Missouri

Missouri famous for BBQ and the place where Lewis and Clark set out "officially" for their journey west. So technically Lewis and Clark officially set off from Pittsburgh, but since they just went down the Ohio River until it met up with the Mississippi and then went up to St. Louis (which was an established city) their real journey west didn't start until they made it to St. Louis.

St. Louis
Meet me in St. Louis! Not sure exactly what Judy Garland would think of St. Louis now, but I think it is a fabulous city and is one that I would actually live in if I ever felt the need to move from my hometown (Never going to happen :) 

The Arch and Jefferson National Expansion Memorial 
You can ride all the way to the top of this impressive structure and get a birds-eye view of the city and the Mississippi River. It was built as a symbol of the westward expansion for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and is now an internationally recognized symbol of St. Louis. 

The Arch

Old Courthouse

Dred Scott

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is a national park that is in memory of Thomas Jefferson's work to expand our country. It is also a memorial of Dred Scott, the slave who sued for his freedom in the Courthouse where the memorial is now. 

St. Louis Cardinal's Game
Anyone who loves baseball knows that you have to check out a game! Since Jason and I are trying to go to every ballpark in America, this definitely is on my list of places to check out! Times who doesn't love a hotdog and beer at a ballpark? 


Six Flags St. Louis
Thrill-seekers rejoice! If you want some rollercoasters and whitewater rapids, look no further than Six Flags St. Louis. Tickets are around $67 a person at the park, but if you buy online prior to going, it is cheaper!

Budweiser Brewery Tour 
I am not a beer drinker, however, I would be remiss if I didn't include the Budweiser Brewery tour!
There are a few different tours of the brewery available as well as just going to the Biergarten (beer garden basically). Make sure you do a little bit of research as to what tour best suits your needs! I would choose the Bud Light Tour, mainly because you start with the CLYDESDALES! Tickets are $10 dollars and if it were me I would reserve ahead of time, just so you know what time your tour will be!

Grant's Farm

Named for Ulysses S. Grant and is right beside of his house that is now a National Park. It is now mainly used for the Clydesdales! That's right this is where you can go see the beautiful horses! It costs $12 to park (or may be included as part of the package for the Brewery tour), but that's worth it to see the horses! Also, you can see where President Grant lived too :) 

Grant's Home

City Museum - now you all know that I am not a museum person. But this is different. It is a huge playground inside an old factory that has mainly repurposed architectural components. It is amazingly beautiful inside and a great way to spend an afternoon. It costs $15 per person to get in, and then you have to pay to park as well but totally worth it, especially if you have kids. 

Just some of the beauty, photo does not do it justice

playing in one of the climbing things :) 

Forest Park - a beautiful 1300 acre park in St. Louis. There is much to do here including the history, and art museums and the St. Louis zoo!! This park is rich in history since it was the location for the 1904 World's Fair and also hosted some of the Summer Olympics in 1904 as well! 

World's Fair Pavilion in Forest Park

Kansas City
Blues, BBQ, and the Kansas City Royals.

Penn Valley Park
Originally part of the Sante Fe Trail, it is now 170+ acres in the downtown area of Kansas City.
It currently has the National World War I Museum and Memorial. It is officially the National Museum of the United States on everything about WWI. It is only open 10am-5pm Tuesday -Sunday and costs $16 to get in.

Kansas City Royals Game 
Same thing as before for a Cardinals game. Is there anything better than a hotdog and a beer at a ballgame?

Community Bookshelf Wall 
If you are a book nerd (like myself) then check out this wall! It's on 14w 10th Street in Kansas City. I loved it and took about 80 million photos of it :)

Power and Light District 
A new shopping, dining, and entertainment district in downtown Kansas City! It looked fun and hip when we drove through it! Definitely looked like some killer food options!

Branson
Welcome to the Gatlinburg of Missouri. Shows galore and so many tourist attractions that it almost hurts my eyes to look at the place.

Table Rock Lake
With over 800 miles of shoreline, what can't you do at this lake? Water skiing, fishing, swimming, boating, and even scuba diving is available here.

Silver Dollar City/White Water Branson
Silver Dollar City is an amusement park filled with rides for thrill-seekers of all ages. White Water Branson is a water park!

Shows
This is almost like Broadway, there are so many shows that you can see. Make sure to do a little bit of research about the shows for when you decide to go!

Other Locations in Missouri

Ozarks - This mountain range starts outside of St. Louis and runs all the way through parts of Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. There is a lot of outdoor activities that can be done around these areas. Mostly hiking, biking, trails, and water sports!

Alley Mill in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways

Independence, Missouri
Known mostly now being the home of President Truman, it also has a Frontier Trails Museum and has some rich history here!

President Truman's House

Lamar, Missouri
Ok, the only reason why I am putting this out here is because I was so impressed with one shop in particular. Blue Top Quilt Shop was a fabulous experience for me. They drew me in because of their advertising "Scream until he stops!" Well, it worked because I stopped. I fell in love with the ladies that work there because they went above and beyond to help me. Wish I lived closer but looks like I will be ordering from them soon!!

That is all I have for Missouri!
Any questions shoot me an email!!
graceparsons2023@gmail.com

Louisiana

Home of amazing Cajun food and some of the nicest people I've ever met! I've only been to New Orleans for a half marathon but I really want to see Baton Rouge and Shreveport!


New Orleans
Home of Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street and nicknamed the "Big Easy", you can easily see how it got it's name. An amazing blend of French, African and American cultures makes this city a must see for an traveler.

Jackson Square - is a National Historical Landmark since it was the place where the Louisiana Purchase was made. It is one of the most photographed places in the world and it's easy to see why. It is called Jackson Square for Andrew Jackson, when he won the 1815 Battle of New Orleans in the war of 1812 with the British. All around the square is adorable shops to stroll through. When I was there the entire outside of the park had artists showing off their work.
Cafe du Monde - is right on the corner off of Jackson Square and is world famous for their beignets.

Saint Louis Cathedral with Andrew Jackson Statue in front

Bourbon Street - I'm going to be honest here, I barely remember Bourbon street. I left my dignity and all of my stomach contents here. There is a 5-6 bars at least on every block and I only remember 2 (I'm a light weight). Be prepared here, since there are A) a lot of drunks B) it smells (with good reason) and C) pickpockets. 

One thing I will say is to get your taro cards read. I'm not exactly a believer, however the guy who did mine was exactly on the money with everything. He said I would go back to school (I'm almost done with my MBA now), I would find the man I was going to marry within 6 months (it was 3 months and I found him), and I would own a farm with chickens (I do now). 

Bourbon Street

Airboat/Alligator Tour - This was probably the highlight of my trip. I used Airboat Adventures in Lafitte and it was amazing. My guide was named T-Earl (I was a little in love with him. It was the accent.) He was extremely professional fun and knowledgable even if he wouldn't let me drive the boat. I highly recommend them! And you can even hold a baby alligator!! 

The Boat

They bring Alligators right to the boat with marshmellows

The beautiful bayou

Holding the baby alligator! 

Food

We ate at Huck Finn's. I had the jambalya and it was fabulous! 

That is all I have right now! Any questions let me know!
graceparsons2023@gmail.com