Taylor,

The glories of Hannibal may not justify a trip from Canada, but you will
enjoy your time there.  As part of the celebration of the hundredth
anniversary of the publication of HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1985), those visiting
the
University of Missouri made a day-long trip to Hannibal.

Our first stop was near Florida, to see the birthplace, now sheltered in
a permanent building.  That is, the log cabin has been moved from its
original
site and has a large building and Twain museum around it.

Hannibal itself has a number of attractions, at least enough for  a day's
enjoyment.  If you have a research project that requires the use of the
home and museum, you may find it will keep you busy longer.

These are the attractions we saw: the home and museum (though much of it was
under renovation at that time), the Becky Thatcher bookshop, the Clemens law
office, the House of the Pilasters, the Tom and Huck monument, the hill, and
a
main street which harkened back to the nineteenth century in its look.  (The
store contents are aimed at tourists, of course.   There are a number of
shops
selling T-shirts with Mark Twain or Hannibal emblems; and next door to the
Mark Twain home is the home of Mark Twain Fried Chicken.)

Things we did not see in that brief excursion include the cave made
memorable
in TOM SAWYER and a river boat which plies the waters around Hannibal
offering
meals and entertainment afloat.

If you take in Hannibal and Florida, you might consider following the river
a
while (at least the hundred miles to St. Louis) to catch some of the flavor
of
that waterway which shaped Twain's life and outlook.

The trip could be memorable if you include these other places as well as
Hannibal.

Keep us informed about your plans and progress.

David Tomlinson