Indelible Mark

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Travel & Outdoors features DESK • 702-383-0264

NOVEMBER 9, 2014

Indelible Mark

Boyhood home inspired Twain’s classic stories By BETH J. HARPAZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

M HANNIBAL, Mo.

ark Twain lived in Hannibal for only 13 years, but many of his most famous stories were inspired by this humble Midwestern city. A visit to Hannibal today, with its excellent museums, preserved historic sites and old-timey antiques shops, offers a way to appreciate the effect this place had on one of America’s best-known writers. And of course, Hannibal sits on the banks of the Mississippi River, which figured so large in Twain’s life and writing. ▶ see MARK page 8G Museums address Twain controversies

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS

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Page 8G • Sunday, November 9, 2014

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Las Vegas Review-Journal

Ancient visitors left mark on Grapevine Canyon

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ntriguing Grapevine Canyon near Laughlin is home to a profusion of rock art left by native people starting about 1,000 years ago. More than 250 panels of petroglyphs have been mapped in the desert canyon, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Easily accessed by road and trail, Grapevine Canyon

Margo Bartlett Pesek trip of the week

attracts enough attention that it is listed as the second-most popular place to visit for tourists to the resort area along the Colorado River in Nevada’s extreme southern tip. To reach Grapevine Canyon, drive south on U.S. Highway 93/95. At Railroad Pass, turn south on U.S. 95. Drive 56 miles through Searchlight to the turnoff to Laughlin on state Route 163. About 15 miles south of Searchlight, you will pass one end of Christmas Tree Pass Road, a scenic loop route through the Newberry Mountains from the highway to Laughlin back to U.S. 95. Route 163 heads east to thread its way about 20 miles through desert and mountains to Laughlin. About 13 miles from the U.S. 95 junction, watch for the turnoff on the left to Christmas Tree Pass Road. This graded road reveals beautiful desert and mountain scenery

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL FILE PHOTO

Grapevine Canyon near Laughlin contains an extensive display of ancient rock art. within Lake Mead National Recreation Area. It makes a nearly 15-mile loop between wilderness areas in a region sacred to native cultures living along the Colorado River. The area is popular for cool-season hiking, tailgate picnics, birding, photography and off-pavement exploring. The first few miles of the loop road are suitable for passenger vehicles, but stay off the branching side roads. The road through the pass and most side roads are subject to flash flooding and may be rough. To complete the loop back to U.S. 95 or to explore side routes, it’s best to have a high-clearance or fourwheel-drive vehicle.

Christmas Tree Pass Road climbs into a forest of junipers and pinyons. Years ago, passersby decorated some trees with leftover Christmas ornaments and other shiny objects, such as beer cans. The National Park Service regularly removes the ornamentation, which it views as litter, but the tradition persists and the shiny debris reappears over time. The road to Grapevine Canyon is safe for passenger vehicles. After leaving Route 163, head north about 2 miles to the Grapevine Canyon turnoff. A short spur takes visitors to an area with parking and restrooms. A trail runs west, skirting the edge of a gravelly

wash for about a third of a mile to reach the mouth of the canyon, marked by huge boulders. In times of ample rainfall, a little stream emerges from the boulders and runs down the wash before disappearing into the gravel. Wherever the native artists could find a suitable surface on these boulders, they inscribed the stone with their enigmatic symbols, producing one of the most extensive displays of ancient rock art in Nevada. The meaning of many of these symbols is lost, but modern visitors readily recognize depictions of animals, such as bighorn sheep. Take plenty of pictures, but do not climb on the boulders or touch the petroglyphs, which are considered part of our national cultural heritage. Hikers today walk in the footsteps of early visitors as they explore. Since there is always water in Grapevine Canyon, early hunters and gatherers would have utilized many of the plants found there, including the tangles of wild grapes that the place is named for. They would have hunted the many kinds of animals who were also attracted to the water, food and shelter found there. They, too, would have dallied in the shade and splashed in the pools. The abundance of rock art in the canyon indicates its significance to the early visitors. It is located just south of Spirit Mountain, which figures in the creation stories of area natives. Its proximity to the sacred mountain would have given this canyon special importance. Margo Bartlett Pesek’s Trip of the Week column appears on Sundays.

