Missouri Travel Guide

Missouri is a state in the American Midwest.

Understand

According to William Least Heat Moon, in Blue Highways, St. Louis is the last Eastern city and Kansas City is the first Western city.

Cities

• Bolivar

• Bowling Green

• Branson

• Columbia

• Jefferson City -- State capital

• Joplin

• Kansas City

• St. Louis

• Sedalia

• Springfield

Hotel - Flight - Car Rental

• Missouri Discount Hotels Directory

• Click here for discount air fares.

• Click here for rental cars.

Other destinations

• Mastodon State Historic Site

• Ste. Genevieve -- first settlement and oldest brick building still intact today west of the Mississippi River

• Lake of the Ozarks

St Louis City Guide

See

The Gateway Arch. Built to be a symbolic gateway to the west, the arch is the centerpiece of the riverfront Jefferson National Expansion Memorial park. Ride up to the top. There is also an innovative historical museum under the Arch. Don't miss the movie, "Monument to the Dream," about the building of the Arch--it is an exceptionally well-made and memorable tribute to how a vision was made tangible. Soulard Market. Although strangely named (un soulard means "a drunk" in French.) the Soulard neighborhood, covering the waterfront for several miles south of the Arch, is the oldest in St. Louis. The Georgian (or should that be Louis 16th) style houses surround a central farmer's market which supplies the city's supermarkets and restaurants with local produce. Individuals are welcome to stop in and shop as well. There are a number of bars and restaurants in the neighborhood as well. Laclede's Landing. Just north of the Arch, and the second oldest neighborhood after Soulard, "the Landing" is what amounts to St. Louis' old town. During the 1980's the area was renewed, judge for yourself if this is an improvement, still you are likely to enjoy the cobblestone streets and the shops and bars. Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. On Lindell Blvd. at Newstead Ave. in the Central West End neighborhood, this Roman Catholic church contains the most mosaic art in one site in the world -- 83,000 square feet, installed by a family of artists who used more than 41 million tiles with more than 7,000 colors. Open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Do

St. Louis Cardinals baseball Forest Park- including the St. Louis science center, the art museum, the zoo, and a history museum. All are free! Forest Park is really the heart of St. Louis, an emerald that radiates throughout the city. Near Forest Park are some of St. Louis's most interesting neighborhoods, including Dogtown, the Loop (not technically in St. Louis proper, but just across the border in University City), and the Central West End. The University City Loop. Delmar Ave. University City. A good place to visit if you are in St. Louis is the area known as the Loop. You can shop, listen to live music, enjoy a good restaurant, or watch a movie.

Buy

Hullabaloo. 1908 Washington. 314-241-1969. One of the two or three biggest vendors of used clothing and costumes in the U.S, Hullaballoo does most of its business by mail order, or at shows in San Francisco, Seattle, and Los Vegas. They keep a store in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis, however, so if you are into vintage or goth clothing you should definitely stop in. http://www.hullabaloo.net/

Eat

One warning: Sunday night is not a good time to look for a restaurant in St. Louis. Until recently one couldn't even order a pizza on Sunday nights thanks to a legacy of Blue Laws or laws against operating a business on Sundays in this very Catholic city.

External links

• Cape Rock Park: Cape Girardeau, Missouri - Lookout Cape Rock Park has one of the most beautiful lookouts of the Mississippi River. This site marks the supposed location of Ensign Jean B. Girardot's trading post in the 1730's.
• Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis - A visitor's illustrated guide to the world class contemporary sculpture display at Laumeier Sculpture Park.
• St. Louis County Parks and Recreation - Concert schedule, locations, weather, special events, history and volunteer opportunities.
• Trenton, Missouri - Public facilities, recreational activities and special attractions.
• Warrensburg, Missouri - A virtual tour through the towns parks, recreational areas and landmarks.
• George Washington Carver National Monument - Official National Park Service site.
• Jefferson National Expansion Memorial - Official National Park Service site for the Gateway Arch and the Old Courthouse.
• Ozark National Scenic Riverways - Official National Park Service site.
• Driving the Trail of Tears - Gorp visitor's guide to the route followed by the Cherokee in 1838 on their forced march from the southeast to Oklahoma. Includes historical information and a recommended auto route.
• National Park Service - National Historical site.
• Wilson's Creek National Battlefield - Official National Park Service site.
• Crowder State Park - Hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, boating, and picnics. Located in Trenton, MO.
• Fishing the Missouri Trout Parks - Guide to fishing Bennett Spring State Park, Maramec Spring Park, Montauk State Park, and Roaring River State Park
• Interactive Katy Trail - From Sedalia to St. Charles, enjoy photos and a bit of history along the way.
• State Parks at Lake of the Ozarks - Features Ha Ha Tonka and Lake of the Ozarks state parks.
• Trail of Tears State Park - Where most of the Cherokee Indians crossed the Mississippi River on their forced move west in 1838-39 during the "Cherokee Trail of Tears."
• Missouri Restaurant guide - Searchable database by city, listing restaurants in Missouri.

Thanks to wikitravel.org and dmoz.org
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