The Gateway Arch towers over the mighty Mississippi. Built in 1963, it is today the symbol of St. Louis. Blues music fills the night, and St. Louisans sit at sidewalk cafes in the historic Soulard neighborhood in front of tables of toasted ravioli, paper-thin square-cut pizza, and frosted mugs of Bud, the beer here that is still king.

Four hours west down the road, a fountain glistens in the Kansas City twilight. The city has 200 of them, more than any city outside of Rome. From the Blue Room, a club in the iconic 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District, a jazz quartet is warming up for their evening set, while the fragrance of hickory smoked barbecue is still in the air.

Greetings from the heart of the Heartland. Throw a dart at the dead center of a map of the Continental US and you will hit a highway in Missouri called I-70. This highway links two world-class cities, St. Louis and Kansas City, each situated on opposite ends of Missouri.

I am happy to report that many of the stereotypes that I had of the Midwest are true: the people are warm and hospitably; fiercely proud about their cities, but not pretentious about it. The food is good and the portions are huge. But this is only where the accolades begin. Linked by the 250-miles of pavement, the cities have much in common, but still are very different from one another, each offering their own unique charms.

• ST. LOUIS: THE MOST WESTERN CITY OF THE EAST
• POPULATION: 293,310
• MONIKERS: “Gateway to the West” | “Mound City”
• ICONIC SYMBOL: At 630 ft., The Gateway Arch is the nation’s tallest man-made monument, twice the size of the Statue of Liberty. Take the tram ride to the top for stunning views of downtown St. Louis and the muddy Mississippi.
• FAMOUS ST. LOUISANS: Chuck Berry, T. S. Eliot, William Burroughs, Miles Davis, Tennessee Williams, Yogi Berra.

BACK STORY: Located on the western banks of the Mississippi River, St. Louis’ first inhabitants were the Mississippians, Indian mound builders. As many as 40,000 people lived in what was then the largest city north of Mexico. By 1300 AD, the civilization mysteriously disappeared, and the French arrived in 1698, establishing a mission and a thriving trading port. The US flag was raised in 1803 when Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon I, making it part of his plan for a Continental United States. The 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair gave the city international recognition. It is known today for manufacturing, medicine, biotechnology, and other sciences.

THE VIBE: St. Louis is renowned for its historic neighborhoods of red brick and expansive parks. Like most eastern cities, it is a pedestrian town with a great transit system. Soulard is a former French neighborhood, lined with bars and pubs, while the chic Central West End offers sidewalk cafes, boutiques and antique stores. Forest Park, home of the World’s Fair, features 1,300 acres of lakes, walking paths and an array of free cultural institutions. The Hill is the Italian neighborhood, while the The Loop is the hot spot for concerts. For the adventurous, swing over to East Louis, and you’ll seed why its moniker is East Boogie.

CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS: Experience the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri Botanical Gardens and the Saint Louis Zoological Park. See a stage show at the famous Fox Theater, tour the Anheuser-Busch Brewery and visit the Museum at the Gateways Arch for an indepth look at St. Louis’s role in United States history.

EATS: Thanks to the Hill, there’s toasted ravioli and St. Louis-style pizza, super-thin crusted, made with Provel process cheese often via Elmo’s Pizza. Other delights include Gooey Butter Cake and shoulder-cut St. Louis Pork Steak. With a large German population, beer has always been essential and Budweiser dominates the market, but micro-brews like Alpha Brewing Company and Side Project Brewing are gaining well-deserved attention.

BLUES: Due to its location the on banks of the Mississippi, St. Louis blues music is a tantalizing hybrid of Mississippi Delta and Chicago blues. The city boasts more working blues musicians than any other city in the world.

• KANSAS CITY: THE MOST EASTERN CITY OF THE WEST
• POPULATION: 508,394.
• MONIKERS: “The Fountain City” | “Paris on the Plains”
• ICONIC SYMBOL: With respect to the 200 fountains, the National World War I Museum gets my vote. It is the only national museum in the US dedicated to The Great War, and an experience that will touch your soul.
• NOTABLE KANSAS CITIANS: Charlie Parker, Robert Altman, Joan Crawford, Walter Cronkite, Wallace Beery, Walt Disney.

