Writing — Page 24

A charming historic town on the Missouri River with riverfront parks, a nature sanctuary, and a downtown that actually delivers on its small-town character promise.

A paved multi-use greenway through the Kansas City Northland, following Line Creek through wooded corridors with a small waterfall tucked inside.

A 116-acre Columbia, Missouri park with a lake, ArbNet-certified arboretum, and an outdoor amphitheater that hosts summer concerts above the water.

One of the top zoos in the country — completely free, in the middle of Forest Park, with over 14,000 animals across 90 acres.

St. Louis is a city of deep history, free world-class institutions, and a riverfront identity that rewards time spent actually looking.

A 1927 Canada goose sanctuary near St. Louis that grew into one of Illinois most important wildlife refuges, now hosting up to 150,000 geese each winter.

Where the Missouri meets the Mississippi — a 4,000-acre conservation area at one of North America's great river confluences, with 285 bird species recorded.

Castle ruins, a massive spring, a natural bridge, and karst topography that makes every trail a small geological revelation — Ha Ha Tonka earns its reputation.

Missouri's largest continuously running waterfall — 163 feet wide and 12 feet tall over solid chert, just outside Joplin.