By: Kelly & Jim Watt
Discoveries...America, Missouri DVD
"“Mark Twain Himself” stage performance in Hannibal; city of St. Louis; Kansas City Fountains; Harry S. Truman Presidential Library; Hallmark Cards; Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; American Jazz Museum; SubTropolis; Fantastic Caverns; Live Entertainment Capital in Branson; Bass Pro/Big Cedar Lodge; Dogwood Canyon; and Sikeston's Redneck BBQ."
The town of Hannibal on the Mississippi River was the home of one of Missouri’s favorite sons, Samuel Clemens…or Mark Twain. His characters come alive in Norman Rockwell’s paintings at the Mark Twain Museum and his wit never tires during performances of “Mark Twain Himself” by actor Richard Garey. Downriver, the city of St. Louis is home to America’s most visited National Monument, the Gateway Arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, and the country’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch. The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, MO is dedicated to preserving the memory of America’s 33rd president, who presided over some of the 20th centuries most important political events and decisions. Kansas City is famous for its sculpture, fountains, jazz, good barbeque and a lot more. The “City of Fountains” boasts more outdoor water features than any other, Rome excepted.
The Country Club Plaza is the oldest outdoor shopping center in the country and it was modeled after Seville, Spain. Two museums in Kansas City highlight African American contributions to the community. At the American Jazz Museum, the music and artifacts of great jazz icons like Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald are on display. Next door, a different collection is dedicated to preserving the rich history of African-American baseball at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Since 1910, Hallmark Cards has grown to become the largest greeting card company in the world. They produce millions of cards for every occasion and emotion, and each one starts with an idea from one of their creative writers.
Deep in the limestone bluffs of the Missouri River…SubTropolis, the largest underground business complex in the world. Over 5 million square feet of leasable space lies beneath the ground in its growing network passages and rooms. Another subterranean attraction…the Fantastic Caverns, the only drive-thru cave tour in North America. In the Missouri Ozarks, a different phenomenon: Branson. The area has grown into one of the world’s great live music and entertainment destinations. The shows start at breakfast and go all day long, featuring acts like Buck Trent, Jim Stafford and Cirque at the Remington Theater. Big Cedar Lodge is a 5 star lakeside resort with 10,000 acres of manmade waterfalls, trout ponds and streams in its Dogwood Canyon.
The Bass Pro Shop in Springfield is the state’s number one tourist attraction. Seven football fields of hunting, fishing and outdoor-recreation products, displays, artwork, memorabilia and live exhibits bring the outdoors inside and show what “shoppertainment” is all about. In Sikeston, the annual Redneck BBQ is a down home party with great food cooked slow and easy.
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