Don’t scrap your vacation plans because of high gas prices; fuel up on fun close to home in Missouri state parks.  Adventures in a variety of formats will please everyone in the family without breaking the budget. Missouri’s 84 state parks and historic sites, managed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, are scattered throughout the state, making fun just a short drive away.  [more]

Missouri has some great ice cream and with July being National Ice Cream Month, it’s the perfect time to include a scoop or two in your Missouri travels. To get you started, here is a list of options for every day of this delicious month. Enjoy!

1. Have an ice cream cone on the lawn of Forest Park. Why? This spot is the birthplace of the ice cream…[more]

Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is pleased to present a program entitled “Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor” on Saturday, July 12, 2008 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The program is intended for beginning genealogists who are attempting to find relatives who fought for the Union and the Confederacy and tracing their service histories. 

Park staff members will instruct those attending the program in the process of locating…[more]

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan announced today a program that will provide a behind-the-scenes look at Missouri’s justice system through the eyes of a prosecuting attorney. The program will be held at the Missouri State Archives, a division of the Secretary of State’s office on Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 7pm. The program will feature author Morley Swingle, speaking about his book, Scoundrels to the Hoosegow: Perry Mason Moments…[more]

Every day is Earth Day in St. Louis where an outstanding collection of ecotourism attractions await visitors. St. Louis visitor institutions show how to save endangered animal and plant species, as well as teaching people how simple it is to help preserve the earth’s environment. Plus - they’re a lot of fun!

The Missouri Botanical Garden, praised in National Geographic for its unparalleled efforts to catalog plants from…[more]

Whether vacation planning means a few days to get away, or a week or two off, the Silver Dollar City Attractions (SDC) rank as Branson’s most popular choice for families, a travel segment that shows marked increase in the past few years. The SDC Attractions include the internationally-awarded 1880s-style theme park Silver Dollar City, the 20th Century themed amusement park Celebration City, White Water tropical adventure park and Branson’s premier…[more]

The public is invited to a free concert by “American Idol” Season One runner-up Justin Guarini at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 21, 2008, at Jordan Valley Park, 735 E. Trafficway, as part of the 7th annual Springfield-Greene County Park Board Summer SnowFest.

Continuing his successful relationship with “Idol,” Guarini appears as a special correspondent on TV Guide Channel’s nationally televised program “Idol Tonight.” Guarini also serves as co-host…[more]

You can buy, sell, swap or just admire rocks, minerals and fossils at the Missouri Mines Rock Swap June 13 through June 15 at Missouri Mines State Historic Site in Park Hills. Sponsored by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the event is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. It is open to the public.

This…[more]

The Springfield-Greene County Park Board will host the inaugural Dairy Days at the Rutledge-Wilson Farm Community Park, 3825 W. Farm Road 146, from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday, June 14 and from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sunday, June 15.

Dairy Days offers visitors a weekend of dairy and farm discoveries. Guests will have the opportunity to rotate through fun and interactive activities, and explore the lifecycle…[more]

The Springfield-Greene County Park Board will host the 27th annual Firefall and Concert in the Sky© event on Saturday, June 28, on the grounds of the Springfield-Branson National Airport, in Springfield, Mo.

This year’s Independence Day celebration will feature “American Idol” Season Two finalist and up-and-coming country recording artist Josh Gracin, along with long-time country artist Johnny Lee.

Josh Gracin got his start after the fourth-place…[more]