This is Day 406 of 15 Days to Flatten the Curve. Deb and I are great.
We were treated today to a whirlwind tour of sights along this stretch of America’s greatest river, courtesy of the friend we’re visiting. He was born here, he’s spent most of his life here and he knows the area like the back of his hand.
He transported us to high bluffs overlooking the Mississippi, where the views were positively breathtaking. We cruised and strolled the old river town of Hannibal, boyhood home of my favorite American author — Mark Twain (born Samuel Clemens).
Our lunch, taken on the east side of The River, was a breaded pork tenderloin “sandwich” nearly as large as the plate it was served on. For dinner our friend lovingly grilled us a couple of sirloin steaks even bigger than that.
I’m finding it difficult to capture in words how absolutely perfect today was, how truly American it was. To gaze up at the statue of Mark Twain, to see the sculpture depicting Tom and Huck, characters I’d read about as a boy, and to walk the streets they might’ve walked was a thrill beyond description.
It’s days like today that Deb and I dreamed of when we considered this tour. We went places we’d never been and saw things we’d only imagined. We ate incredible local food, drank good beer and spent quality time with a friend who was as happy to see us as we were to see him.
Today was a very early validation of everything we’ve done, every bit of sweat and energy and planning we’ve put into this. And we have to keep reminding ourselves that we’re just gettin’ warmed up.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath