Missouri Life Magazine’s Big BAM (Bicycle Across Missouri) will ride across Route 66 in June. The upcoming annual six-day recreational ride across our state will be hosted by the following towns: Joplin, Willard, Lebanon, Waynesville, Rolla, Cuba, and Eureka.  

The National Park Service (NPS) has introduced a new way to experience Missouri’s beloved treasures – our national parks – with the National Park Service Wellness Challenge.

Whether the latest addition is a brand expansion or a rebranding, one thing’s for certain: there’s now even more to experience with with three lodging and event rental options that make Les Bourgeois—that is, The Blufftop at Rocheport—an even more enticing destination. The Blufftop team has worked for a few years now to put the winery, distillery, bistro, restaurant, and lodging experience all under one umbrella: The Blufftop at Rocheport.

A murder mystery cocktail lounge, heart-themed art, New York-style pizza, and more in Kansas City. This is the City Scout report for April 2022, produced exclusively for missourilife.com.

Elvis Presley performs at the Shrine Mosque in downtown Springfield after briefly disappearing.

On this date in Missouri history, Mark McGwire hits the longest home run in Busch Stadium II history at 545 feet.

On this date in history, the Lewis and Clark Expedition—also known as the Voyage of Discovery—sets out across Missouri to explore the lands west of the Mississippi.

Who knew? Bell Systems announces that car phones will make their nationwide debut in St. Louis.

Glamorous camping—"glamping"—seemed to be right up my alley and in a way, it was how I could get the best of both worlds by enjoying the outdoors and nature, while also having the same luxuries offered at home.

Missouri River Relief is hosting Missouri River Days for the first time since 2019. This program provides fourth-graders from Columbia Public Schools with a field trip to the Missouri River, where they will get to experience its muddy waters aboard one of Missouri River Relief’s motorboats.

Experts agree it is important to incorporate Missouri native plants into whatever garden you tend, even if there isn’t room for an extravagant setup.

Roaring River State Park is beloved for its trout fishing but named for its preternaturally turquoise spring, which flows from the base of a towering, U-shaped bluff. At the viewing platform, its shadowy mouth is hauntingly beautiful, dappled with light and the shadows from hanging ferns. On average, the spring produces an unfathomable 20.4 million gallons of water per day.

A country festival with skilled Missouri artisan cheesemakers as the main attraction is ready to begin a three-day run May 20-May 22 at McKelvey Vineyards at 8901 Highway YY near New Haven in Franklin County.

For dozens of young women in the Sikeston area, the prom experience begins in Leilani Smith’s garage.

A glowing pink popsicle highlights the new sign of an innovative dessert shop in downtown Branson. Since opening Mainstreet Pops (formerly Dreamsicle’s) in 2017, Brooke and Rodger Jones have cultivated a bright, energetic atmosphere with colorful decor that matches their festive frozen treats.

People who view the glass as half empty might be tempted to dwell on the negative repercussions of the pandemic. But those who view the glass as half full, however—like clay artist Katie Simmon—know the pandemic didn’t forever change the world without a little serendipity, too.

If a locavore-centric restaurant that serves multicourse flights inspires your food-loving soul, Bulrush is a destination worth exploring. The restaurant, located in midtown St. Louis on Washington Boulevard, brings together historical Ozarks food and the creative culinary techniques of Chef/Owner Rob Connley.

Just as the restored early 19th-century structure at The Ozark Mill at Finley Farms honors the community’s heritage, the lunch and dinner menus at the restaurant pay homage to regional foods and recipes.

The contemporary German restaurant Affäre is centered in the Crossroads Art District, not far from the Power and Light District in the heart of downtown Kansas City. Co-owned by the native German couple Martin and Katrin Heuser, Affäre is an innovative German restaurant that features seasonal, locally raised and grown ingredients.

This quick and easy recipe for St. Louis style toasted ravioli is perfect for your next party or potluck.

Stand at the east end, and you’ll see a chocolate factory next door to a 125-year-old family-owned hardware store, both facing railroad tracks laid more than 150 years ago. At the west end a half-mile away, there’s a craft brewery on one side of the street—and a boxing gym, tattoo shop, vintage boutique, mountain bike service shop, and pub on the other.

Her face practically fills the frame. You can see every freckle—and the determination in her eyes. She’s Abby, a twenty-two-year-old with Down syndrome who wishes servers wouldn’t offer her a kid’s menu. She’s a homecoming queen working at her old high school and dreaming of going to college and getting married.

Should you be so lucky as to meet Neil Heimsoth at his studio in Cole Camp or at one of the events hosted there, especially one showcasing the town’s German heritage, you may notice he is always smiling and telling a joke.

A new exhibit featuring the 200-plus year evolution of Missouri style and the important role of its apparel industry is on display at the State Historical Society of Missouri Art Gallery now through the end of June in Columbia, Mo.