I Have Never Been to 5 Famous Missouri Places & I Don’t Know Why

I am without an alibi for this. Having lived in Missouri nearly all of my life, there is no excuse for me having never visited 5 very famous Missouri places and now is confession time.

Without boring you with my life story, I do owe you a little background. I was born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri. My mom and dad took me on vacations almost every summer, but 5 famous Missouri locations have escaped me and I still don't fully understand why. I won't mention my age, but let's just say I've had decades to get this done, but still haven't. Here are 5 Missouri locations I have yet to visit.

The Top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis

I blame this omission on my fear of heights, but I've been to the Grand Canyon and that's pretty deep, so I'll need to come up with a new reason. I also love riding roller coasters which further deepens the mystery of why I've never been to the top of the Gateway Arch. Spoiler Alert: I never plan to check this box, either.

Ha Ha Tonka State Park

I love the Missouri Ozarks. Why have I not managed a trip to some of the most famous ruins in the Midwest? I have no clue. Just never got it done.

Joplin, Missouri

How did I miss one of Missouri's most important towns? Here's the deal. I've traveled through the southwestern part of Missouri many times, but my journeys have never taken me through Joplin. I did watch the Netflix show about the 2011 tornado if that counts for anything.

Mizzou's Faurot Field

This is truly embarrassing. As a lifelong Missouri Tiger fan, I have never been to Faurot Field. Here's the kicker. I even lived and worked in Columbia back in the mid-1980's and STILL never made it to a Tigers game. I hang my head in shame.

Whiteman Air Force Base

I love stealth bombers and admire our military, but have never been to or even near Whiteman Air Force Base. I have even watched both Top Gun movies multiple times. What is wrong with me anyway? Don't answer that question even if you know the answer. That's another story for a different day.