"When I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village on the west bank of the Mississippi River. That was to be a steamboatman," wrote Mark Twain in LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI.

As a parent, I have my own permanent ambition: to instill in my two sons a passion for a river I've loved as long as I can remember. At five-and-a-half and two years of age, Owen and Carl are still too young to appreciate the antics of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer (river rascals just a few years older than my sons). But I figured it could never be too early to introduce them to the magic of Twain's Mississippi. My husband, Bob, and I planned an easy trip that headed north from St. Louis along one of the prettiest sections of The Great River Road, which parallels both sides of the Mississippi all the way from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Our destination was Hannibal, Missouri, where the mischievous boy named Sam Clemens grew up to become one of the world's best-loved authors.

SATURDAY

9 A.M. CLARKSVILLE, MISSOURI
CLARKSVILLE VISITOR CENTER AND SKYLIFT
Our first stop is Clarksville, a small town tucked between the Mississippi and 500-foot bluffs. At the Clarksville Visitor Center, we inspect the workings of Lock and Dam No. 24, 1 of 29 locks and dams that keep the Mississippi deep enough for barge traffic. Downstairs, Bob and I tour exhibits on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, while Owen and Carl tug at ropes looped through posts on the floor--examples of how barges are secured as they're raised or lowered in a lock.

Across the highway, we take the Clarksville Skylift to the top of the bluff for a view of the river and its wooded islands. "This is cool!" Owen says as we climb; Carl simply clutches the front of the lift, with his eyes as big as saucers. (Call 573-242-3132 for the Visitor's Center's operating hours; for information on the skylift, call 573-242-3422.)

10:30 A.M. LOUISIANA, MISSOURI
STARK BRO'S GARDEN CENTER
On the west edge of Louisiana, Missouri, we park and take a walk at the Stark Bro's Garden Center, one of the world's oldest commercial plant nurseries and the originator in 1893 of the world's most popular apple, the Red Delicious. Across the road is the Pioneer Stark Cabin, built by the company's founder in 1816. Bob strolls down aisles of plants and checks out antique gardening equipment, while the boys acquaint themselves with the sprinkler system and pepper us with questions about why people used to live in such small homes. (Call 573-754-3113; open 8-4:30 Monday through Friday, 9-4 Saturday, and 12-4 Sunday.)

12 NOON HANNIBAL, MISSOURI
OLE PLANTERS RESTAURANT
After a few stops at scenic overlooks, we finally drive into Hannibal. We head straight for sandwiches at the Ole Planters Restaurant, which housed a general store and tailor's shop in the 1800s. Second-generation owners Joe and Jack Noonan include many of their mother's recipes on the menu, notably a German chocolate pie that's worth every calorie. (Call 573-221-4410 for operating hours.)

1:30 P.M. MARK TWAIN RIVERBOAT
After lunch, our boys race ahead to the dock where the MARK TWAIN waits with gaily flying flags. We hurry to the top deck to get a good view, covering our ears as the captain sounds a loud whistle. For an hour, a narrator tells us about Twain's adventures in Hannibal and about the paddle-wheel steamboats that dominated 19th-century river traffic. (Bob and I are somewhat distracted by efforts to keep the boys from hanging over the rail in their quest to spy fish.) In the pilothouse, Carl perches on a stool and surveys the river alongside the captain's mascot, a stuffed parrot. (Call 573-221-3222 for schedule and admission information.)

2:30 P.M. MARK TWAIN CLOPPER
Hannibal offers several old-fashioned ways to tour its attractions, but our boys decline the trolley and train in favor of a ride on the Mark Twain Clopper. The horse-drawn wagon is powered by King and piloted by Glen Yoder, who grew up in a nearby Amish community. After Carl and Owen feed King handfuls of grass, we take the 20-minute tour of the historic district, passing a statue of Tom and Huck that overlooks downtown and the river.

