The holidays are upon us again and I am amping up for my family’s decision upon CoMo. Since my inlaws trip didn’t go as smoothly as I would have liked last year (in case you are wondering EVERY restaurant in The District is closed on Christmas Eve), I am doing a little more planning this year. I put together a little primer for them since parents have made frequent visits to our city but my sister and her husband haven’t visited before. I think they are picturing a quaint little town. Which it might be to them since even though Columbia is the 5th largest city in Missouri, they’re coming from Dallas which as a metroplex is edging towards the 5th largest in the US.
But we’re small but mighty.
After all we’ve got art museums, movie houses, theatres, scenic views and hiking spots that are perfect for any climate, even our winters.
It’s hard to mention Columbia without including the Ragtag cinema. A great place to watch the most promising independent films, with the option to eat and drink at the same time. The Ragtag cinema is also home to the True/False film festival that showcases cinematic documentaries every year. For history and art lovers, the Missouri University houses the Museum of Art and Archaeology, which displays 14,000 works of art and archaeological objects whilst the entry for the public is free.
We’re not all about the arts. Any outdoorsman would feel right at home as Rockbridge Memorial State Park, offering hiking and biking amongst other pursuits such as park tours that are available for first timers. And of course the Katy Trail is perfect for cold walks. We’re close enough to hit an entry and make a short trek to downtown to sample Missouri beers at Sycamore, Broadway Brewery, or my new favorite drinking spot… Trey. We might even hit Shakespeare’s for pizza and some Rockbridge pints, brewed right here in CoMO.
Though my family isn’t into college sports, we are hoping to entice them back for the Show-Me state games. It has been mentioned in ESPN’s list of 101 things all sports fans must experience before they die. We plan to show them some of the parks where the games take place as well as a drive by The Zou.
We’d also like to take them to some of the more quirky spots. My dad is a huge poker player and though he could play on Partypoker.com from the comfort of our couch the way he does at home, I found out The Thirsty Turtle hosts games. We also plan to take them out to Midway to hit the antiques and show off the newest attraction. And of course the Magic Tree, or maybe Will Treelighter’s other tree at Unity.
What would be on your list for visitors?