Greetings from Hannibal, MO, Mark Twain's boyhood hometown, my theme for this year's AtoZ Challenge.
Lover's Leap
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| Side view (from ground level) of Lover's Leap |
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| The view of Hannibal and the Mississippi River |
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| The view of Illinois from Lover's Leap |
Truth is stranger than fiction. On April 12, 2009, two elderly ladies drove off Lover's Leap and lived to tell about it. I was there a few days before it happened, showing some friends the view. The driver mistook the gas pedal for the break. She drove up and over the curb, took out a bench and the fence and plummeted over the edge. Their car got caught in a tangle of tree branches, saving their lives. Can you imagine that view?
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| The "tree" that caught the car. |
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| Notice the fence weld. |
Hannibal's lighthouse easily has over a million steps to the top. If you'd like a tough cardio session, stop by and enjoy the free work out.
Anyone feeling tired from the AtoZ Challenge?
Getting your second wind? Ready for a trip to
Hannibal?
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| The lighthouse |
I've never heard of Lover's Leap. Thank God for that tree!
ReplyDeleteI know, right?
DeleteI've never heard of Lover's Leap. Thank God for that tree!
ReplyDeleteHahaha, I'll pass on the cardio. But that sounds amazing, what a crazy story! And again, such pretty pictures.
ReplyDeleteI'll pass on the knee replacement;-) Thanks!!
DeleteWow - that's a long way down. Glad the tree stopped them. We had something similar a few years back only it wasn't a lovers leap is was a multi-storey car park. An old gentleman managed to drive through the side of it and survived - I don't remember what saved him, possibly just the fact he was in a volvo ;).
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
I hope I don't get the gas/break pedal mixed up when I'm older.
DeleteI've been commenting on your posts all of April and it just hit me. I've been in Hannibal. I'd totally blanked on that until today. Of course, it has been years, but now I remember driving from St. Louis and going to a wonderful German restaurant there, then a winery.
ReplyDeleteThat tree was a miracle!
Ha! That's great. Yep, we're two hours from St. Louis.
DeleteI've been there! Finally a place someone's blogged about in this challenge that I've actually been to. Twice, actually. :)
ReplyDeleteThat makes two people who've stopped by my blog and have been to Hannibal. Did you stop for the Mark Twain memorabilia?
DeleteI've heard a few different variants of the "lover's leap" story from a variety of locations around North America. I don't know if it's a native legend with common roots or if young people just do stupid things a lot when they're in love (I'm actually inclined toward the latter).
ReplyDeleteI've heard America has like over 200 Lover's Leaps. Young people...kids...stupid things...yep.
DeleteI've heard of Lover's Leaps before, but did not realize the Native American legend. Good thing the tree was there.
ReplyDeleteNot sure how much of that is really true:) To think that small tree held all that weight!
DeleteReal life Thelma and Louise! Thank God for that tree.
ReplyDeleteHaha! That's great:)
DeleteThat had to be a scary experience for the women who drove the car over the cliff!
ReplyDeleteI think they interviewed her reaction. Can you imagine the passenger? "I'm gonna kill you when we get out of here!"
DeleteThat had to be a scary experience for the women who drove the car over the cliff!
ReplyDeleteWhoa, Thelma And Louise! Glad they had a happier ending! There seem to be "Lover's Leaps" all over the place. There is one in France that I know of in the Pyrenees, and the story is basically the same... Great photos! Lisa, co-host AtoZ 2015, @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com
ReplyDeleteMy dad was pushed off a mountain road, went over, rolled and rolled and was finally saved by a tree, 200 feet down. Lisa, co-host AtoZ 2015, @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com
DeleteLover's Leap -- I enlarged the photo and read its legend, a typical, sad legend of love.
ReplyDeleteI would prefer the story of the two elderly ladies who survived the accidents there.
Letters from the Land of Cherry Blossoms
Hi Jennifer! You know I think about every state has a lover's leap. I know West Virginia has a few. Would love to visit Hannibal some day.
ReplyDeleteGreat story about the old ladies - they were lucky for sure.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter likes to count steps when going up or down, but I think she would struggle with a million!
Oh wow. They were lucky to survive that!
ReplyDeleteYikes. I feel queasy just thinking about those poor women driving over the cliff. Man, were they lucky. I love the photograph of the lighthouse looming over the town. Glad I don't have to climb those million steps. :)
ReplyDeleteThat is amazing! I guess it wasn't their time to go. I love lighthouses. I used to have a entire lighthouse-themed room in my home.
ReplyDeleteScribbles From Jenn - Visiting from the A to Z Challenge
Lucky lucky ladies!
ReplyDeleteOr...was one trying to kill the other!
Bwhaaaa!
Heather