Dad’s Dream Weekend in Missouri

This 358,000-square-foot Harley-Davidson plant was built in 1998, producing the Sportster, Dyna and V-Rod families of motorcycles from fabrication and finishing through final assembly. On the factory floor, watch operations from welding, laser-cutting and frame-bending, to polishing and assembly. See fenders and fuel tanks being formed, newly painted frames hanging on the line and sophisticated robotic welding technology.

Arthur Bryant's traces its roots to a barbecue stand run by Henry Perry, known to many as "the father of Kansas City Barbecue." Think of Perry as the Henry Ford of barbecue, if you will. Over time, Perry's stand changed owners, and today, Arthur Bryant's is one of the most renowned barbeque restaurants in the world. Dining here is a great way to start your Father's Day weekend - or any day of the week, really - in Missouri.

From Kansas City, it's about a two-hour drive to the beautiful Hail Ridge golf course in Boonville. Find out if 7 really is your lucky number here: Hail Ridge's No. 7, a 168-yard par three, is rated as the course's most challenging hole, thanks to a small lake that guards the green.

If Dad would rather shoot trap than shoot par, River Hills is the place to go. This facility includes skeet, trap, sporting clays and five-stand. The sporting clays course sits among the hills of the Missouri River; some stations are situated on the bluffs.

After a day on the links or out on the range, Dad needs to rest. It's just a 20-minute drive west from Boonville to Columbia, home of the Tiger Hotel. This luxury boutique-hotel has 62 guestrooms and suites, and many restaurants, bars and shops in the entertainment area known as The District are within five blocks.

After checking in to the hotel and freshening up, Dad is likely hungry (and thirsty) from his busy day. That's why Flat Branch is a great choice for dinner and a drink. Opened in 1994, Flat Branch was the first brewery in Columbia since 1841. The menu, ranging from sandwiches to wood-fired pizza, barbecued ribs to steaks, salmon to pasta, includes dishes prepared from numerous local farms. There is an ever-changing array of hand-crafted beers brewed on-site, many using hops grown in Missouri; a minimum of 10 are on tap any given day. Besides brewing great beer, Flat Branch makes its own root beer, cream soda and ginger ale. A nice selection of single malt scotches and small batch bourbons are available. After dinner, it's back to the hotel for a good night's sleep!

After a good night's sleep, start the second day of this Dad-centric adventure with breakfast at Broadway Diner. The diner's most popular dish, The Stretch, is a mound of hash browns smothered in chili, covered with eggs, topped with cheese, onions and green peppers. It's more than enough to help power you through a busy day.

From Columbia, it's about a two-hour drive to downtown St. Louis, home of the Ballpark Village entertainment complex, adjacent to Busch Stadium. This is a great place to relax and mingle with like-minded sports fans before or after a Cardinals game. If your Dad's weekend coincides with Father's Day 2014, the Cardinals host the Washington Nationals at 1:15 p.m., so plan accordingly.

See the St. Louis Cardinals in action at Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis. The stadium, which opened in 2006, offers a view of the St. Louis skyline, including the iconic Gateway Arch.

Just around the corner from Mike Shannon's, this Hilton provides spectacular views of the city, Busch Stadium and the Gateway Arch. Before heading off to bed, Dad can catch a nightcap at the stunning Three Sixty Rooftop bar. Get a good night's sleep, Dad, you're heading home tomorrow.