Missouri 2008 Official Vacation Planner - (Page 11) JOPLIN CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU Twain, Gen. “Black Jack” Pershing, Walt Disney and J.C. Penney all grew up within shouting distance of Missouri’s Route 36. Hannibal, one of the state’s first Welcome Centers, serves the thousands of motorists who bridge the Mississippi River on I-72 and hunt for traces of Sam Clemens. Sam grew up in Hannibal, of course, and later became Mark Twain. Hometown traces of the great writer are not hard to find. North- and southbound travelers along the Great River Road (Routes 61 and 79) also stop at the center to get their bearings. I-270 has become a favored route of motorists entering the St. Louis area from central Illinois. As soon as they cross the river, they’re greeted by the Missouri Welcome Center at Riverview Drive. Downtown, the Arch and the Cardinals are only 10 minutes away, and historic St. Charles — Missouri’s first capital — only 20 miles west. New Madrid was so named in 1789 to curry favor with the king of Spain, who owned the property at that time. In 1811–12, the Mississippi River town in far southeast Missouri was epicenter of the worst series of earthquakes in recorded U.S. history. The Welcome Center there (I-55 rest area at mile marker 42) guides travelers to the town’s Mississippi overlook, Civil War sites and Towosahgy, an American Indian village that dates to A.D. 1000. On its way north to St. Louis (160 miles), I-55 traverses some of Missouri’s prettiest countryside and tempts motorists to linger in Sikeston, Cape Girardeau, Perryville or Ste. Genevieve. Missouri also extends its hospitality beyond the seven Welcome Centers to six Affiliate Welcome Centers. All are vetted by the state, meet ADA accessibility standards, maintain sevenday schedules and have friendly, knowledgeable staffs. They’re located in Pineville, Platte County, Lebanon, Laclede, Springfield and St. Robert. (See Mapping Missouri, pages 14–15, for exact locations.) Top, left: New Madrid Welcome Center Top, center: Audubon Center, Wildcat Park, Joplin Above, top: Missouri’s first State Capitol, 1821–26, St. Charles Above, center: Oval Office, Truman Presidential Library Museum and Library, Independence Above, bottom: Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, south of Rock Port www.VisitMO.com 11 JEN MELLARD http://www.VisitMO.com
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