BACK STORY: Originally a homestead settlement, Kansas City is located at the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas rivers. It became an important site for America’s westward expansion, with the Santa Fe, California and Oregon Trails all originating in the area. The location of a number of Civil War battles, Kansas City was incorporated in its present form in 1850. It gained national attention when the stockyards were established in 1871, the second largest in the country. This is where Kansas Citian’s love affair with beef began, and it became acclaimed for its barbecue. Today Kansas City is headquarters to nine Fortune 500 companies and numerous agriculture companies.

THE VIBE: Kansas City is distinguished for its spacious boulevards, numerous parks and over 200 fountains. This is a western-style town and a car is required to get around. Designed in 1922, The Country Club Plaza is 14-square-block outdoor shopping and entertainment district with Spanish-Moorish architecture. The 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District is a swinging hot spot and the place to learn about Kansas City jazz. The Crossroads Arts District is a growing arts community, while the downtown River Market features the Midwest’s largest farmer’s market.

CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS: Visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the architectural wonder, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. The American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum both share the same building, and the Arabia Steamboat Museum is located in the River Market.

EATS: Barbecue is synonymous with Kansas City and today over 100 establishments feature hickory or pecan smoked ribs, brisket and burnt-end ribs. Each restaurant seems to offer its own secret sauce. Other delicacies include Kansas City Strip Steak and Chicken Spiedini. For beer you can do little better than the micro-brews, Casual Animal Brewing Company and Torn Label Brewing.

JAZZ: Kansas City became celebrated for its jazz clubs when political boss Tom Pendergrast ignored prohibition and allowed alcohol to flow into the 12th District. Displaced musicians poured in just as fast, inventing swing jazz and new late-night sensation called the jam session.

For further information, visit Explore St. Louis and Visit KC.

The post A Tale of Two Cities: St. Louis & Kansas City appeared first on Traveling Archive.

As we embarked on our Exploratory Expedition, we were forewarned that we would be seeing a large hairy beast during our very off-road tour of the rural Ozarks. An English-sounding narrator who’s been searching for Bigfoot for decades was piped in warning us not to exit even if threatened, not to shoot firearms and — the most damning of all — not to go on social media. We finally got to the farm where he had last been sighted. Gunshots were heard in the distance; broken branches were visible as were claw marks on trees and large footprints evident in the mud; audible screams, growls and smells permeated our psyches. And ahead, hairy beast indeed there was. About two dozen of them — a whole herd of Scottish Highland cows. Huge bovine creatures with mangy red fur covering their faces — could have all been Bigfoot except that they walked on four legs. Red-herring #1. Red-haired herring?

Our search continued with many more signs that we were on the right path, the narrow rocky road as harrowing as any of the more challenging rides in Branson, but more on that later. Then all of a sudden — a loud crash – a convincing growl — two huge hairy legs in sight — but ah, that’s as much as I can say. There’s just so much Bigfoot is willing to have revealed…

Our further exploration continued throughout Branson, which our unknowing selves had relegated to a somewhat hokey Country and Western music venue. Were we ever wrong! Not only is there a widespread wealth of things to do in Branson, but everything they do is done well. (My apologies to anyone who might actually think that Bigfoot himself is a tad hokey…)

Let’s begin with one of the main attractions. Silver Dollar City, started in 1959 by Hugo and Mary Herschend and still owned and run by sons Jack and Pete, shatters all expectations of amusement park everything — park theme, rides, entertainment and food. First, you’re transported back to the 1880’s, designated by the sign at the entrance: You Have a Great Past Ahead of You. And indeed, it’s an 1880’s living history venue with workshops ranging from pottery to glass-blowing to wood-working to candle and soap makers, operating in real-time — these are not demos for the tourists, but rather producers of products used to sustain the community (park plates made by the potters, nails by the blacksmith, wooden carousel horses by the wood-worker). You get the idea.

