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A more diverse state? Show Me

I've always felt that state lines should be redrawn to reflect where the state changes from one terrain or landscape to the next. That is, states should begin and end where their similarities begin or end, rather than at some arbitrary point drawn years ago when the federal government was busy divvying up the land.

However, Missouri would be an interesting exercise of this theory, because it borders eight other states and reflects the characteristics and personalities of even more. Seasoned with essences of Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma, the Show Me state reflects the nature of these neighbors well past the official state lines.

Along Missouri's southern border, known as the "boot heel" because of its geographic shape, colorful small towns with names such as Poplar Bluff, Hayti (pronounced hay-TIE) and Kennett seem much more like southern neighbor Arkansas, with the flat terrain and rural landscape.

There are miles of rivers and springs that are ideal for canoeing, float trips and fishing, including Jack's Fork and the Current - part of America's first national scenic river ways. Just north of Poplar Bluff is Wappapello Lake, an 8,400-acre fishing spot best known for its winter and spring crappie (that's pronounced CROP-ee), and the Mark Twain National Forest offers miles of trails for hikers and cyclists.

As you drive north on Interstate 55, which parallels the Mississippi River, there is a definite change in the landscape: About midway between Sikeston and the city of Cape Girardeau, the flatland gives way to hillier terrain, and I-55 begins tilting vertically into the hills of eastern Missouri.

By the time you reach the quaint colonial village of Ste. Genevieve, the state's original roots become apparent. First settled by the French in 1735, Ste. Genevieve features about 50 historic French Creole-style buildings. Many are open for tours or have been renovated as bed-and-breakfast inns, and the town is as laid-back and homespun as you can find.

North of St. Louis is Hannibal, the charming river town that Samuel Clemens recalled as Mark Twain in his adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

Clemens' boyhood home, now a museum, has been restored to mid 1800s appearance, and an adjacent building displays his manuscripts and memorabilia. Hannibal's chief industry is profiting from the life and times of its fictional residents, so the small town provides sort of a 3-D history lesson to young readers.

Speaking of the river - and St. Louis - the city was the beneficiary of much more than just the commerce and the goods that traveled up and down Big Muddy. River barges and steamboats transformed east central Missouri into a bustling riverfront, importing and exporting a variety of people, products and ideas from the Mississippi to the Missouri River and points west.

The St. Louis riverfront was where songwriter W.C. Handy was inspired to write The St. Louis Blues, one of the most durable blues songs ever written. Later in the 20th century, the barrooms and nightclubs of St. Louis and East St. Louis, Ill., would come alive with legendary local musicians such as Ike and Tina Turner, Little Milton, Albert King, Johnnie Johnson and Chuck Berry.

In 1904, St. Louis recognized the importance of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty to the history of the United States by inviting the country and the world to participate in the "greatest of expositions." The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, a.k.a. The World's Fair, drew more than 20-million visitors during its seven-month run.

The largest of all world's fairs, it covered 1,272 acres and consisted of 900 buildings. Fairgoers heard the first strains of ragtime music from Sedalia native Scott Joplin, saw primitive motion pictures and tasted for the first time such foods as the hot dog, hamburger, iced tea and the ice cream cone.

It was one of the last times that the city featured everything that was considered state-of-the-art in one place. Modern St. Louis' lack of desire to have the newest thing or fad is actually part of its charm - things take time to catch on in these parts, but there's a certain comfort in tradition. And there are those in the city who do integrate its traditional attitude into the high tech, 21st century lifestyle.

West of St. Louis is where the German immigrants made their mark on the region. Missouri's Wine Country surrounds Route 94 as it winds westward through the river hills to the German towns of Augusta, Dutzow and Hermann.

What many consider to be America's first wine district was created here in the mid 1800s, as immigrants from the Rhine River Valley planted vineyards and constructed wine cellars around these small towns. Today, there are more than two dozen wineries in the state, many with tasting bars.

To the northwest is the state capital, Jefferson City. If not for its notoriety as the mecca of Missouri politics, "Jeff City" would probably be just another of many hidden jewels among Missouri's Norman Rockwell-era small towns.

The legislative process takes place under the Renaissance-style, 68-foot diameter rotunda that features heritage-inspired murals by Thomas Hart Benton. Almost as significant here are the ice cream treats at Jeff City's Central Dairy - a fitting example of what the town is really all about.

At some point through this part of the state, the pronunciation of its name changes from mizz-oo-ree to mizz-oo-ruh. No one is quite sure when it happened or why, but there are plenty of good-natured arguments about the correct pronunciation. At the 2002 state fair, visitors were asked to vote for what they thought was the correct way to say Missouri. Mizz-oo-ree was the winner.

Continuing southwestward across the state, the next logical stop is Springfield, the third largest city. Springfield is one of the few places that offers the best of both worlds: city amenities such as museums, nightlife and fine dining, all within minutes of a variety of outdoor adventures.

