Missouri

No matter how you pronounce it — Missouree or Missourah — the "Show Me" state offers visitors a tremendous diversity of both scenery and attractions. Northern Missouri boasts some of the richest farmland in the world: vast acreages of corn and soybeans dotted with picture pretty little towns like Rock Port and Savannah. Forests and hills define the south's landscape, with the Ozarks in the west and multiple divisions of Mark Twain National Forest extending across the state. On the western border of Missouri's mid-section lies the surprisingly sophisticated Kansas City, showcasing attractions like the stunning Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art ...

No matter how you pronounce it — Missouree or Missourah — the "Show Me" state offers visitors a tremendous diversity of both scenery and attractions. Northern Missouri boasts some of the richest farmland in the world: vast acreages of corn and soybeans dotted with picture pretty little towns like Rock Port and Savannah. Forests and hills define the south's landscape, with the Ozarks in the west and multiple divisions of Mark Twain National Forest extending across the state. On the western border of Missouri's mid-section lies the surprisingly sophisticated Kansas City, showcasing attractions like the stunning Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the upscale Country Club Plaza, the first planned shopping center in the USA. St. Louis anchors the east on the shores of the mighty Mississippi, which serves as the boundary with Illinois and has shaped the area's industrial base. There is no cookie-cutter sameness about its mid-size and smaller cities, either. Independence, with its Harry Truman Library; Springfield's Civil War battlefield; the eastern terminus of the Pony Express at St. Joseph; the capitol building at Jefferson City; historic sites galore at Cape Girardeau; the University of Missouri at Columbia and Hannibal (think Tom Sawyer) offer a wide variety of sights.

About the Expert

Connie Emerson is the author of more than a dozen books, including The Cheapskate's Guide to Branson, Missouri and Eyewitness Top Ten Travel Guide – Las Vegas.