Missouri

Two great rivers, two rival cities, and a highland full of springs and lakes: Missouri sits in the geographic heart of the USA and was once the gateway to the West. A trip to Missouri combines barbecue and jazz in Kansas City, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Mark Twain's Mississippi, and the Ozarks with their caves and entertainment shows in Branson.

A Landscape Shaped by Converging Rivers

The Mississippi forms Missouri's eastern border, while the Missouri River crosses the state from Kansas City in the west to its mouth north of St. Louis. North of the river, gently rolling farmland dominates. The south is taken up by the Ozark Plateau, a heavily dissected, forested highland with karst springs, clear rivers, and more than 6,000 known caves – it's no coincidence that Missouri is also called the "Cave State." The Current River and the Jacks Fork make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, a popular spot for canoe and tubing trips. Reservoirs such as the Lake of the Ozarks and Table Rock Lake are summer gathering places for boaters.

Kansas City and St. Louis

Kansas City is often confused with its sister city in Kansas, but the larger part lies in Missouri. The city boasts more fountains than almost any other city in the world, and its Country Club Plaza is designed in the Spanish style. In the 18th & Vine district, Kansas City jazz emerged in the 1920s and '30s around Count Basie and Charlie Parker; the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum commemorate that history. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art shows world-class art with free admission, and the National WWI Museum beneath the Liberty Memorial is the most important museum on World War I in the US. St. Louis is dominated by the 630-foot (192 m) Gateway Arch, with small tram cars that travel up to its top. The huge Forest Park, with its zoo, art museum, and science center – all free – was the site of the 1904 World's Fair. The City Museum, a kind of walk-through adventure playground made of industrial scrap, is hard to beat for families. Columbia is home to the state university, and Springfield is considered the birthplace of Route 66.

Sights in Missouri Beyond the Cities

Hannibal on the Mississippi is Mark Twain's boyhood town; Tom Sawyer's fence and the cave that inspired him are part of the program. Independence, near Kansas City, was the starting point of the wagon trains on the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails and the home of President Harry S. Truman, whose house can be toured. In the south, Branson, with dozens of theaters, country music shows, and the Silver Dollar City theme park, has developed into a destination for families. German immigrants settled in the Missouri Rhineland around Hermann in the 19th century; half-timbered houses, wine cellars, and an Oktoberfest in the fall bear witness to this. Route 66 crosses the state for more than 250 miles (400 km), lined with motels and diners from the 1950s.

History at the Gateway to the West

In 1803, the US bought the territory from France in the Louisiana Purchase, and a year later Lewis and Clark set out from here on their expedition to the Pacific. In 1821, Missouri was admitted as a slave state – a compromise that deepened the division of the country. During the Civil War, Missouri was deeply divided, and guerrilla fighting marked the border region with Kansas.

Food and Drink

Kansas City barbecue is the best-known specialty: slow-smoked meat with a thick, sweet tomato sauce and burnt ends, the crispy end pieces of beef brisket. St. Louis answers with toasted ravioli, the butter-rich gooey butter cake, and thin-crust St. Louis-style pizza with Provel cheese. The Anheuser-Busch brewery has its headquarters here, with tours and the stables of the Clydesdales.

Best Time to Visit and Getting There

Spring and fall are the best times to visit; summers are hot and humid, and tornadoes are possible in spring. St. Louis (STL) and Kansas City (MCI) airports are the main gateways, and the two cities lie about four hours apart by car on Interstate 70. Amtrak also connects them by train.