In addition to its location along historic Route 66, Springfield is a short drive north of Table Rock Lake, a 43,000-acre water wonderland for anglers, boaters, scuba divers and others.

Branson, 35 miles southwest of Springfield, gets more than 7-million visitors a year for its huge variety of homespun, family-style entertainment. There are more than 80 live shows each day. Headliners range from such veterans as the Baldknobbers and the Presleys to "newer" headliners such as Yakov Smirnoff, Mickey Gilley, and the Osmonds.

It almost seems as if the area farther north in the western part of Missouri should be annexed by Kansas. In addition to outsiders' confusion regarding the two cities that share a name and location but are in two states (Kansas City), the area's decidedly western ambience features a cosmopolitan attitude. There is an appreciation for European-style architecture, yet K.C. seems in some ways more like a dressed-up version of the Old West.

The city's recently restored downtown riverfront district features a colorful City Market and the Arabia Steamboat Museum, which displays artifacts salvaged from a steamboat that sank near the city in 1856.

Country Club Plaza is where locals and visitors shop, entertain and eat - and in K.C., that usually means steak, beef or barbecue. A carnivore's paradise, the region's barbecue is legendary.

In addition, Kansas City boasts a tremendous music history, and today's 18th and Vine Historic District features the American Jazz Museum and a thriving live-music scene.

A brief drive north reinforces the Wild West feeling of this side of the state; there are numerous historic spots involving the infamous Jesse James:

In tiny Liberty, the Jesse James Bank Museum is the site of the nation's first daylight bank robbery, and in nearby Kearney, you'll find the Jesse James Farm and Museum. Northwest of Kearney is yet another of his hangouts, St. Joseph. Here is the house where James spent his last years (before Bob Ford gunned him down in 1882).

And next door to that house is the site of the original Pony Express headquarters. St. Jo has preserved the look and feel of the era during the 19th and early 20th centuries. In addition to a number of galleries, the town has historical sites and the National Military Heritage Museum.

Urban cowpokes can find a new lid at the Stetson Hat Factory Outlet, and they can mosey over for some drinking and gambling in the saloon named the St. Jo Frontier Casino.

Northeast of St. Jo, Jamesport transports you into a different time, a different lifestyle. Jamesport is the state's largest Amish settlement. There are tours available that give a glimpse of Amish life, plus lots of Amish foods, crafts and antiques to purchase.

Like much of the country, Missouri has suffered during the recent economic downturn and the loss of longtime manufacturing jobs. Stuck somewhere between the Rust Belt and Silicon Valley, the state continues to struggle in attracting the high-tech workforce necessary to keep up with the 21st century economy. Tourism has become a major industry throughout the state, and a number of Missouri companies are leading the way in biotechnology.

For a state with plenty of chameleonlike characteristics, it's probably only a matter of time before Missouri finds its way back to the Gateway of the American Spirit.

- Freelance writer Dawne Massey, a 10-year resident of Missouri, is author of the newly published "Insiders' Guide to St. Louis."

The top two annual festivals:

Big Muddy Blues Festival, St. Louis. During the Labor Day Weekend (this year, Sept. 4 and 5), more than 40 regional and national blues bands perform for free on five stages throughout Laclede's Landing, a reclaimed area along the riverfront.

For more information, call 314 241-5875 or go to www.lacledeslanding.com

National Tom Sawyer Days, Hannibal. For nearly a half-century, this four-day event scheduled during the Fourth of July has offered family fun with a Mark Twain flavor. Events include the National Fence-Painting Championships, a frog-jumping competition, Tom and Becky Contest, Tomboy Sawyer Competition and Mississippi Mud Volleyball games.

For more information, call 866 263-4825; www.visithannibal.com

Outlaw Jesse James and his gang hid money and horses inside the Meramec Caverns in Stanton.

Gateway Arch and and the Museum of Westward Expansion, St. Louis.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Kansas City.

Fall foliage, in the Springfield/Branson area.

Interstate 70 through St. Louis during rush hour.

Elvis is Alive Museum, Wright City.

Heaton-Bowman-Smith Funeral Museum, St. Joseph.

In St. Louis, you must eat Italian. Try Gian-Tony's on the Hill, 5356 Daggett Ave., call 314 772-4893; or Rigazzi's Restaurant, 4945 Daggett Ave., (314) 772-4900, www.rigazzis.com In Kansas City, it's barbecue. Gates Barbeque, 1221 Brooklyn Ave., (816) 483-3880, www.gatesbbq.com, or K.C. Masterpiece BBQ, 4444 Wyandotte St., (816) 531-3332, www.kcmrestaurants.com.

Chuck Berry, the rock 'n' roller who may be immortal.

Convincing the rest of the United States that Missouri isn't just one big farm.

That it really isn't the heat - it's the humidity.

Readers can find all the articles in our series on the Louisiana Purchase, which will run until May, by going to the Web site www.sptimes.com/lapurchase There are links to the installments and interactive features.