The Little Dixie Highway

In scouting my various state and national road maps, I saw that Highway 79 from O' Fallon, MO to Hannibal, MO was classified as a scenic by-way. Just how scenic? Well, maps aren't terribly clear on subtle points like that. But after more than a week of oppressive, hide-in-the-basement heat, I was ready to get out and about and a nice drive seemed perfect

Hwy 79 is also known as the Little Dixie Highway thanks to its many southern-style homes and influences from the age of riverboats. It's also part of the Great River Road running along the shores of the Mississippi just north of the St. Louis area. With all this going for it, I had high hopes for a Sunday drive with the family along one of the more scenic sections of the Midwest. So I packed up my wife Annette, my daughter Kayleigh Anne and some camera gear and hit the road, heading north from O' Fallon toward Hannibal. By the way, the color images were taken with an otherwise normal digital SLR, but the black & white images are actually shot in infra red on a specially modified camera. It certainly gives a unique look,

Just the evening before, Annette and I had been talking about misdirected expectations. Like when a trailer makes a movie look like it's a suspense thriller and it turns out to be a character drama. Even if the movie was actually very good, when you're expecting one genre and don't get it, it can lead to disappointment. Well, considering that Hwy 79 is part of the Great River Road, I really expected to actually see a lot more of the river!

Let me be clear, it is a beautiful drive through both rolling hills and flatlands alike. It's absolutely worth taking the time to explore it. But, whatever you do, don't think you'll be driving along the banks of the Mighty Mississippi for more than a small fraction of the entire trip. Most of the time it is reminiscent of Southern Missouri with it's hilly farmland.

As we headed north, we passed Winfield, one of a small number of towns with a working ferry. Winfield offers excellent access to Illinois' Piere Marquette state park without having to drive all the way around to Alton. Just west of Winfield on Hwy. 47 is Cuivre River State Park, a nicely forested area with hiking trails and a small lake with a boat dock and beach area. Continuing north brings you through Annada, a nice little town that otherwise didn't jump out at me as we were driving through. I was in a hurry to head further north where I could see some of the river so a stop at this little town will have to wait for another day. We were now 36 miles into the drive and had yet to glimpse the Mississippi.

Nine miles along we came to Clarksville, which was a great place to stop and stretch. Finally and at long last Old Man River shows up, and certainly doesn't disappoint. For the record, I'm a native of the St. Louis area, so seeing the Mississippi isn't exactly a new experience, but the scale of it never fails to impress me. Clarksville is a popular spot in the winter for bald eagle watching as they fly south to fish. As the ice builds north of the town's lock and dam, crowds of avian enthusiasts gather just to the south with spotting scopes and cameras.

Of all the towns along this stretch of road, Clarksville is arguably one of the nicest. The streets were clean and buildings generally well kept. I made a mental note to come back when I had more time to sit on the viewing deck of one of the towns restaurants. I did, however, get a chance to see a very nice, classic motorcycle. To be honest, I'm not sure if it was an old bike updated with various new parts or a new bike made to look like a classic military machine. To me, it hardly matters as it simply oozes character.

Another eight miles north we came on Louisiana, well known for its artists and craftspeople. Highway 79 t-bones into Highway 54 in the center of town. Turn left and continue north on 79. Turn right and cross the river on a classic steel truss bridge. Personally, I love these old bridges with their complex crosshatching of girders, so we took a little detour to the right and spent ten minutes in Illinois, turned around, and experienced the bridge anew as we got back on track.

Honestly, the stretch of road between Clarksville and Louisiana was some of the nicest of the day. Here is where you'll be able to look east and see the Mississippi along the side of the road. This length of the road also features a wide, well maintained bicycle lane making this the choice path for seeing this beautiful part of the state at a pedaling pace. I used to be quite an avid cyclist so I appreciate these things.

However, before I unintentionally imply that the drive is over once you've reached Louisiana, it is important to note that there are still some wonderful sights to see as you head north to Hannibal, historic home of Samuel Clements, aka. Mark Twain. In fact, about fifteen miles south of Hannibal are no less than three scenic overlooks, each worthy of stopping. They are clearly marked, albeit with little warning before it's time to turn. “Hey, look! Here's a sign for a scenic overlook Turn NOW!” But, by the time you've actually read the sign, it's probably too late already. Still, if you can make the turns in time, they are definitely worth the short quarter mile detour. Each offers a glorious view of the river valley and dozens of miles of visibility on a clear day. I made another mental note to return this fall.

One other note, if you're running low on gas... stock up before you leave Louisiana! There are no gas stations, or even towns, until you hit Hannibal. We were enjoying the drive so much, we failed to notice our tank was getting dangerously low and had a white knuckle ride for the last fifteen miles north. I actually was working out the logistics of walking into town and back, so don't make the same mistake we did.

Gassed up in Hannibal, we were ready to continue onward but, sadly, found we'd run out of road. I contemplated crossing the river and following Illinois Hwy 96 south, but the lack of convenient crossings convinced me to see Hwy. 79 from the other direction. I could have taken Hwy 96 and crossed at Winfield, but I was feeling remarkable cheap and even the four dollar ferry toll seemed like more than I wanted to spend. Sometimes I get in these moods...

So, in conclusion, I would definitely recommend this drive as long as you're not fixated on the “river” part of the Great River Road. It is dotted with some very nice towns and Hannibal can be looked at as a destination of its own. If I had it to do over again, I'd make it a point to better explore some of the towns. I would say that a similar experience can be had driving Hwy 94 along the Missouri river between Weldon Spring and Jefferson City. In fact, you see a lot more water on that route.