Missouri.

Missouri is a river state, where people once traveled by water. Missouri is a state blessed with abundant natural beauty. Lush oak and hickory forests line the rugged hills and bluffs in the southern part of the state, which are honey-combed with deep caves. To the north, rolling plains and prairies are criss-crossed by tree-lines rivers. The state also boasts several lively cities, the largest being St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield. Accommodations in Missouri range from the posh Lake of the Ozarks resorts and the fine hotels of the big cities to small, friendly, family owned bed-and-breakfast establishments found all over the state.

Missouri's climate is described as humid. Summers are long and winters can be brisk but are rarely extreme, and the state enjoys the variety of climate and activity that four distinct seasons bring. Sailing, power boating, water-skiing, canoeing, and swimming are widely available on the states many lakes and rivers. Outdoor enthusiasts can also enjoy camping, hiking and bicycling in the three full seasons out of the year and even on milder winters days.
Kansas City blends Western friendliness with Old World sophistication. Its a city that offers incomparable shopping, fine architecture and a nightlife full jazz and blues. Springfield lies near the western edge of the Ozark Mountains, just a short drive from the town of Branson, the newest music capital of the United States.

Many famous country and pop performers have opened theaters in Branson, in a picturesque setting of wooded mountains and sparkling lakes. Missouri has been home to many famous Americans. Explore Hannibal, Mark Twain's home town along the Mississippi River or browse through the Harry Truman Library in Independence, the city where one of Americas most beloved presidents lived before and after his time in office. Visit St Joseph where the notorious Old West outlaw, Jesse James, was shot down and where the famous Pony Express began.

St Louis, Missouri. The Gateway To The West.

Established as a French trading post in 1764, St. Louis served as the gateway to the west and is a major port for steamboats traveling the Mississippi. Today the city's landmark is the soaring, shining steel Gateway Arch, to commemorate western-bound pioneers. This is America's tallest monument, a graceful rainbow of shining steel soaring 630 feet, commemorates westward expansion in the 1800s, rides to the top can involve lengthy waits in summer and weekends, come first thing in the morning to purchase tickets, then take in the free Museum of Westward Expansion.

Anheuser-Busch, one of the world's largest brewers, was established at 12th and Lynch st's. Location: I-55 at Arsenal (Phone 314/577-2626). Tours of the brewing process take in the Clydesdale stable, the historic 1892 Brew House, and the packaging plant, ending with free drinks, and its free admission!

The Missouri History Museum at Jefferson Memorial Building, Forest Park (Phone 314/746-4599). St. Louis's history is presented through photographs, memorabilia, with exhibits featuring the city's role in westward expansion, also a replica of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis plane, and other details of the city's past, admission free.

St. Louis is famous for its Italian restaurants, many in the Italian district known as The Hill, but you'll also find many other choices in Laclede's Landing, Union Station, and trendy Central West End, and if you go down to the Mississippi just under the gateway arch you will find McDonald's Riverboat, where you'll find the yellow arches moored on the Mississippi.

St. Louis Union Station, Once the nation's busiest passenger-rail terminal, this restored 100-year-old terminal now contains more than 80 specialty shops, restaurants, a hotel, a 10-screen theater, and even a small lake with paddle boats.

Arrow Rock.

Just by pure luck we happened upon this beautiful little town in Missouri, and what a picturesque place this was, what I can remember was the old well preserved historic buildings and the lush greenery, the town seemed so green, fresh and clean and has its roots dating back to 1829. The town is so named for the flint that Indians once harvested here. Arrow Rock is a timeless little community located along the Santa Fe Trail on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River.

By the middle of the 19th century, Arrow Rock had grown to a small city of more than 1,000 residents. But, as river traffic ebbed, and railroads and highways followed other corridors through central Missouri, decline became inevitable. Today, only some 80 people are full-time residents, but the streets fill with visitors who come to enjoy the hospitality of this charming bit of old Missouri.

If you enjoy the easygoing serenity of a quiet village, then Arrow Rock is the place for you. An integral part of this historic town is Arrow Rock State Historic Site. The site's visitor center museum features exhibits that tell about Arrow Rock and the historic "Boone's Lick Country." The Bingham Home, built by Missouri's preeminent artist of the 1800s, George Caleb Bingham, has been restored and furnished as it might have been when he lived there. The Huston Tavern, dating back to 1834, stands ready to serve you its traditional hearty fare. The old courthouse, a town doctor's home, a stone jail and other historic buildings are part of a walking tour offered at the site. After touring the historic site, shopping at the town's many antique shops or watching a repertory production at the Lyceum Theater, you can spend the night in the site's modern campground. Special events are featured throughout the year, but a visit to Arrow Rock will be a trip through time whenever you go.