▶ MARK: Museums address controversies surrounding Twain’s writings continued from page 7G

MARK TWAIN BOYHOOD HOME & MUSEUM A mere $11 gets you a look at nine historic sites and museums, all within a few blocks of one another. They include the actual houses where Twain and the real children who inspired his characters Huckleberry Finn and Becky Thatcher lived in the mid-1800s. You’ll see the bedroom window that the adventuresome Twain climbed out of as a boy; you’ll see the fence that his character Tom Sawyer persuaded other children to whitewash when he was supposed to paint it. You’ll also get a real sense of what Hannibal was like when Twain lived here in the 1840s and early ’50s, and how this place fed his imagination and sensibility. This was no lonely rural spot; it was a bustling river town, with three blacksmith shops, a distillery, tobacco factory and two slaughterhouses, with pigs herded through the streets. Twain — born Samuel Clemens — was not a privileged child. After his father died, his mother couldn’t afford his 25-cent weekly school fee. He was apprenticed at age 11 to a printer, which led to work as a newspaperman. Later he was a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi. His pen name, Mark Twain, was a river call that described the water depth. An interpretive center behind Twain’s boyhood home offers photos, exhibits and wonderful quotes from Twain’s writings that put his life and work in context. A museum gallery at 120 N. Main St. is filled with artifacts, from his top hat to 15 Norman Rockwell paintings created for special editions of “Tom Sawyer” and “Huckleberry Finn.” Twain’s quips, prominently showcased,

IF YOU GO Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum: 120 N. Main St., Hannibal, Mo., www.marktwainmuseum.org or 573-221-9010. Open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. except Christmas and New Year’s Day. Adults, $11; seniors, $9; children 6-17, $6. Ticket includes nine sites. Hannibal: www.visithannibal.com. Hannibal’s Hometown Christmas events take place on weekends from Nov. 15 to Dec. 25.

that the slave child would never see his own mother again, and at least when the boy sang, “it shows he is not remembering.”

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

A statue of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn stands in Hannibal, Mo. The daring duo were characters in novels by Mark Twain, who grew up in the Mississippi River town. can seem as fresh and cynical as a 21stcentury tweet, like this one: “Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.” You can’t miss the statue of Tom and Huck at the foot of Cardiff Hill on Main Street. Sculptures of Twain stand in Schwartz Gardens and Riverview Park. CONTEXT AND CONTROVERSY The museums also tackle the controversies over Twain’s writings. In his own lifetime, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” — about the wild, ragged son of the town drunk who

runs away on a raft with an escaped slave, Jim — was banned because it was considered vulgar. In the late 20th century, the book was banned because Twain’s language and depiction of Jim were considered racist. One exhibit offers context for Twain’s views: Slavery was legal in Missouri during his youth; his family rented or owned slaves when they could afford it, and he’s quoted as recalling that nobody he knew ever questioned it. But one incident made him think twice about it, when he complained to his mother about a slave boy who sang and laughed incessantly. She responded tearfully

THE TOWN AND THE RIVER For a small city (population 18,000), Hannibal offers some good eating. LaBinnah Bistro, 207 N. Fifth St., has friendly service, charming Victorian-era decor and an inviting dinner menu that includes fish, steak and Mediterranean dishes. LaBinnah is Hannibal spelled backward, named for the town’s LaBinnah Club, where Twain spoke on his last visit to Hannibal in 1902 — one of five trips he made there as an adult. The new Mark Twain Brewing Co., 422 N. Main St., offers burgers, a big selection of beers and other pub fare. Hannibal has a wide variety of lodging. Treasure-hunters should check out the half-dozen antiques and gift shops on and around Main Street. If you’re driving to Hannibal from St. Louis, about 120 miles away, get off the interstate and take the Great River Road, Route 79, which winds through tiny towns, fields and farms, with scenic stretches along the Mississippi.

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Richard Eng HORSE RACING

Rates paid domestically for each dollar changed, as of Thursday. These figures are intended only as a guide. Rates might be more favorable abroad.

