We went for a birthday celebration and I am so happy for this experience. Great bed and breakfast,…read moreunlike any other bed and breakfast. If you enjoy historical places, this is one to visit. This gives you an opportunity to see what life was like back in the day, from the plumbing in the bathrooms to the old light fixtures and so much more. Juan and Warren are great hosts. Upon checking in at four, you receive a tour of the home. Afterwards the hosts share a Wine and Cheese reception with their guests and afterwards you are able to explore the home on your own. In the morning coffee and tea is provided prior to breakfast. Breakfast was delicious and served in the dining room on china. Please knWe truly enjoyed this bed and breakfast and look forward to visiting again!

The mansion is breathtaking it is unbelievable with the 100 year old details and exquisite details…read morein every room. When you go for this tour Juan loves to share the knowledge and information about the family and the details. I don't want to give too much away because you really need to visit! But Tiffany stained glass throughout the house, leather wallpaper, and so much more. This mansion was made before its time and is a masterpiece! The only issues we stumbled on were locating the parking and then finding a place to park.

This is an interesting place. I have been curious about Mormonism from cultural perspective for…read moresome time, and when I had some time off a couple years ago decided to take a trip to Nauvoo to visit this early Mormon settlement. When I was here, it was the middle of the week, so there were few people wandering around. Officially, the Community of Christ--an off-shoot of the Mormon faith, established after the murder of Joseph Smith and the second-largest LDS denomination--is the organization that established the Joseph Smith Historic Site. However, as you're walking through the buildings that are the property of the CoC, you'll also be able to walk around and amongst the locations that are under the ownership of the LDS church. The signage is different so you'll be able to tell what is what, but some of these buildings are literally next door to one another so you won't have to drive from one site to the next. It was interesting to learn about some of the history at places like the blacksmith shop and the Seventies Hall. I didn't feel too much like I was being proselytized to, especially when in a larger group of folks. And you'll almost certainly be in and amongst members of the faith if you visit here. Also very important is that some of these homes are privately owned, and are marked as such, so remember to be respectful.

This was a destination on a pretty cool road trip I took with some friends in the summer. First…read moreheard about Nauvoo as being the holiest land for the Mormon faith; that people all the way from the Phillipines make their pilgrimdge here, to this small river city along the mighty Mississippi. (Which warranted a road trip out of curiosity) We went here at the end of summer. This part of Illinois is really something else. Truly unique. The settlement is prestine, peaceful, and one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in America; we were amazingly suprised, and really not prepared to behold the outstanding beauty of this establishment. The restoration project is incredible. The entire settlement is restored to the old times of the 1800's, and is surrounded by a phenomenal landscaping project; with scores of flowers found all about the property. The Former Quarters of Joseph Smith's family sit nestled along the Mississippi River, with ancient Trees that embrace the home; and it is here where the prophet Joseph Smith is buried. It's as though you have entered heaven. Nauvoo, is a just another delightful slice of Americana for you to discover how amazingly awesome this country is! I highly recommend visiting Nauvoo.

Review Visit: August 14th, 2017…read more 'Snake? Snake!? SNAAAAKE!' The original purpose of this twisty and windy path is detailed on the wiki page linked below. I will give you the Spark Notes version; it was created as a shortcut for horses to traverse down the hill to Main Street. This place has been on my list for awhile now and on a beautiful August day, I finally made the trek up to see it. It was not quite what I expected, which is a good thing. The alley itself is rather short, but if you make the walk down and up it, you'll feel it in your legs. The alley is lined with houses on one side, which has to make for a very interesting living arrangement. I figured the road was closed for vehicle traffic, but was I wrong! You can apparently drive down the path... which I did. Driving down it was almost like being on a roller coaster, in your own car. The windy paths and sharp turns were super fun and gets your adrenaline going. At the bottom, there is a chance to bottom out as you pull out into normal traffic, so be careful if you do take the fun plunge. Luckily, if you are not a fan of snakes or the video game Metal Gear Solid, you can happily visit Snake Alley. If you are a fan of odd things and fun car rides, Snake Alley is the place for you.

I have about a twelve percent chance of making it to Lombard Street in San Francisco, so it was…read morenice to be able to get to Snake Alley on a sunny day in Burlington, Iowa. My daughter and I walked down the bricks with much delight while my better half scooted down the curvy street, which suited her just fine. A nice diversion along the Great River Road. Highly recommended

Unfortunately when I visited the visitor's center was closed, but I still had a blast! There is a…read morelot that you can park in, and then travel down a path to a bunch of informational displays about the flood in 1993 that carved out this gorge, revealing all of the fossils. Then, you proceed down the path into a gorge, keeping an eye out for fossils. I saw a bunch of fossils on the bank to my right, before I even made it to the gorge. There were a few people scattered walking their dogs, although one group was actively looking to spot fossils and had the brochure from the Army Corps of Engineers about the different fossils present. All in all, this was a great spot to spend an hour walking around. I did see evidence that people have poached fossils from here, which is a shame. Look, but don't take!

