When it’s sunny and mild after a long hard winter, there’s nothing nicer than getting outdoors. Why not take your lunch with you? We have some great options for a picnic lunch, and some suggestions on where to get the best views in town.
An appealing option is to grab a salad or sandwich from Java Jive, which they’ll make up fresh and put in a nice picnic box for you. You can grab a wood-fired pizza at the Brick Oven or get a carry-out order from any of our downtown restaurants.
Once you’ve stocked up your picnic, you’ve got a nice selection of spots to enjoy your meal. The riverfront is a favorite. Hannibal has a brand-new riverfront development and it’s truly one of the nicest along the whole 2,350 miles of the Mississippi River. You might be able to watch a bald eagle catch his lunch because they love to hang out there too.
A short little trip south on Highway 79, a part of the beautiful Great River Road, you can get the best view of downtown Hannibal at Lovers Leap. You’ll look over the Mississippi from this famous landmark and you can see all the downtown area and look over to another famous landmark, the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse.
A favorite picnic spot for the locals is at Riverview Park, located at 2000 Harrison Hill. This is a 465-acre oasis that is on the National Register of Historic Places. There are two overlooks with dramatic views of the river, but you can’t go wrong in any part of Riverview Park. It’s all beautiful and there are plenty of picnic tables and pavilions available. If you’ve packed your walking shoes, you might want to take a stroll while you’re there.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, not by a long shot. You can go to visithannibal.com for some more suggestions or stop by and see us when you’re in town. We’re at the base of Mark Twain Avenue, in the beautiful new building that looks like a riverboat docked at 925 Grand Avenue in Hannibal!