3 P.M. MARK TWAIN BOYHOOD HOME AND MUSEUM
On a tour through Mark Twain's childhood home, we learn that he based his characters on real life: He modeled Tom Sawyer after himself, Aunt Polly after his mother, and Sid and Mary after his brother and sister. In the young Sam Clemens's bedroom, we point out the window where the author snuck out for nighttime escapades that later ended up in his books. Outside, as we stroll past the most famous fence in American literature, we tell the boys how Tom tricked his neighborhood buddies into helping him with a dull job. "Me paint, too?" Carl asks hopefully. (Call 573-221-9010 for information on operating hours and admission.)

4:30 P.M. SAWYER'S CREEK FUN PARK
Sawyer's Creek, south of Hannibal, is a kitschy (but satisfying) little amusement park. The kids splash each other with bumper boats, swing clubs on the miniature golf course, and ride the kid-size train. Then, we snare window seats at the Riverview Cafe for a dinner of fried chicken as evening light spreads across the Mississippi's broad channel. (Call 573-221-8221 for operating hours and additional information.)

7:30 P.M. QUEEN ANNE'S GRACE
At last it's time to retire to Queen Anne's Grace, an ornate 1880s-era, three-story mansion near downtown. Our two-room suite overlooks the river and has a cozy sitting area framed by rounded windows. Bob starts to read THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER to the boys as they lie in bed, but he barely gets through the first page before they fall asleep. (Call 573-248-0756 for rates.)

SUNDAY

10 A.M. HANNIBAL
MARK TWAIN CAVE
After a leisurely breakfast of fried apples, hot biscuits, and sausage at Queen Anne's, we head to our final destination in Hannibal, the Mark Twain Cave. Twain explored this natural landmark as a boy, and it later played a prominent role in THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER as the place where Tom and Becky were lost and buried treasure was found. On an hour-long guided tour, we wind through the cave's chilly passageways and learn that Jesse James had once hidden out here. Owen is thrilled by the prospect of finding treasure. "Can't I go down there?" he frequently wheedles, pointing down another enticing fissure in the rock. (Call 800-527-0304 for business hours and admission)

12 NOON PIKE, ILLINOIS
LIGHTHOUSE INN RESTAURANT
Determined to see more river sights, we cross the Mississippi at Hannibal and travel down the Illinois side of The Great River Road. At Atlas, we take a 5-mile detour to Pike, a small village that lies across the river from Louisiana, Missouri. There, we enjoy lunch at the Lighthouse Inn, where the special is catfish fritters and the boys are fascinated by the stuffed wild animals on display. (Call 217-437-2500; open 11 A.M. to 9 P.M. daily.)

2:30 P.M. GRAFTON, ILLINOIS
PERE MARQUETTE STATE PARK
This 8,000-acre park is named for Father Jacques Marquette, a French missionary priest. In 1673, Marquette and his fellow explorer, Louis Joliet, were the first Europeans to enter what is now Illinois. The park's centerpiece is a massive stone and timber lodge, where Bob and I sink into wicker chairs to sip tall glasses of iced tea and the boys play with chess pieces that are nearly as large as they are. We are tempted by the park's riding stables and hiking trails but know the kids would fare better on the playground equipment, so we steer them toward the jungle gym, where Owen continues his quest for treasure. (Call 618-786-3323.)

4:30 P.M. ELSAH, ILLINOIS
ELSAH LANDING RESTAURANT
South of Pere Marquette, dramatic bluffs rise from The Great River Road. Soon we come to Elsah, a picturesque town with narrow lanes, small cottages, and blooming gardens. For dinner, we stop in at the village's one commercial establishment, the Elsah Landing Restaurant. Housed in a vintage storefront, the award-winning restaurant offers delicious, home-cooked food at reasonable prices.

We sample plates of fondue melt on potato bread and top it all off with slices of a divine Ozark Mountain Berry pie. It's a tasty ending to a fun-filled weekend.

As we load into the car to drive south across the Mississippi into St. Louis, Owen asks, "Mom, can we go back to Mark Twain's house next weekend?"

Lori Erickson lives in Iowa City, Iowa, and is the author of THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI: A TRAVELER'S GUIDE.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated August 2005.