December 25, 2013
July 13, 2011
Vol 13 No 28
Plan Your 2014 Vacation in Missouri
Recipe
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Cranberry Fizz
Around Town
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Sled Hockey League Tournament
St. Louis skyline from Moonrise Hotel Photo courtesy of Missouri Division of Tourism
Missouri Enjoys Showing on Best-of Lists
School
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WSD Receives Top Ratings
From the Missouri Division of Tourism If you’re looking for an award-winning getaway, start planning your trip to Missouri. During 2013, the Show-Me State’s tourism assets made dozens of best-of lists awarded by regional, national and international publications and organizations. Just in case you missed the messages about Missouri’s greatness in the media this year, here’s a look at a selection of the many honors bestowed on the Show-Me State in 2013. People from across the state, and the Midwest, utilize the vast outdoor resources in America’s “Best Trails State” – an honor conferred upon Missouri by the American Trails organization. In fact, more than 12,000 people have logged more than 1 million miles on Missouri trails as part of Gov. Jay Nixon’s 100 Missouri Miles challenge. One of Missouri’s most popular trails destinations is Katy Trail State Park right here at home in St. Charles; at just over 237 miles, it is the longest rails-to-trails conversion in the U.S. Missouri’s capital, Jefferson City, was named the “Most Beautiful Small Town in America” as part of Rand McNally’s Best of the Road series. Picturesque views of the Missouri River valley and the stunning Capitol are frequently cited among the city’s most-beautiful
attributes. And, in a development that stunned almost no one, Kansas City was named among the Best Barbecue Cities in the U.S. by Food and Wine magazine. Across the state, Missouri’s secondlargest city, St. Louis, also racked up a slew of honors. St. Louis was named one of the Top 25 Romantic Cities in the U.S. (No. 9 to be precise) by OpenTable.com, and the Three Sixty Rooftop Bar (at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark) was named on Frommer’s list of the Top Best Hotel Rooftop Bars Around the World. With nods toward their respective family fun options, shopping, live shows and outdoor recreation, the Lake of the Ozarks area and Branson both made the FlipKey.com (a division of Trip Advisor) list of the Top Midwest Travel Spots. Meanwhile, Bonne Terre Mine, representing the U.S., was named among the World’s Top 10 Diving Resorts (coming in at No. 3) by Fox News. In securing its lofty status as a scuba diving destination, Bonne Terre Mine was listed ahead of several far-flung resorts, including those found in Italy and Australia. In northern Missouri, Hannibal and the Great River Road—paralleling the Mississippi River—were mentioned among the top 10 Fall Foliage Road Trips in the U.S. by TravelChannel.com.
To the south, Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park, which features a collection of carved-in-rock swimming holes formed by the flow of the Black River, was named among the best Top-Secret Swimming Holes by USA Today. It’s unlikely the site will earn that honor again, as it’s no longer a secret. Golfers should delight in knowing five Missouri courses were listed among See VACATION IN MISSOURI page 2
Over the Fence
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My Resolve Stands Mute
Saving Mr. Banks photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
Movie
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