Second, Silver Dollar’s most recent Guinness Book world record breaker is the Time Traveler, the fastest, steepest and tallest spinning coaster in the world.  The fact that it turns upside down three times is just a bonus. The amusement park rides break records frequently. And here, the focus is very much on the family, with kiddie rides next to thrilling ones so the whole family can tour the park together, none of whom will be imbibing any alcohol, however. Emphasis on family-friendly.

The rides ranging from a carousel for me to the scariest roller coaster on earth (for everyone else) often have a back-story related to Branson history. I did harness sufficient courage to go on the park’s first roller coaster — and smallest in the park —  called Fire in the Hole, which they refer to as their “legacy ride” because of the history involved. It’s a roller coaster for wimps and was at the very edge of what I could handle. The little elephant ride looked very appealing after that. The Giant Swing replicates old tires swinging above barn lofts but the screams emanating from above belied its simple origin. The ticket counter to the wooden roller coaster, also a Guinness graduate, was reminiscent of an old West stagecoach and sported a sign: “Hold your horses. Be right back.”

Third, the entertainment is non-stop and of a vast variety. From the expected country and western to everything else. The most mesmerizing for me? Amazing feats of acrobatic skills, juggling and other choreographed wonders that I couldn’t possibly imagine I was watching. Light sabers and strobe lights and large rings and body parts twisting in ways you could never fathom and of course, it also involved fire. I spent the hour shaking my head in disbelief, hypnotized by the athleticism, creativity and mind-blowing wonder at this random act in a Branson theme park.  And then there were the Xtreme Pogo-Stunt Team and the speed painter. Speed painter? Don’t ask…

And let’s not forget the food. No traditional funnel cakes here. Many of the edible offerings are created and prepared on site exclusively for Silver Dollar City, and often come from recipes handed down through generations. Succotash, okra and sausage skillet anyone? And by the way, the skillet is five-feet wide and, of course, was made by the blacksmith. How about a waffle cone made from fortune cookies filled with bang bang shrimp. And yes, of course, there are fortunes attached to the cones. Overheard along the way: “Wow, this food is really good. So opposite of DisneyWorld.”

Further surprises awaited outside Silver Dollar City. As a travel writer, I’ve been to more than my share of butterfly farms but this was the first time I was told ahead of time to wear red. Why? Because butterflies love red — so instead of watching the flighty little creatures weave and roam above your head, they alight on everyone’s clothes, often for an extended stay. This is up-close-and-personal butterfly country. And getting spot-checked by a TSA-wannabe on the way out to make sure none of the residents was hitchhiking its way out was also new. Again, whatever Branson does, it does well.

The same is true of the Showboat Branson Belle, another kitschy cliché I was prepared to hate. Rows and rows of tables of diners gorging on pre-assembled chicken or beef dinners and traditional Branson show tunes. And then the show begins with an MC magician/comedian introducing a variety of singers and dancers. Yes, it’s corny and hokey and everything I love to disparage but by the end I’m yelling and throwing up my hands and laughing despite myself. Was I glad it was over? Yes. Do I wish I hadn’t come? Hmmm — it’s close. The songs were from my parents’ generation — and I’m old. There was the de rigueur Elvis tribute, a delightful collage of classic movie songs with the appropriate costume changes, and some brilliant audience participation sketches. What can I say — by the end I was laughing hysterically?

There’s also the Titanic Museum, an intensely moving recreation of the tragedy, the iconic Chicago Pier Ferris Wheel recently transported to Branson, a Go Karts racetrack more reminiscent of a mini-Daytona 500 than the usual kids’ attraction and dozens of other adventures and entertainment mediums to appeal to every taste — and at the risk of repeating myself, they are all done well. And oh yes, there’s also a plethora of golf courses, hiking, boating and fishing options if anyone has the time. Visit this site for more information on Branson.

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