The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 118

10 Th Kama City Star Sunday April 17 1977 1 Missouri Ozark Mountains Two Great Cities Add to Show Me State's Vacation Image More so than any other state in Mid-America Missouri truly is a land of contrasts The Show Me State features a landscape ranging from the Ozark Mountains in the south to rolling farmland in the north is dotted by lakes and wilderness is crossed and bordered by two of greatest rivers and is the home of two of great cities A long-established private vacation and tourism industry has made Missouri one of the top vacation spots and the state counts its visitors from near and afar each year WHAT TO For the get away-from-it-all types the Missou ri Ozarks feature plenty of areas for that perfect escape But in many commercial areas of the Ozarks the crowds can get mighty thick as the vacation season gets going State parks usually are full during the summer months but still enjoyable The Branson area in southern Missouri has developed quite a bit in the last few years largely because of the success of Silver Dollar City a recreational amusement-type park and craft center with plenty of family-style motels and eating places nearby In the central part of the state is the Lake of the Ozarks one of the largest man-made lakes This vacation mecca has been a popular spot for Missourians for years Out of the hill country Missouri still offers plenty to see and do In the northwestern part of the state tourists can visit the Pony Express and Jesse James country around St Joseph and Kansas City Louis Nationally prominent Dixieland and ragtime bands plus individual headliners perform aboard the (ioldenrod Showboat on the Mississippi River near the Gateway Arch Contact Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater St Louis 500 Broadway St Louis Mo 63102 Telephone (314) 421 1023 17-19 Hillbilly Days Lebanon 25-26 Carondelet Days St Louis 25-26 Strassenfest St Louis July Kool Jazz Festival Arrow head Stadium Kansas City National Tom Sawyer hence Painting Contest Hannibal August 2-6 J-Bar-H Rodeo Camdonton 5-14 Ozark Empire Fair Springfield 1 1 -1 Bootheel Rodeo Sikeston 12-14 Family Bluegrass and Gospel Music West Plains 13-14 Jour de Fete Ste Genevieve 19-28 Missouri State Fair Se-dalia September 16 18 Elk River Bluegrass Festi val Noel 17-18 Forest Park Balloon Rally St Louis 17-Oct 9 (except Monday and Tuesday National Crafts Festi val Silver Dollar City 18 BevoDay St Louis 19-24 Cotton Carnival Sikeston 23-25 Country Club Plaza Art Fair: Kansas City In the northeast Hannibal is famous for its native son Mark Twain METROPOLITAN One facing west the other facing east two great cities Kansas City and St Louis offer vacations within themselves Both feature big league sports name entertainment first-class hotels art museums famous shopping areas and family recreation centers The larger hotels in Kansas City and St Louis usually have weekend packages available and many activities such as baseball theater can be timed around these weekends The two cities also have theme recreation parks where for the price of admittance one can spend a day riding all the rides (but standing in line to get on them) In Kansas City the theme park is Worlds of Fun in St Louis it is Six Flags Over Mid America Both cities also feature first-class zoos WHAT TO Casual clothing is the rule in outstate Missouri and around the lakes swimming suits often prevail In the Ozarks one should take along some walking shoes Casual wear also is the rule in St Louis and Kansas City except at the better restaurants and the aters where a coat and tie often are required for the men an evening dress for the women WHEN TO GO Summer can be very hot in parts of Missouri but around the lakes that is the best time to enjoy the many water sports Spring weather can be unpredictable but much of the summertime activities such as baseball and theme parks already are operating STATE CAPITAL Jefferson City Principal attractions are the capitol building and the Missouri State Museum Many state monuments and other attractions are near the capitol which also provides a scenic view from a bluff above the Missouri River MORE Write the Missouri Division of Tourism Box 1055 Jefferson City Mo 65101 For Kansas City information contact the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Kansas City 1221 Baltimore Kansas City Mo 64105 For St Louis information contact the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater St Louis 500 Broadway St Louis Mo 63102 May 20-22 Maifest: Hermann 28-29 International Festival of St Louis St Louis June Jubilee Days Warsaw 10-12 Championship Outboard Boat Races Branson 11-19 Festival of Mountain Music Silver Dollar City 13-18 Ragtime Festival St Pockets of History Line Missouri Route Cruikshank a lumber magnate In 1902 two years after the family moved in Mark Twain was a guest of honor at a reception and spoke to 300 persons assembled in the entrance hall dominated by a stair case with newel posts carved in Ita ly and an arched stained glass window of pink yellow and green on the landing above the first floor All four of the daughters were married in the home and the most spectacular ceremony is reported to have taken place in front of the window The house is furnished lavishly with elegant materials from Europe The only thing that marred the awesome atmosphere was the com ment of a woman on a tour as she stopped to peer into kitchen cabinets opposite a marble sink be she said of the exquisite china remember when A gave that Moving on to the Hannibal of Mark day I scanned the buildings for his boyhood home and found it next to the Mark Twain Dinette a fast-food place specializing in fried chicken My appetite for history took a sudden drop but I still wanted to go into the Haunted House on Hill Street west of Becky house Inside a guide told me go ing to give you a flashlight because I thanked her as I laughed to myself and went through some inner doors Suddenly the floor popped a bloody hand appeared out of a toilet seat a spider dropped from the ceiling a wniskey barrel rolled toward me and a mummy rose from a coffin I kept the flashlight on during the entire 2-minute tour and I think it still was on when I handed it back to the guide always give it to anyone who is she repeated As I left I heard a child screaming in the background but I knew he was with someone Before heading southwest for Mexico Mo I continued along the Mississippi to Louisiana Mo filled with magnificent mansions of another era but preserved and lived in today giving the illusion that life- is grand and elegant and easy There is much history to learn about Mexico and several sights to see but two of the most significant are the Audrain County Historical Society Museum and American Saddle Horse Museum in the Rob ert Green Memorial Park at His-ey and Muldrow streets The great black horse trainer and showman Tom Bass (1859-1934) is immortalized at the Saddle Horse Museum in pictures plaques and silver cups won by the horses he made known around the Belle Beach Miss Rex Forest King Columbus and Jack to name a few There are other great names of breeders and showmen remembered in the Rex McDonald John Hook George and Will Lee Clark John and Jim i SeeJMUE on Page 14 Hannibal The 2-hour drive from Keosauqua Iowa to Hannibal was easy and beautiful as much of US 61 followed close to the Mississippi and offered spectacular scenic lookouts The day was drawing to a close as I drove into town so I decided to check into a motel and wait until morning to look over the area I seen since childhood My father always mindful of the historical had suggested I stay at the Mark Twain Hotel So I drove into the business district to find it It was still there but the only signs of life were two worn-out-looking women entering the hotel with a man who looked equally worn-out I sure this was what Dad had in mind for me but I decided not to check in and find out I have heard there are plans to renovate the hotel so will plan to stop again at a later date Turning back to the highway to seek out a motel found myself in front of the Holiday Inn and decided to camp there It resembles a miniature resort with an indoor pool and nearby buffet table and cocktail area shuffleboard court and miniature putting green sauna lamps pinball machines and table tennis As I sipped a cocktail by the pool I wondered about life back at the Mark Twain The next morning before revisiting the boyhood home of the Mtaous native son I drove to 1000 Bird Street to see Rockcliffe Mansion a splendid estate built on a towering bluff with a view toward the Mississippi The home was built by John Rockcliffe Mansion at Hannibal Mo.