Discover Missouri: the warm heart of America
By Tony Watts - Editor - 09/06/2009
.jpg)
A visit to the States, for most of us, means the traditional tourist spots of Florida, New York or perhaps California. But if you want to see the real heart of the country and discover how the majority of its people live, and used to live, then the place to go is Missouri.
What’s in Missouri? Well for a start, it’s here that the ‘West’ once began… the old wagon trains set off from Missouri. It’s where the Pony Express began, where Mark Twain was inspired to write Huckleberry Finn, and where Jesse James was shot. Think about the way the West was won, and you’ll be in Missouri.
Still not sure? It’s also the home of the music that the USA gave to the world: blues in St Louis and jazz in Kansas City. And, just for good measure, the road that goes straight through it – the old Route 66 – was the inspiration for one of the great rock and roll tracks.
As you might expect, the State has worked hard to retain the very best of its history, and visitors today can readily go back in time to recapture the most colourful chapters. All this, amidst some spectacular landscapes – with the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers the defining natural feature.
2010 sees the 175th anniversary of Mark Twain’s birthday, and with that the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, Missouri has a whole year of events to celebrate his charming tales of the two young Missourians, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, who brought 19th century America so vividly to life for millions of us.
The Missouri is synonymous with steamboats, and Kansas City has one
of the Midwest’s most astonishing attractions, the Arabia Steamboat
Museum. The Arabia sank in 1856 and her more than 200 tons of cargo
was excavated in the late 1980s - making it the largest collection of
pre-Civil War artefacts in the States.
A trip to the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City is a must for every
aficionado. The sights and sounds of a uniquely American art form come alive at the Museum, located in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District – and the place where masters such as Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner, and hundreds of others defined the sounds of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s.
Just 40 minutes away from Kansas City is the Jesse James Farm which
will show you more about the man and his life fighting the Civil War – and as well as artefacts from his life, you can see where he was shot. And another short drive away is the Jesse James Bank Museum: the site of the first peacetime daylight robbery!
On April 3, 1860, a lone rider left on horseback from the gates of one of the nation’s most historic landmarks, the Pikes Peak Stables in St. Joseph, Missouri. Carrying saddlebags filled with a nation’s hopes and dreams, the riders travelled 2,000 miles west to Sacramento, California. These brave young souls raced against nature’s cruel elements and rugged terrain in an attempt to unite a country separated by massive distances and daunting natural features.
Today the stables continue to stand as a tribute to the legend and legacy of the Pony Express and its enduring era. Coming into the 19th century, Kansas City is home to the USA’s interpretation of the Great War: a state-of-the-art complex that uses interactive technology to bring this global history to life. A very different experience!
But if, like me, you’re drawn to the romance expressed by one of the great songs of all time, hiring a car and driving down the former Route 66 is the way to get your kicks seeing this beautiful and historic state in style.
Your journey begins in the ‘Gateway to the West’, St. Louis, where the first stop takes you to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. With its signature bend in the middle, it’s probably Route 66’s most famous Mississippi River crossing. Any stop in St. Louis would be incomplete without a visit to the famous Gateway Arch. You can even ride to the top for a panoramic view 630 feet above the Mississippi. Beneath the Arch, the Museum of Westward Expansion is filled with more than 100 years of human history related to the westward movement.
Just outside of St. Louis in Eureka, you’ll find the 409-acre Route 66 State Park. The Meramec River runs through the park, making a scenic spot for runners or bicyclists. The Bridgehead Inn serves as Route 66 State Park’s visitor centre, where you’ll find a collection of Route 66 memorabilia and interpretations of the park’s environment.
Whichever way you choose to explore Missouri, you’ll be left with an overriding impression of a warm and welcoming State that has never
lost its sense of history. And while it might be a shorter history than our own, it’s one that we have all imbibed through our literature, films and television programmes over many years. So much so, it almost feels like home!
For more information on Missouri, see the advertisement, right. Or go
to the website linked below.