Missouri 2008 Official Vacation Planner - (Page 88) Central Discover the mid-MO blend of nature and culture. ribbon of the Missouri River runs across the northern section. Anchoring the southern section are lakes and more lakes. In between are mustsee cities and towns, and a treasured stretch of the state’s 225-mile recreation trail. This region is spilling over with watersports and lakeshore leisure. The daddy of all the lakes is the Lake of the Ozarks, a magnet for boaters, golfers and shoppers. It’s also the setting of Missouri’s largest state park. Just west of “The Lake” is Truman Reservoir, an impressive body of water in its own right and a quieter spot for boatLAKE OF THE OZARKS CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU A ing and fishing. Tasty trout are the catch of the day at Bennett Spring State Park. What’s a landlubber to do in this region? Drive to Fulton, where Winston Churchill gave his famous Iron Curtain speech and where his granddaughter fashioned sections of the Berlin Wall into a sculpture. Head to Sedalia, a town jumping with ragtime music, railroad history and an unexpected burst of contemporary art. Spend time in Columbia, a university town crammed with galleries, restaurants, museums and a campus botanic garden. And don’t neglect the charms of historic Boonville and Blackwater. Katy Trail State Park, a gravel-paved, railsto-trails conversion, traverses the Central Region. The trail meanders along the Missouri River, veers off through woods and fields, and visits towns where hikers and cyclists are greeted with local cuisine and wines, comfy accommodations and warm hospitality. One such place is Rocheport. Voted “One of America’s Top Ten Coolest Small Towns” by Frommer’s Budget Travel, Rocheport brings river and trail together blissfully with an unassuming trailside village and a blufftop winery overlooking the Missouri River. Now, how perfect is that? Lake of the Ozarks region is a golfing paradise. 88 Missouri Vacation Planner 2008 Historic downtown Fulton
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