Clarksville, Missouri: Touch the Mississippi

Devastated by a flood in 1993, Clarksville found new fame in 2008 as MSNBC covered the town's race to beat another threat of flood from the Mississippi River. What happened during those 15 years between floods draws thousands of annual tourists to this small town of about 500 on the Great River Road between Hannibal and St. Louis.

From the beginning of our courtship, my boyfriend described a small town in Missouri filled with artisans. Glass-blowers, a pewter foundry, potters, weavers - all had found a home in this little town. As he related the story to me, I was charmed by the "little engine that could" analogy. Clarksville lost most of its population following the flood of 1993. To save the town, established artisans from around the country were coaxed with low-interest loans to move to Clarksville to set up shop.

I've visited Clarksville, Missouri twice, most recently a few months following the 2008 flood. Some of our favorite shops were still around such as the Clarksville Glassworks, Bee Naturals and The Bent Tree Gallery. New to the River Front City Park were the steps encouraging visitors to "Touch the Mississippi". There was still a heavy layer of mud left behind from the flooding, but I did walk down the stairs to stand in the Mississippi River.

Just a short walk from the River Front City Park is the Lock & Dam #24. Since childhood, I've always enjoyed watching boats travel through a lock and even at only a 15-foot lift, it's fun to watch the power of water.

Clarksville is the home of the annual Eagle Days Festival every January thanks to a large population of wintering bald eagles. The last weekend in January brings hundreds of visitors to Clarksville to watch the eagles fly and fish. During our early-October visit, we stopped at a roadside area just north of Clarksville and watched several bald eagles come in to their nests for the evening.

Just outside of Clarksville is the Crown Winery Port House. Many of our trips include winery stops and Missouri produces some delicious wines. The Port House is the aging facility for Crown Valley Winery and offers tastings of most of the Crown Valley wines and ports. The man, usually a merlot fan, found he had quite a taste for the richer, sweeter ports offered and we brought home our fair share.

Visit the official website of Clarksville, Missouri for information about lodging, events and local artisans.

Sources: Clarksville, Missouri official website ; MSNBC.com