Towns

Explore nature, visit art galleries and museums, and eat plenty of pancakes in Kirksville.

The 2021 Christmas Country Church Tour, set for December 16-17, encompasses more than thirty churches in tiny hamlets, villages, and towns spread across Perry, Bollinger, Ste. Genevieve and Cape Girardeau counties in southeastern Missouri, and one in Kaskaskia, Ill. All but three of the church buildings are more than 100 years old; three churches recently celebrated their 200th anniversaries. Each church on the free, self-guided driving tour is staffed with volunteers eager to share information about the church’s history and traditions.

“Fishing’s not just about catching, it’s about getting out and enjoying the outdoors. Catching fish is a bonus.” Granddad had many sayings like these that helped form a foundation that directly influenced my path in life. I’ve often wondered who—or what—would’ve come of me without that influence so early on. Fishing and life are one in the same if you asked me. The lessons learned on the water most definitely last a lifetime.

St. Joseph is home to iconic places, including Jesse James’s home, the Pony Express birthplace, and the Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp. History flows through this town where museums tell the stories of this westward jumping-off point and where new stories are beginning.

Since the first Stars and Stripes was printed in Bloomfield in 1861, the Department of Defense designated Bloomfield as the birthplace of the Stars and Stripes newspaper. The Missouri Stars and Stripes was printed only once during the Civil War. It wouldn’t see publication again until World War I, when it was an eight-page weekly. Publication stopped after WWI, then for the first nine months of World War II, it was restarted.

he lack of opportunities after high school for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities and the abundance of unhealthy skincare products in the United States are two issues close to sammysoap managing member Karen Copeland’s heart.

Like most old houses, a two-story home built around 1890 in New Cambria has layer upon layer of stories—both the kind you tell and the kind you build.

Historic charm awaits in Weston.

Dine on a historic streetcar, take an urban hike, celebrate Latino art and more in KC.