It was a pleasant walk of moderate difficulty. Unless you are an expert in fossils, you probably…read morewon't see much or know where to look.

Get off the road a couple extra mikes and park and enjoy the 1/4 mile walk back to bridge and enjoy…read morethe outside beauty on your long drive. Well done park.

I went to Cobblestone Alley in Burlington, IA on 9/14/2016. It was my 1st time there. It is part…read moreof the Snake Alley Historic District. It is located just east of Snake Alley and is quite a contrast from it. Plus, I took photos.

The mark twain cave is a must-see if you're in the area even if you don't care for the books. The…read moretour guides really make the cave come to life.

Very much a definition of a tourist attraction, the Mark Twain Cave in Hannibal, MO ended up being…read morea worthwhile stop for my wife and me during Day 4 of our Mississippi River/Upper Midwest road trip. The stop was one of those places where I planned as a possibility if we had time and made sense, so didn't buy tickets upfront and thus paid the full adult price ($29.99 pp) when we got there. Other tours at the attraction included a guided tour of the Cameron Cave, a trolley tour, and Mark Twain Live Show. The Cameron Cave is the sister cave of this one, kept much more in a natural state (so more appropriate for visitors who come to visit a cave vs a museum for Samuel Clemens) , only open during the summer, and has almost twice the number of passages. We bought our tickets just as the 60 minute tour was starting, so we were hurriedly ushered into the starting theater where the short movie was ending. There was one other couple in our tour, and it was nice that our group was so small. Our guide was a young man who made up for his lack of knowledge in some areas with a lot of enthusiasm. The history of the discovery of the cave was given. He guided us around various areas (some a bit tight) and showed how dark the cave was without artificial light (would not want to be down here without a flashlight)...definitely brought to life some of the scenes I read in 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'. It also showed how children during that time would play in the cave without adult supervision... made me think of how my lack of sense of direction would have been a big problem. The cave is privately owned, and was declared a National Landmark in 1972. Part of the tour included seeing the famous people who had visited the cave as part of previous tours, leaving signatures. Our guide mentioned that 'Darth Vader' had left his mark there, but couldn't tell us who the actor was. Later I learned that it was Spencer Wilding, who portrayed the Sith Lord in 'Rogue One'...for my generation, Darth Vader is David Prowse (physical) and the iconic James Earl Jones (voice). It was a consistent 55 degrees in the cave which was a nice relief from the outside heat. We also learned how the cave was used for town meetings when it got really hot, and the places where children would doodle and pass time as their parents would deal with the town problems of the day. As we left, we entered a modern room with more information about the history of the cave as well as some small mockups of the passages. The exit led to the same gift shop where we bought our tickets. As we exited, we noticed a set-up for the Mark Twain Mining company, where kids of all ages could prospect for valuable minerals in the 'river'. We came during the low season so it wasn't running. We went to Mark Twain's home as an adult and father in Connecticut last year around this time, so was nice to come to Hannibal to see his childhood home, and experience a little bit of his childhood by coming to this cave and the tourism that surrounds it.

The park is located near the original site of the Sac and Fox Nation villages. Chief Wapello,…read morenamesake of Wapello County, chose to be near the Indian Agency and his friend, Agent General Joseph M. Street. The grave site of Chief Wapello, as well as General Street and his family, are present in the park. The park is a small historical landmark in Agency, Iowa near the town of Eldon where my grandmother lived. It is an interesting visit for those who like to read and learn. My favorite moments at the park have been the long trains roaring by loaded with coal. I spent 30 minutes there and four trains passed very, very close.

Interpretive markers are helpful and describe the importance of the history of the Indian agency…read moreand chief Wapello.

There is not a better example of mother natures magnificence vs. mankind's technological…read moreachievements than watching a Mississippi River Lock and Dam in full operation. Located in Canton, MO about 2 miles off of US 61 and 25 miles north of US 36 this is great stop to view a unique yet vital mode of transportation of energy and food for the nation. The public viewing platform is small but allows a great vantage spot to see the barges up close as they move through. Lot's of signage explains everything involved and if you have questions, you might be able to ask questions of the workers that are on the barges or dockside working the ropes. A must visit for everyone at least once, if not here their are many others along America's lake and river systems.