Travel

The 132-acre Dillard Mill State Historic Site offers a fully operational turbine-powered roller mill which can be toured and a mill store built around 1899. There is also a day-use picnic area with a shelter and a mile-and-a-half hiking trail through a glade and wooded uplands east of the mill.

Missouri Life’s inaugural year was 1973. We wrote an article on roadside stands back then and we revisited them again in the September 2023 issue. Roadside stands are seeing a comeback. Find out where these stands are and visit one near you.

Lexington, Mo is brimming with annetebellum homes and amazing architecture, and is surrounded by beautiful landscapes. The Anderson House was used as a hospital during the Civil War. The site is most notable for the Battle of the Hemp Bales. Come find out why.

Visit Missouri’s “Little Grand Canyon” where you will find a true chasm, caves, a natural bridge, and picnic areas. Park managers have laid out trails and installed wheelchair-accessible boardwalks and overlooks at this 322-acre day-use park.

Thomas Hart Benton is best known for the murals in our state capitol in Jefferson City. The home and studio that Benton and his wife Rita shared in Kansas City have been left perfectly preserved. The paints, furniture, sketches, and even his pipe sit right where he left them on the day he died.

Lake of the Ozarks State Park has an interesting history. Learn how the lake itself came to be. More than just a lake for boating and fishing, the park is filled with trails, caves, miles of shoreline, great fishing, camps, an airport, and so much more.

Staying in sustainable lodging is more than just a place to land while out traveling. These two places have embraced “green” hospitality. From solar panels to reusable products, to the dome built from Missouri-dug clay, you will rejoice in your visit.

The largest spring in the state, rainbow trout, a nature center, and a lodge with a restaurant are just a few of the fabulous things you will find at Bennett Spring State Park. Pack up the car and spend a weekend exploring this park.

Fifty years ago, we featured a story on Roadside Stands. Our September 2023 issue showcased entrepreneurs who took the roadside stand idea and updated it. Read the 1973 story, then meet two more businesses that transformed a time-tested formula.

We are celebrating 50 years of Missouri Life. Our first story about fairs was in the July/August 1973 issue. Our writer revisited fairs from around the state to see what has changed and what has stayed the same. Find out which fair is famous for fish sandwiches.