Along Missouri’s Great River Road

Mark Twain describes a cave – located near his boyhood home in Hannibal – in five of his books, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Tours of Mark Twain Cave, a National Natural Landmark, began in 1886. Its crisscrossing passageways make it one of the few labyrinth caves in the world.

Bankhead Chocolates in Bowling Green has been producing hand-dipped chocolates since 1919. The candies are cooked in large copper kettles, poured onto a marble table, cut into pieces and coated with rich chocolate.

More than 38 miles of hiking, backpacking and equestrian trails wind through Cuivre River State Park, located east of Troy. The park also offers camping, equestrian camping, a lake for fishing and swimming, picnicking, and a visitor center.

Historic St. Charles was once described as the Williamsburg of the West by Southern Living magazine. The Main Street area was the state’s first and largest nationally registered historic district. Running parallel to the Missouri River, the town’s brick-paved streets are home to one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants located in buildings that date to the 1800s.

Mastodon State Historic Site is home to the Kimmswick Bone Bed – an important archaeological and paleontological area. Site excavations have established that Paleo Indians hunted mastodons here during the ice age. A museum displays ancient artifacts and fossils and a full-size replica of a mastodon skeleton. Located in Imperial, the site has three hiking trails, including one that leads to the spot where bones and artifacts were found.

Missouri’s newest national park explores an intriguing chapter of the state’s history. The park tells the story of the first permanent European settlement in Missouri and preserves some of the oldest and rarest French colonial architecture in the country. The park features several historic buildings including The Amoureux House, a vertical log poteaux-en-terre (post in ground) structure built in 1792. Only five such houses still stand in the United States – and three are located in Ste. Genevieve.

Missouri’s newest national park explores an intriguing chapter of the state’s history. The park tells the story of the first permanent European settlement in Missouri and preserves some of the oldest and rarest French colonial architecture in the country. The park features several historic buildings including The Amoureux House, a vertical log poteaux-en-terre (post in ground) structure built in 1792. Only five such houses still stand in the United States – and three are located in Ste. Genevieve.

Sample award-winning wines and fine farm-to-fork dining with a Cajun-Creole-Southwest flair at Chaumette Vineyards & Winery near Ste. Genevieve. Relax in an elegant villa with a view of the rolling countryside at this premier Midwest winery destination. Each villa is equipped with a kitchen to prepare your own specialties as well. Explore the area on more than 4 miles of hiking trails.

The Crisp Museum, located in Cape Girardeau, highlights the area’s archaeology, history and fine arts. The museum offers rotating exhibitions and educational programs. A 1,900 square-foot gallery features works by local, regional, national and international artists.

Broussard’s Cajun Cuisine has been a Southeast Missouri staple for more than three decades. In addition to authentic Cajun specialties, the restaurant serves steaks, burgers, chicken and seafood.

Tour an 1859 mansion at the Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site in New Madrid. The grand structure is a pre-Civil War Mississippi River plantation believed to have been used by Union troops during the Civil War. Most of the original furnishings are on display in the house.