I “have” been to Missouri but have not really been able to get to know it. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to pass through Missouri for a number of reasons.
2004
I went here for a couple of days with the family on one of our family vacations. This is the one trip where I was able to go up the Gateway Arch and visit the museum. It is QUITE the ride inside the arch and to see the city of St Louis from the top of the arch. It’s one of those activities that I really didn’t appreciate enough while I was there and I really want to go back to do another experience!
2009
Are you ready for a little known fact about me? I used to play the card game Pokemon! My two children and I traveled the United States and played in over 10 Pokemon National Championships and about 8 Pokemon World Championships. My son and I ran a website selling Pokemon cards to help us finance the expense of all the cards we needed to play at the National/World level. In 2009, the United States National Championship was in St Louis, Missouri. I can’t remember where I placed during this tournament but I know it was a LOT of fun! Once again I was in Missouri but we only got to see the inside of the hotel and the convention center.
Here’s a short video I found of the 2009 Pokemon National Championship where you can see me at the 26 second mark 
2016
On our very first trip when we started living in our motorhome, we drove through Missouri. I was SO EXCITED when I saw the arch while I was driving. Luckily Dave was able to quickly get a picture with the arch out the driver’s window! Our very first ever night on the road was spent in a Walmart parking lot in Springfield, Missouri! It was kinda scary then but all went well
Have you noticed a theme here?
I can officially say I’ve been to Missouri at least THREE times in my life but have I really visited it? NO! It is our hope that one day in the next couple of years that we will spend a month here, focus on what kind of outdoor activities there are, and learn about what is really unique. Some places I really want to go to is
- Branson where there is a really large lake and lots of “touristy” things
- Mark Twain landmarks
- Ozark National Scenic Riverways
In our travels, we’ve met quite of few folks from Missouri and they are so very nice! We really want to get here and check it out
What is your definition of having been to a location? Is it a passthrough? Is it an overnight stay? Do you need to learn something about the location? These questions have become important to us now to be able to say “I"ve been there! …and let me tell you about it” YOU?
This #StateChallenge is organized by @Kwiksatik **and myself. If you want to find out more, check out our post here, and you can also find other submissions by searching the** #StateChallenge hashtag.