Perryville

Find the Missouri’s National Veterans Memorial, a shrine, Tower Rock, and an historic 1897 truss bridge as you drive your way on the Southern River Road. Save time for the Tractor Museum. Refuel with a fantastic burger and a craft beer.

Where do you find the county with the most caves, the Tower Rock that Lewis and Clark mapped, a living history Lutheran heritage and genealogy site, and a full-size replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC—plus a great brew pub?

It was certainly a desire to ride through the state’s green and rolling-hill countryside in summertime that attracted us. Maybe there was a pain component, too, that was curiously, if a little perversely, compelling—confronting the dreaded beast that is humidity in Missouri’s hottest months. 

There is an enchanted garden tucked away on a county road in southeast Missouri. Pinecrest Azalea Gardens makes a breathtaking and blissful first impression. My family and I visited the gardens for the first time just before Mother’s Day in May 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Many of the fire towers are being closed, removed, and relocated, so this is a good time to find one to climb for the best views in the state.

An inaugural Veterans Day ceremony will take place November 11 at Missouri’s National Veterans Memorial. The event off˜ers a way to remember those lost or serving in the military by securing a personalized Gold or Blue Star badge to be incorporated into the ceremony as service flags.