Missouri 79: Clarksville
to Hannibal, Missouri

The name "Little Dixie" comes from the original settlers of the area. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, many who came to this part of Missouri were from the South and brought with them their culture and architecture, which is evident in some of the towns along the highway.

Enjoy the 10-mile drive between Clarksville and Louisiana, Missouri, as the highway is sandwiched between the Mississippi River to the east and wooded hills to the west.

Art project promotes downtown area

Louisiana calls itself "Mural City" because of the 20 murals painted on buildings in the downtown area. The mural project began in 2000 and served as a way to breathe some life into a deteriorating downtown.

Unfortunately, while the murals provide a reason to stroll around downtown Louisiana, they have not been the impetus for a rejuvenation of the area. In the summer of 2007, many downtown storefronts were empty, some even boarded up. The potential exists, though, just like down the highway at Clarksville.

Louisiana still has much to offer, even if the shopping district is a little lacking.

One gem we found was the Eagle's Nest, a four-storefront complex that consists of a winery, bistro and inn.

Seven bed & breakfast rooms greet weary travelers on the second floor of the complex. Lunch in the bistro or dine in the dining room or outside in the fully enclosed wine garden.

The Eagle's Nest wine list includes six home-grown varieties. Taste all six of them in the tasting room and gift shop. (We recommend the Red Bud, a semi-sweet red.)

Just three blocks from the Eagle's Nest is the Mississippi. Stroll down and enjoy the river as it rolls past the town's riverside park.

Louisiana also boasts some magnificent historical mansions. Turn at Georgia Street (it's at the stoplight; you can't miss it.) and follow it west to see some of the lavish homes.

Returning to Missouri 79, continue north as the highway winds through Louisiana and back into the lush, heavily wooded hills overlooking the Mississippi.

Now, the highway takes on a northwesterly course as it veers away from the river a bit, before turning due west, then north, then back west, before curving back to the north again. Get the picture?

Many acres set aside for wildlife

As the highway is doing all this, it is skirting the Ted Shanks Conservation Area, its wetlands another good spot for birdwatching, including the bald eagle, along the confluence of the Salt and Mississippi rivers.

Immediately north of Ted Shanks is the Dupont Conservation Area, situated in an area that served as a dynamite factory until 1932.

The mostly wooded Dupont area offers camping, fishing, hunting, a boat ramp with access to the Mississippi and spectacular views of the river.

After the conservation area, the Little Dixie Highway really becomes "twisty" as it meanders back and forth in the hills along the river.

You'll see a couple of roads leading away from Missouri 79 to the east marked scenic view. A piece of advice: Pass on the first one if its summer and the trees are full. The view from here is blocked.

Do take the second scenic view opportunity. Follow the road to its end to look out over an island in the Mississippi from high atop a wooded bluff. Brilliant fall colors would make this stop even more worthwhile.

Returning to the highway, continue following it north and enjoy driving up and down some ear-popping hills as you pass by the Edward Anderson Conservation Area. The rugged terrain here offers many of the same activities as Dupont to the south, except there's no river access.

Continue on to the small town of Saverton, where it and Lock & Dam No. 22 on the Mississippi mark the end of the line for the Little Dixie Highway of the Great River Road.

But don't stop there! I promise you there's more to see if you just keep going a little further north.

Memories of ghost town remain

About two miles north of Saverton are several monuments to the ghost town that once was called ILASCO. The town's name was an acronym for some the manufacturing materials -- Iron, Lime, Alumina, Silica, Calcium and Oxygen -- used at a cement plant that was the basis for the company town's existence.

In addition to local residents, immigrants from several European countries came to work at the plant and live in the town. At its peak, around 1909, ILASCO was populated by some 3,000 people.

When the cement plant closed, the town began to die and eventually was dissolved in 1963. In addition to the monuments, all that's left are a couple of churches, an empty general store and, of all things, the town jail.

After ILASCO, Missouri 79 finds its way back to the Mississippi and skirts along the river until it reaches the southern edge of Hannibal.

Before you reach the city, though, look for the sign to Lover's Leap Park on the east side of the highway. Follow the road up the bluff and enjoy the view of Hannibal and the Mississippi. Also, take a minute to read the monuments here, one of which explains the Native American story about how the park got its name.

Photos
Top: One of the 20 murals in downtown Louisiana celebrates the people who live in this region. Middle: A view of the Champ Clark Bridge, which carries traffic over U.S. 54 to Louisiana, Missouri from Illinois. This photo was taken in Henderson Park north of downtown Louisiana. Bottom: Hannibal, Missouri and the Mississippi River from the bluff at Lover's Leap Park. Above, left: The monument to immigrants who came to work at the cement plant at ILASCO. Above, right: One of the few remaining buildings at the ghost town of ILASCO is the town jail.

Visit Hannibal (Coming soon!)

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