interesting walk. Because this section is only open to pedestrians, you don’t need to worry about getting mowed over by a truck careening around a corner. In a few spots you can look through natural windows to the marble and granite rock face and lush trees that cover the gorge. Just walk a few steps; you’ll figure out where the lushness comes from. It is HUMID!! Bring water and a bandana to wipe off sweat.

Besides walking through the tunnels, there are hiking trails to explore and some temples that offer a view when you get to them. Of all the places I went in Taiwan, Taroko Gorge is perhaps my favorite because I didn’t expect its beauty. The first time I went here I was on a bus that crossed the country from west to east. I remember I had to drink a Coke to settle my stomach. The second time we took a tour from Hualien. We got to Hualien from Hsinchu, the city where we lived, on the train. [photo: Morgan Calliope, Flickr]

Cinco de Mayo: Margaritas and More

by Jamie Rhein on

I’m thinking about margaritas. Cinco de Mayo, a little guys wins over the big guys story, is this Saturday. On May 5, 1862, when it seemed that a band of Mexican soldiers was going to be trounced by the French army double or more it’s size, the Mexican’s won. This was the Battle of Puebla, one of many struggles in Mexico to ensure freedom.

In Mexico it’s a national holiday. In the U.S. it’s a time to head to a Mexican restaurant or hit a celebration if you can find one. Last Cinco de Mayo my husband, kids and I happened to be in Talitas, a small neighborhood Mexican restaurant in Columbus, eating half-price appetizers and drinking Dos Equis. Yep, we live large. This year, I’m getting the margarita. Truthfully, Columbus, Ohio isn’t really a Cinco de Mayo hot spot. There’s not a splashy festival that I’m aware of–not like in Denver, Colorado where hundreds of thousands of people show up at Civic Center Park for food and entertainment.

Denver’s festival claims to be the largest Cinco de Mayo happening in the U.S. While Denver has a huge festival with several musical performances, New Mexico, Texas and Arizona are also Cinco de Mayo bonanzas. Utah is joining in. Every city and small town seems to have one, and many are free. There’s an assortment of parades, piñatas, and cook-offs besides a lot of mariachi bands and dancing. I’d bet wherever you can find a town plaza, you’ll find a celebration of some sort. See link. This link has links to links.

Here are some of New Mexico’s smaller town versions that caught my attention.– Artesia, Raton, Roswell and Socorro . Like I said, head to the plaza.

For Texas hotspots, here’s a link to those. Denton looks like it’s hopping and San Marcos has a menudo cook-off.

In Utah, head to Midvale and in Arizona, for a smaller city version, go to Chandler. Here, there’s a chihahuahua race in additon to the traditional fare.

For a margarita enjoyment. How about this? On the Santa Fe Southwestern Railroad, they’re serving up margaritas on the High Desert High Ball train.

May Day is Lei Day: Have a Happy One

by Jamie Rhein on

In Hawaii, May Day is Lei Day. That makes sense. The holiday, started back in 1928 by poets Don Blanding and Grace Tower Warren with May Day as a template, is meant to celebrate flowers and spring Hawaiian style. Since leis are kind of like May Day baskets you wear around your neck, wearing a lei on May Day is a perfect fit. I read on hawaiianlanguage.com, this day was a huge ta-do in the past. From one woman’s account, it sounds like schools closed and it was flower mania for everyone.

There are Lei Day activities in various parts of Hawaii today. Some continue on through the week. Here’s a professionally made video on Lei Day that gives a polished, historical look, including an overview of activities. For the history of the lei, click here.

The first time I went to Hawaii, my great aunt and great uncle who lived on Oahu met my husband and me at the airport and put leis around each of our necks. Think of rolling around in a field of the most fragrant flowers and that’s what it’s like to wear a lei.