Destinations / Missouri

Nicknamed the Show Me state, Missouri may surprise some tourists with its diverse attractions and activities. Here are some of the highlights: Country music fans will love Branson, while Kansas City is known for its blues. If you want high-end shopping, check out Kansas City's Country Club Plaza shopping district. And if you're into the Wild West, visit Silver Dollar City, an 1880s-themed town. The state's natural attractions draw repeat visitors, too. In the southeast, striking red boulders are scattered across the Ozark hills, while in central Missouri, the Lake of the Ozarks offers tourists lazy days spent boating, golfing and fishing. You can explore Mark Twain's boyhood home in Hannibal, and you can even sample locally-made wine at wineries lining the Missouri River.

LOCATION :

Missouri lies in the central part of the United States. It's bordered by Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska and Tennessee.

LANGUAGE :

English

CURRENCY :

US dollar

TIPPING :

15% is customary in restaurants although you never tip in fast food or self-service establishments. Taxi drivers, bartenders and hairdressers depend on similar-sized gratuities.

ELECTRICITY :

110V, 60Hz

WEBSITE :

www.visitmo.com

CAPITAL :

Jefferson City

AREA SIZE :

About 300 miles long and 240 miles wide from its most distant points

TAXES :

Sales taxes vary from state to state but are typically 5-8%. Departure taxes are included in the price of a ticket, though the local airport departure tax may not have been included if your ticket was purchased outside the U.S.

TIME :

Central

DOCUMENTS :

Most visitors to the US require a visa. However, Canadians need only proof of citizenship. A reciprocal visa-waiver program allows citizens of the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland to stay up to 90 days without a visa if they have an onward ticket.

POPULATION :

5,595,211

AVERAGE WATER TEMPERATURE :

Inside Bonne Terre Mine the water remains a constant 58 degrees year-round. Other sites can get chillier, or warm up to 80 degrees, depending on the season.

AVERAGE VISIBILITY :

5¿100 feet

TYPES OF DIVING :

Wreck, boat and shore freshwater diving

BEST TIME TO DIVE :

June to September is the best time to dive although the colder months offer greater visibility due to the lack of algae blooms that often occur during the months of June and July.

WHAT TO WEAR :

The water can tend to get colder the deeper you go so a minimum of a 7mm with hood and gloves is recommended.

DIVES NOT TO MISS :

Bonne Terre Mine An nickel mining facility that was abandoned in 1961 and later flooded by seeping groundwater. Dive among the mine's ghostly remains: shovels, picks, rock drills, trucks, and ore crushers.
Table Rock Lake ¿ Dive through Oasis. This small town was submerged under 100 feet of water when the lake was created in 1958. Descend to Main Street and into the town¿s small wooden church. Also in the 43,000-acre lake, explore the Enchanted Forest, an underwater grove of oak trees that attracts large fish.