October 2022.
Before I dive in further, and by way of update after four or so months in, I have confirmed I still do not love camping though I am learning to not hate it. I may have packed away the tent for the last time after trying it out again at the Lake of the Ozarks State Park on a weekend which had lots of late night partying going on and smoke from campfires – with over 200 spots not my hoped for nature experience. The noise and smoke sent me into my car both nights.
Missouri is an interesting place; both good and bad. I can’t get out of my head the line in Modern Family where Mitch is describing Kam’s home state as Missouri, misery..huh.
But chances are you will enjoy Missouri which has some great free parks, museums, zoos, and pretty good food and coffee as well as some lovely scenery. And a lot of wildlife, though unfortunately often dead on the side of or in the road. Another thing that seemed unique to Missouri was the sheer volume of billboards for folks selling real estate and insurance which makes it seem that those are the two top professions in central and southern Missouri. And do people really choose who they will hire for something that important based on a billboard?
ST. LOUIS
St. Louis and the surrounding area are definitely worth a visit though I did not go on this trip (was there in May, 2017). They have many free attractions, including a cool zoo, quality art museum, science museums and other attractions. Many funded by Monsanto who I guess used part of their $22 million in subsidies from the State of Missouri and the hundreds of millions of dollars in additional subsidies they received through federal and other state subsidies to build. Anyway, worth the visit. If it is still there, check out Comet Coffee & Microbakery. Fantastic croissants and cappuccinos.
KANSAS CITY
I started out this trip in Kansas City (which is mostly in Missouri), a very cool place with lots to see. If you want to feel nostalgia for LA, go to Minnesota St. near 9th and you will find a strip of stores and restaurants all in Spanish. There is also an arts district reminiscent of that in LA and fountains sprinkled throughout the City. Wander around the vendors at City Market to grab lunch and visit the free to enter (but not to park) Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park outside the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (which was closed when I arrived so did not get to check out the actual museum). The Sculpture Park surrounding the museum has the country’s largest collection of monumental bronze sculptures by Henry Moore as well as many other cool commissioned works, including a replica of The Thinker. On my visit, it was just me wandering around at 11am and then one homeless guy who spooked me a bit given no one was around on that side of the building and he first grunted when I said hello – but he just did a little dance and mumbled as he went past.
Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park
Another great spot in KC is the WW1 Memorial and the Tower. The grounds themselves are spectacular (and free), but the museum ($20 entry fee) is also worth a visit with its extensive collection of worldwide objects and documents from WW1 and fascinating timelines. Make sure to include the minimal cost add on to enter the 217 foot tower and ride up the elevator and climb some stairs to an outdoor observation area giving you an amazing view of KC and surrounding areas.
LEE’S SUMMIT
There are other worthy spots in other parts of Missouri. Lee’s Summit is worth a day or overnight stop. Take a stroll around their very nice downtown with cute shops, several restaurants, and a number of drinking spots with craft beers as well as a wine store which hosts wine tastings. Then head south to Osage Beach and Lake of the Ozarks. On your way, take a stroll through downtown Sedalia (more rustic and historic) and grab a Mexican style gelato at La Colmena, a bargain at $2 a scoop. Drive down supplemental route M and enjoy the very fun rolling hills (so long as you have some clearance in your car – maybe not the best with a spoiler).
LAKE OF THE OZARKS / HA HA TONKA STATE PARK
At Lake of the Ozarks, you can camp for $13 a night and hike the many trails. Maybe wait until the ticks stop falling from the trees which they apparently do in the summer. Yikes! You will also be less than 30 minutes from must see if in the area Ha Ha Tonka State Park. Lots of pretty hikes and like other Missouri State Parks, no fees to park or enter. Consider high top shoes as there are many small rocks in Missouri making the hiking a bit precarious on all but the strongest of ankles, especially in October when the ground is blanketed in fallen leaves. For a coffee fix and breakfast, head to Sip coffee which had fantastic breakfast burritos in the $5 price range.
BRANSON
After my ventures around the lake area, I made the somewhat regretful decision on the advice of a guy in Lee’s Summit to not only check out Branson, but also stay the night. I also took a very not so scenic portion of Route 66 to get there. Branson is a cross between the Vegas Strip, Orlando, Atlantic City, and a Baptist enclave. If you have kids, probably a great spot given all the entertainment options. After I went for a hike at the Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area which is worth checking out (no fees) as it has nice views and a great set of stone stairs to climb, I was regretting my decision to prebook a hotel until I found the relatively nice downtown area and the riverfront mall which had this cheesy fountain where water jumped to music and fire came from pillars. If that can’t make you smile, what can.
Rivermall Fountain
Branson is a crazy place. So many churches, biblical references, biblical shows, a pretty cool store selling Amish goods, and loads of people. The hotel I booked, Savannah House Hotel, had scripture around and hymns playing when I walked in. It also had a dessert buffet (have to say the cobbler was darn tasty) and large spread breakfast buffet (more gravy style not to my taste) which made it feel like a cruise ship more than hotel. The best part of my visit though was heading over to the much smaller town of Hollister for dinner at the Downing Street Pour House and enjoying a phenomenal blue cheese and bacon Kobe beef burger with a blackberry jam paired with an IPA from local Green Ghost Springfield Brewing Company.
And that was Missouri – next up Arkansas.