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Missouri 79: Interstate 70
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Exit Interstate 70 at Exit 220 and head north on Missouri 79 to follow the mighty Mississippi River along Missouri's Great River Road.
This stretch of the Great River Road meanders approximately 90 miles north to Hannibal, Missouri, birthplace of Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. The first leg will take us to Clarksville, a small river town now known for its shopping and artistry.
The route takes travelers through Mississippi River lowlands at the foot of steep hills and, further north, into those hills before heading to the river at Clarksville.
The first thing you'll notice on this trip, though, is that the usual Midwestern corn and bean fields must share space with turf farms on the outskirts of O'Fallon, just off the interstate.
For some 20 miles, the highway remains in the lowlands, running along side steep hills to the west. Along this stretch, Missouri 79 bypasses the town of Old Monroe and rolls through little Winfield before reaching Foley.
From Foley, the highway is now routed into the hills overlooking the Mississippi and you'll go up and down and around until rolling out of the hills and into the town of Elsberry seven miles later.
'Duck Capital of the Midwest'
Elsberry, the self-proclaimed "Duck Capital of the Midwest," is the kind of town where kids skateboard down the center of the main drag, known as Broadway here, and where the Senate Theater on Broadway still shows first-run movies.
Leaving Elsberry, Missouri 79 stays in the lowlands so that once again you are surrounded by farm land to the east and wooded hills to the west.
Lotsa birds
Six miles north of Elsberry, you'll encounter the town of Annada. One mile east of Annada on County Road 206 is the Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge, 3,750 acres with a diversity of habitats that supports waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds and songbirds.
Clarence Cannon is part of the Great River National Wildlife Refuge. Great River includes four tracts of land along the Mississippi, all of which are managed at the offices east of Annada.
From Annada, you'll continue through the Mississippi flood plain for nine miles before you reach Clarksville, which sits right on the banks of the river.
River town finds rebirth
Clarksville, on the National Register of Historic Places, once was a booming riverport, but now has found new life through a thriving artists' community and a quaint shopping district. You can easily spend a day browsing through the shops here in the town's riverfront area.
You could take a break from shopping by picnicking in the Riverfront Park or visiting Mississippi River Lock & Dam No. 24. Both locations are ideal for watching activity on the river.
Or, if you don't want to pack a picnic basket, consider Clarksville Station on the south end of town (where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner inside or out on the patio), or the Steamboat Restaurant and Lounge, with its country-style food and fantastic view of the river and Lock & Dam No. 24.
Photos
Top: The Mississippi River is always bustling with activity. Here, goods are being taken to market downstream. Above, left: Storefronts in downtown Clarksville face the river. Clarksville's shopping district includes antique shops and local artisans selling, among other things, furniture and stained glass items. Above, right: The gateway to Clarksville's Riverfront Park urges you to "Touch the Mississippi."
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