Spotlight on Missouri

Missouri has a host of surprising attractions, some natural and some manmade. From caves to cycling paths, here are a few of our favourites....

Gateway Arch

When you approach St. Louis and get your first glimpse of the downtown skyline, the first thing that catches your eye is the spectacular Gateway Arch. Poised like a giant steel-blue rainbow, it perfectly frames the tall downtown buildings that share the skyline.

The Arch is the tallest man-made national monument in the U.S. and, at 630 feet, the tallest arch in the world. Take a tram inside the Arch to the top and experience breathtaking views overlooking the Mississippi River and downtown St. Louis.

Created from 900 tons of stainless steel, the Arch serves as a symbol to honour exploration and to commemorate the spirit of pioneers as they blazed trails to the west – beginning with the intrepid Meriwether Lewis and William Clark who started their journey of exploration just outside of St. Louis.

In 1803, the United States territory did not extend past the Mississippi River until Thomas Jefferson oversaw the acquisition of an enormous amount of land (almost one million square miles) known as the Louisiana Purchase. He then commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to head west into the wild unknown. They were instructed to explore and map out a route to the farthest western point, establish trade with tribes of Native Americans and study plant and animal life along the way.

Route 66

From its beginning, Route 66 was a pathway of hope, allowing people to escape the Great Depression and motor west in search of a better life. With the increasing popularity of the automobile, it became an easy way for people to see the nation – most for the first time. The Interstate Highway Act led to the eventual decommissioning of Route 66. Smaller highways were replaced with faster-moving interstates and America changed. Our focus became the destination instead of the journey. But the “defunct” Route 66 changed too, through a revival that began – in part – in Missouri, into an iconic American experience. Today, driving west on Route 66, travellers experience nostalgic flashes of what once was: like an original 1935 roadhouse in Eureka that now houses the Route 66 State Park’s visitor centre. Discover more about America’s most famous road as you explore it at the Route 66 Museum in Lebanon and the History Museum on the Square in Springfield.

Rest from your travels in some of the same places the original road trippers did: the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba (the oldest continuously-operating motel on the route); the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven in Springfield, which offers all the neon and charm of a classic Mother Road motel but with modern amenities and furnishings; and the 1939 Boots Court Motel in Carthage.

Satisfy your hunger with historic meal breaks. Eat dessert first at Ted Drewes, where they’ve been selling their frozen custard treats on the Mother Road for more than 80 years. Enjoy a little nostalgia at Big Chief Roadhouse. Established in 1929, the restaurant is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is one of only a few full-service restaurants still operating on Route 66. Grab a meal for the road at Whisler’s Drive-Up in Carthage, where they’ve been serving made-to-order burgers since 1953.

Along the way, watch for quirky roadside attractions that were once – and still are – a hallmark of the original Route 66: the 42-foot-tall “Route 66 Rocker” rocking chair in Cuba, Gary’s Gay Parita Sinclair Station in Ash Grove and the Route 66 Mural Park in Joplin. And don’t miss your chance to relive your youth with movie night at the 66 Drive-In Theatre in Carthage.

Lake of the Ozarks

With more miles of shoreline than the coast of California – 1,150 miles – Lake of the Ozarks is a peaceful getaway. Give yourself a real thrill with a helicopter tour of the lake, go parasailing, rent a boat for fantastic wake boarding, tubing and water skiing … or dial it back in an isolated cove with a little fishing, sunbathing or just some total relaxation. Cruise up to the dock in your boat (or walk in from the car park) and spend the day at one of the hottest trends in the area: lakeside swimming pools. Enjoy a taste of resort life, sip a cocktail and dance to live music. Lounge on the beach and admire passing yachts while sampling signature appetisers before heading out for the finest dining the lake has to offer. Seek out the best sunset views during an intimate dinner at restaurants like Baxter’s Lakeside Grille, JB Hook’s, the Trophy Room at Old Kinderhook and other fabulous establishments. Or spend an evening sampling new-to-you vintages at one of the Lake’s wonderful wineries.

Lake of the Ozarks State Park is the biggest state park in the Show-Me State and offers all the amenities, including lodging in rustic log cabins and yurts. While you’re there, participate in activities like camping, biking, hiking, swimming, fishing, horseback riding, exploring a cave and taking to the water in a canoe, kayak or paddleboat. Explore Ha Ha Tonka State Park, where nature and history come together in some of the most beautiful year-round hiking to be found. It’s a geological wonderland of sinkholes, caves, a huge natural bridge and Missouri’s 12th largest spring … all topped off with the breathtaking ruins of a turn-of-the-century stone castle.

Caves

Missouri is also known as “The Cave State” and has more than 6,400 recorded caves, 24 of which can be toured. Head to Onondaga Cave to see the spectacular “lily pad” room and colourful dripstones and flowstones. The extensive rock formations – many of which are actively growing – earned the cave a designation as a National Natural Landmark.



Meramec Caverns was a successful saltpeter (an essential ingredient in black powder) mine in the 1720s and cave parties were held there to escape the summer heat in the 1890s. Jesse James is believed to have used it as a hideout. In 1933, Lester Dill bought the cave and opened it to public touring. Come and see the 70-foot-tall “Stage Curtain” formation in the Theatre Room, around which Dill built his show cave.

The deepest cave in the state is Marvel Cave at Silver Dollar City in Branson. With nearly 600 stairs leading to the bottom – the Cathedral Floor is 300 feet below the surface – the tour of this National Natural Landmark takes you deep into the Earth!

Fantastic Caverns in Springfield is the only ride-through cave in the U.S. It was first explored in the late 1860s by a group of women from Springfield. Be inspired by their adventurous spirit as you admire the illuminated soda straws, cave pearls, massive columns, stalactites and stalagmites.

For a “literary” twist on show caves, visit Hannibal’s Mark Twain Cave complex – made famous in the novels of Missouri’s best-known author. Twain’s signature was discovered on the cave wall in 2019! The cave is a National Natural Landmark and has been offering organised tours since 1886. Unlike the rest of the state’s caves, Mark Twain and the other Hannibal area caves are maze caves – a horizontal network of interconnecting passage loops. Part of the complex, Cameron Cave, is the third largest maze cave in the northern hemisphere.

Let Smallin Civil War Cave sweep you underground and back in time. Guides tell stories of Native Americans carving steps into the cave and of the encampments of Civil War soldiers who used the cave as shelter. Be sure to observe the sharks’ teeth and shells embedded in the walls from when the region was under the ocean. Every Saturday in October, special Civil War Cave Tours include a campfire dinner with costumed guides telling stories followed by a cave exploration by lantern light.