Twain River
Giulia Satmary
This one-hour sightseeing cruise travels along the mighty Mississippi River, allowing you to soak up the scenery at a relaxing, rhythmic pace. Listen as the captain guides your cruise with historical commentary on the history, legends, and sights of the Mississippi River.
A cruise aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat is great for family events. Whether you are a visitor or resident of Hannibal, you can make wonderful memories aboard our unique riverboat experience! Looking forward to having you onboard!
Enjoy a night of dinner and dancing on this cruise on the Mighty Mississippi. Indulge in a delicious buffet and share a wonderful dinner with your family or friends, then enjoy live music from the dance floor or the deck.
History, literature, and travel enthusiasts unite for a unique sightseeing and dining experience aboard riverboat cruises on the Mississippi River from beloved author Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Missouri. Witness firsthand what inspired the writer to create iconic characters, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. At Mark Twain Riverboat Co., you get to experience the Mighty Mississippi River in a truly memorable way, a Mississippi river boat cruise complete with storytelling, scenic views, and fine dining.
A Mississippi River cruise aboard Mark Twain Riverboat Co. allows you to enjoy a short excursion from Hannibal during the more pleasant weather months of the year. Just 100 miles away from St. Louis, our Mississippi River boat cruise is the only cruise that departs from Mark Twain's boyhood home.
River cruising gives you the time and space to fully immerse yourself in Mark Twain's story and the Mississippi River, getting to know the inspiration behind his books. We handle every detail for you from departure to dinner on our Mississippi river cruises, making it possible for you to fully relax and enjoy our modern riverboat.
Our cruise guides are experts in their field and love to share their knowledge about this beautiful city. They'll educate you all about the history of the area and its inhabitants, so you can reall... Our cruise guides are experts in their field and love to share their knowledge about this beautiful city. They'll educate you all about the history of the area and its inhabitants, so you can really get an insider's look at this fascinating area.
Despite its small size, Hannibal, MO is full of history and immersive learning experiences. It is there that you can visit Mark Twain's boyhood home and museum, take a Mississippi River cruise, or even attend a festival in his honor. That's not all there is to do in the area, though. You can explore caves and even take a ghost tour. Although, we are sure our cruise will be one of your favorite experiences yet.
Upper Mississippi River cruises are a great way for people of all ages to take a break from the normal day-to-day. Instead you'll enjoy an afternoon taking in the beautiful scenery or an evening of entertainment and dining. Our cruises are perfect for anyone who wants adventure but doesn't want the length of trip that most American cruise lines offer. A short trip aboard our Mississippi River cruises is just the evening out you need to feel refreshed, educated, and creative.
FOR Mark Twain it was an experience that gave him knowledge, a profession, and an important lesson as well. For a college English professor the experience provided both an example to give to students and one to make a part of his own.
Teaching American literature, I try to encourage young people to want to read; there are times, however, when the writings from another century are something less than exciting for them. Twain is enjoyable, offering enough laughs in his fiction to keep everybody entertained. But many times it's that ``extra'' reading, beyond the usual assignments, that bring the real joy to both prof and student.
Case in point is Twain's account, in ``Life on the Mississippi,'' of his youthful desire to become a riverboat pilot. Now, I never had that desire - and I know of none of my students who dream of such a career; we're located in northeastern Ohio, far from river traffic. But from Twain's account of the experience of first wanting to be identified with the river, then of learning the craft, we both come to an appreciation of something more than just another era, more than just a bit of history. The account becomes a real ``bonus'' for us all.
Twain tells how he was drawn to the beauty of the Mississippi River as a youngster. He describes ``a certain sunset which I witnessed when steamboating was new to me. A broad expanse of river was turned to blood; in the middle distance the red hue brightened into gold, through which a solitary log came floating, black and conspicuous; in one place a long, slanting mark lay sparkling upon the water; in another the surface was broken by tumbling rings, that were as many-tinted as an opal....''
He continues the description: ``...where the ruddy flush was faintest was a smooth spot that was covered with graceful circles and radiating lines ever so delicately traced; the shore on our left was densely wooded, and the somber shadow that fell from this forest was broken in one place by a long, ruffled trail that shone like silver; and high above the forest wall a clean-stemmed dead tree waved a single leafy bough that glowed like a flame in the unobstructed splendor that was flowing from the sun. There were graceful curves, reflected images, woody heights, soft distances; and over the whole scene, far and near, the dissolving lights drifted steadily, enriching it in every passing moment with new marvels of coloring....''
His words explain the circumstance: ``Now when I had mastered the language of this water and had come to know every trifling feature that bordered the great river as familiarly as I knew the letters of the alphabet, I had made a valuable acquisition. But I had lost something, too. ... All the grace, the beauty, the poetry, had gone out of that majestic river!''
He wrote, ``This sun means that we are going to have a wind tomorrow; that floating log means that the river is rising, small thanks to it; that slanting mark on the water refers to a bluff reef which is going to kill somebody's steamboat one of these nights, if it keeps on stretching out like that; those tumbling `boils' show a dissolving bar and a changing channel there; the lines and circles in the slick water over yonder are a warning that troublesome place is shoaling up dangerously; that silver streak in the shadow of the forest is the `break' from a new snag and he has located himself in the very best place he could have found to fish for steamboats; that tall dead tree with a single living branch is not going to last long, and then how is a body going to get through this blind place at night without the friendly old landmark?''
Reading this passage, I find myself asking questions: Am I being too caught up in the mechanics of my work? Is it all blackboard and seating chart and syllabus and exam? Have I lost the intrigue - yes, the beauty - of getting to know people, exploring artistic endeavors, sharing insights? All these had attracted me to the classroom years ago.
I recall that old admonition about taking time to smell the flowers. Floral beauty is all around us and can serve purpose more than some arbitrary planting. Build, progress, reach the potential of wisdom ... but always recognize that very wisdom includes the inherent, quiet beauty around us.
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The Mark Twain Riverboat brings the mystique of the Mississippi River and the history of Hannibal to life through one-hour sightseeing cruises, two-hour dinner cruises, and the Captain's Sunday Lunch events.
The Mark Twain Riverboat has been a unique fixture on the banks of the Mississippi for more than 30 years, offering visitors an up-close view of the Mississippi River during 1-hour narrated sightseeing cruises or 2-hour dinner cruises.
Hannibal river cruises give visitors the opportunity to explore the Mississippi just like Tom and Huck. This Mississippi River Cruise departs from Center Street Landing three times daily between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with two departures daily during September and October. Dinner cruises depart at 6:30 p.m; check for availability.
Built in 1964, the Mark Twain Riverboat is 120 ft. long, 33 ft. wide and has a 400-passenger capacity, so there is plenty of room aboard the vessel, which is wheelchair accessible (w/ some limitations.)
There are over 750 miles of trails in the forest. I had my sights set on exploring a section of the Eleven Point River that is in the forest. The river is 138 miles in length and its name comes from the 11 points where it can be accessed.
In 1968, a 44.4 mile stretch of the river was named the Eleven Point National Wild and Scenic River. It was one of the original eight rivers chosen to be part of the United States National Wild and Scenic River system.
The Narrows gets its name from a narrow strip of land between the river and a creek that flows into it. Also in that location is one of two underground springs that flow into the river. Add in the beauty of a national forest, it was a must see and hike for me.
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