Off The Beaten Path | Missouri

Missouri is certainly not lacking in interesting and exciting destinations and attractions. Visitors can enjoy outdoor activities and recreation in some truly beautiful spots. Throughout a trip to Missouri, visitors will find plenty of excitement and interest. Here are just a few of the amazing destinations and attractions that Missouri has to offer.

Branson

Known as the Silver Dollar City, Branson is a fabulous destination for live entertainment. Visitors will find more than 50 live entertainment venues. Some of the shows include music, including country, gospel and rock n' roll, as well as comedy shows, dinner shows and even magicians. Branson's downtown area has plenty of shopping for visitors to enjoy. The area also has three fabulous lakes with opportunities for fishing. Golfers will also enjoy a visit to Branson, as they can test their skills on the twelve golf courses in the area.

Ozark National Scenic Riverways

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was the first National Park area created to protect a river system, it is made up of two spring-fed rivers. At Ozarks National Scenic Riverways has many stunning caves and springs that visitors can enjoy, as well as mills and even a waterfall. Some notable spots include Round Spring and Cave, Alley Spring and Mill, Blue Spring, Rocky Falls and Welch Spring and Hospital. The ruins of Welch Hospital is located over the opening to welch cave. Blue Spring is one of the most beautiful springs in Missouri, it is named for its bright blue color and it is also 310 feet deep, making it a very unique spot within the park. Visitors can also enjoy tours of Round Spring Cave during the summer months, as well as ranger programs teaching traditional skills, more cave tours and nature hikes.

St. Louis

St. Louis if full of things to do. Visitors to St. Louis have to take the time to stop at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. The Memorial is home to the Gateway Arch, which at 630 feet is the tallest man-made monument. Visitors to the Gateway Arch can even take a tram to the top of the arch to enjoy the views of the city. In addition to lots of entertainment and dining, St. Louis is also home to the Museum of Westward Expansion, and the National Museum of Transportation, which has a carefully reconstructed piece of the Coral Court Hotel. Another great attraction in St. Louis is Forest Park, at 1,300 acres is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. At the park, people enjoy biking, jogging, skating at the rink and much more.

Wilson's Creek National Battlefield

This destination is the site of the first major Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi. Visitors to the Battlefield can learn all about the history of the battle. The Battlefield remains much the same today, except for some vegetation, and is in near pristine condition. Visitors to the battlefield can take a self-guided auto tour, which has eight stops and five walking trails, to learn all about the history of the battle. Each year the anniversary of the battle, on August 10, is observed with a ceremony and special program. In addition, the Living History Programs allow visitors to learn about the life of Civil War soldiers, and have musket and artillery firing demonstrations. Visitors can also stop at The Ray House, which served as a temporary field hospital, and they can visit the Wilson's Creek Civil War Museum, to see the great collection of artifacts from the Civil War west of the Mississippi.

The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, Chesterfield

Located within Faust Park, the Butterfly House is a division of the Missouri Botanical Garden and is a unique treasure within the state. It is home to more than 1,000 live tropical butterflies, which visitors can see flying around in the glass conservatory. Native and migratory species of butterfly's can be found in the Butterfly Garden. For butterfly lovers there are plenty of classes on differing subjects and designed for all different ages.

St. Joseph

St. Joseph is an American city filled to the brim with unique American history. The city located on the river bluffs of the Missouri, is the site where the Pony Express was founded, and it is also the location where Jesse James met his end. On top of these unique historical facts, St. Joseph has also preserved a great deal of its historical architecture. Visitors won't want to miss the Patee House Museum, which was both a hotel and the headquarters of the Pony Express. The Pony Express National Museum is a great spot to learn all about the historic mail service. St. Joseph also has the Jesse James Home and Museum, which is the home where Jesse James was killed in 1882. Visitors may also want to stop at the St. Joseph Museum to learn about the history of the whole city.

Elephant Rocks State Park

This State Park not only has some stunning geological features, but it is also has the first state park trail in Missouri designed for visitors with physical and visual disabilities. Elephant Rocks is named for the gigantic red granite rocks standing end-to-end, reminiscent  of a train of circus elephants. These boulders were formed over billions of years, approximately 1.5 billion years ago magma was pushed to the surface and cooled into a red granite tor. When the Ozark Plateau was formed about 250 million years ago the joints in the tor became more pronounced which started the process of weathering creating the red granite boulders that visitors can see today. Visitors can see these unique boulders along the Braille Trail, which is designed to accommodate visitors with visual and physical disabilities. The one mile trail is paved and has signs written in both braille and regular text. Visitors can explore different areas of the park from several alternate paths. One path takes visitors to an overlook to see an old quarry site. Another path leads to the top of an outcrop where visitors can explore a maze of the stunning boulders.