LOW FARES FROM LAS VEGAS

Published fare for a round-trip ticket on the U.S. routes most traveled as of Thursday. Seattle

TO ASIA/AUSTRALIA

$1,121 Asiana

Hong Kong

$1,001 Asiana

Reno

Sydney

$1,303 Hawaiian

Manila $879 Asiana

San Francisco

$134 United

$159 United

ited, US Airways Unlta De $$117762

Tokyo

$471 Delta

$134 United

San Diego $143 United

ier ront 4F $20 r Frontie $165

Denver

$321 American

$144 US Airways

$238

Fron

New York Philadelphia

Delta

TO EUROPE

Washington London D.C. $1,224 American Frankfurt

tier

$1,054 Delta

Atlanta

Paris

$1,273 Aeroflot

Dallas $309 Fro ntier

TO MEXICO

Boston

$320 United

Chicago$303

$78 Frontier $191 Fron tier

Phoenix

Delta

Minn./St. Paul

Salt Lake City

H

Los Angeles

Honolulu

3 $31

$154 Alaska

$306 American

Rome

Orlando

$1,352 Aeroflot

Miami

Cancun

$300 Aero Mexico

Mexico City $397 United

VEGAS

These airfares represent published fares from the airlines as of Thursday. Fares may not be available on all flights, may not reflect the current season and are subject to change without notice. All fares are round-trip and are inclusive of all government-i mposed taxes and fees. Additional processing fees may apply depending upon the point of purchase. Fares do not include travel agency service fees. Airline rules and restrictions apply. For more information, call Prestige Travel American Express at 702-248-1300 or any local travel agent. LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

OUT THERE HIKES Red Rock Canyon: On Wednesday, learn the cultural and historical significance of the Sandstone Quarry area during an easy, 1-mile walk; for ages 15 and older. Also on Wednesday, join a naturalist for an easy, 2-mile hike along the Moenkopi trail; for ages 10 and older. On Saturday, visit the remains of the 1922 Wilson Homestead during an easy-to-moderate, 2-mile hike in Pine Creek Canyon; for ages 7 and older.

To sign up for hikes, call 702-515-5367. OTHER PROGRAMS Red Rock Canyon: On Monday, preschoolage children and their parents can participate in a monthly program designed to introduce children to nature. On Tuesday, create a masterpiece in an art class for ages 15 and older. On Tuesday and Thursday, view some of the arachnids, reptiles, mammals and birds found in Red Rock. On Thursday, learn about Nevada’s state reptile, the desert tortoise. On Sunday, learn some of the secrets of Red Rock in a 20-minute introductory presentation.

Argentina (peso) ............................................ 8.51 Australia (dollar)............................................ 1.17 Brazil (real)..................................................... 2.57 Canada (dollar) ............................................. 1.14 Chile (peso).................................................... 592 Czech Republic (koruna)........................................ 22.4 Egypt (pound) ................................................ 7.16 European (euro) ............................................. 0.81 (Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain) Great Britain (pound) ..................................... 0.63 Hong Kong (dollar)......................................... 7.75 Hungary (forint)............................................... 250 India (rupee) ................................................. 61.5 Indonesia (rupiah) ......................................12,139 Israel (shekel)................................................. 3.81 Japan (yen) ....................................................115 Mexico (peso) ................................................. 13.6 New Zealand (dollar)...................................... 1.30 Norway (krone) .............................................. 6.87 Philippines (peso) ........................................... 45.0 Poland (zloty) ................................................. 3.41 Russia (ruble) ................................................. 46.7 Singapore (dollar)........................................... 1.30 South Africa (rand) ......................................... 11.3 South Korea (won) ........................................ 1,091 Sweden (krona).............................................. 7.43 Switzerland (franc) ......................................... 0.97 Taiwan (dollar).............................................. 30.6 Thailand (baht).............................................. 32.8 Venezuela (bolivar) ........................................ 6.29 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

DECEMBER • Dickens’ Festival in St. George & Christmas in the Canyon at Tuacahn • Pahrump Winery & China Ranch • Christmas in San Diego • Rose Parade Special & New Year’s Eve Dinner Cruise

JANUARY • Hearst Castle, Seals, Butterflies, Horses and Solvang • Death Valley & Scotty’s Castle

FEBRUARY • Sunshine State of Florida

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