LIFESTYLE & LEISURE
Beyond CoMo
Venture out and explore your new environs with these fun daytrips.
PHOTO BY LES BOURGEOIS VINEYARDS
nn BY KATHY CASTEEL
Rocheport
Columbia is right smack-dab in the middle of Missouri, making the city an ideal base for quick getaways to some fabulous nearby destinations. These daytrips can take you through the heart and soul of the Show-Me State and have you back home again by nightfall.
ROCHEPORT (15 miles) You don’t even have to leave Boone County to appreciate this tranquil little town on the Missouri River. Enjoy a spectacular view from the bluff top as you sip award-winning wines and dine on gourmet fare at Les Bourgeois Vineyards, Missouri’s third-largest winery. For the active set, Rocheport is your passport to the Katy Trail, the rails-to-trails state park that traverses the entire width of Missouri along the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas railway. Shoppers will find a bounty of antiques here, along with art galleries, artisan studios and one-of-a-kind boutiques. 84
R E LO C AT I N G I N C O LU M B I A
When COVID restrictions lift, enjoy a concert at the Rocheport General Store. Rocheport.com
BOONVILLE (25 miles) Just a short hop down Interstate 70 is the inviting town of Boonville. Named for the sons of frontiersman Daniel Boone, the city sits just south of where Nathan and Daniel Morgan Boone operated a saltworks in the 19th century. Today’s Boonville is a history buff’s dream, adorned with architectural gems such as the Hotel Frederick, Thespian Hall and elegant homes of a bygone era. Pick up a map for a walking tour at the River, Rails, and Trails Museum in the Visitors Center at the Katy Trailhead. You’ll find access nearby to the Katy Trail, Katy Bridge and the historic Katy Depot, the only surviving Spanish missionstyle depot on the Missouri-KansasTexas railroad. Feeling lucky? Try your hand at the Isle of Capri casino for
gaming and live entertainment. Rack up some “aww” moments at Warm Springs Ranch, the breeding farm of the Budweiser Clydesdales. Make your reservations to visit these gentle giants, chat with the horses’ handlers, check out the latest crop of baby Clydesdales and snap all the selfies you like. GoBoonville.com
FULTON (30 miles) Winston Churchill put Fulton on the map when he delivered his Iron Curtain speech at Westminster College in 1946. The National Churchill Museum on the Westminster campus celebrates the remarkable life of this eloquent statesman. The complex includes a section of the Berlin Wall and the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, a 17th-century London church designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Fulton is also home to Auto World Museum and its extensive collection of rare and
