Missouri is a place of family, stories, and cool little gems that could make a trip there amazing. I have been to Missouri many times and loved every second of it. From haunted hotels to pretty lakes to large cities, Missouri is its own hidden gem.
When entering Missouri from the west, a good stop to make would be St. Louis (STL). This city is full of life and love. The centerpiece of the city is the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial or better known as the Gateway Arch. This is one of the most toured spots in STL, so when going here, watch the crowds. The Arch has a tour, small museum, and gift shop. The tour takes you in a little white elevator that goes up to the top, and at the top you can see a view of the whole city. After this it leads you down into a gift shop and small museum, where you can see the history of the arch and buy something.
Besides the Arch, the list goes on and on of what to do in STL, but my favorite has to be Grant’s Farm. This hidden gem has everything from a small zoo, to a wildlife ride, to having drinks and food at the Bauernhof. When I went there we pulled into the parking lot and I remembered thinking that it was going to be the most boring experience of my life.
However, soon after getting there we walked over to the stables where the famous Budweiser Clydesdales hung out. The stables and the horses were absolutely gorgeous. The horses are so much larger than expected and beautiful. After this we took a trolley around the park, seeing the beautiful landscape of the property and looking at various species they bring in from around the world.
After this we arrived at the top, where we saw the old stalls, carriages, and pens of where these horses once stood. The petting zoo was also up here, where you got to go into a pen with goats and feed them bottles.
I adore STL from the baseball games, to the museums, the monuments, and the small places people often forget about. STL is commonly a forgotten city, but it is definitely one of my favorites.
On most trips I have taken to Missouri we go from STL to Branson, Mo. Branson is a beautiful city right by Table Rock Lake. This lake is very peaceful or fun and exciting, depending on what time you go boating. On Table Rock Lake you can go cliff jumping, rope swinging, water skiing, tubing, and more. Even swimming in this lake is fun, because there isn’t a lot of wildlife and it is nice and warm.
In the town of Branson there are plenty of things to do, such as mountain roller coasters, silver dollar city, and performances put on downtown.
Another amazing city to visit in Missouri is Kansa City. Between the Chiefs, the zoo and aquarium, and all the fun museums, it is close to impossible to get bored.
Recently, I went down to Kansas City for a wedding. We stayed in a hotel called the Elms that had a ghostly past with some fires. They offered ghost tours, spas, and had two swimming pools. This hotel is a great place to stay if you are ever visiting Kansas City.
Missouri sometimes doesn’t get the best reputation, as some call the state, “misery”, but I think truly this state is underrated. From its pretty lakes, to unreal cities, Missouri is definitely a state to check out.
