MN to MO - Questions! (St. Louis, Springfield: tornado, estate, transit)

[SunGrins]

Originally Posted by frahlick

Thank you for the response, that's good info to have!! Saint Louis is too far from the reservoirs according to my husband, so we are sort of steering away from that area. It's beautiful, just doesn't seem to be best for us ��

Central Missouri might be a more reasonable fit. Lake of the Ozarks is there as well as Truman Lake. You will be on the northern fringe of the Ozarks in what might be considered a transitional zone from Midwest to Southern/Ozark. I lived in Jefferson City for 30+ years and had a short drive to Columbia (35 miles or so) and a short drive to Lake of the Ozarks (40 miles). We would go to the "Lake" for lunch some days or Columbia for dinner in the evening. Jefferson City was (then) a good place to raise kids...my kids are grown and I've been away for a bit. I know they are building a second high school so it is growing a little. They just built a new hospital. You are part-way in the bible belt but not like Springfield or the deep Ozarks...mostly Catholic/Lutheran/Methodist etc. Being the state capital there are a lot of non-natives who fit in just fine and it is somewhat mixed politically though generally conservative. Lincoln University is an historically black university dating to the 1860s and it generally now serves the wider local population. University of Missouri is close by in Columbia and there are regional hospitals there. To the east is Missouri's Rhineland with dozens of German communities and wineries. You can take a daily excursion on Amtrak from Jefferson City to Hermann to visit wineries. Katy Trail bike path runs across the state just across the Missouri River with a side spur that comes into the city. To the west is Sedalia (State Fair) and a little bit of "Amish" country. The population in Columbia, Jefferson City, Fulton, and Lake of the Ozarks/Osage Beach probably approaches 400,000 and it is a mix of native-born and newcomers. Fulton is probably more conservative by a few degrees than the other areas and Columbia would be more liberal. Fulton is somewhat quaint by comparison to Columbia but famous for Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech and Churchill Memorial. It is also in horse breeding country (American Saddlebred & Fox Trotter) and a outlier of "Little Dixie" so there is a little more faded Southern-ness to it. St. Louis and Kansas City are a couple hours away, almost equal distance, and both are reachable by Amtrak if you don't want to drive. It's common for families to make a day trip for professional sports games in St. Louis or Kansas City and either come back late or stay over.

[Leo58]

Originally Posted by MOforthewin

Since when do we call lakes in MO reservoirs lol? Yea I know they're dammed off but nobody calls them that.

Reelfoot isn't that hard of a drive if you go down 55. Even Memphis TN isn't that long of a drive, straight shot.

A Minnesotan may be interested to know that there are virtually no natural lakes in Missouri, but a lot of reservoirs and man-made lakes. Also, you will hear puddles as small as 5 or 10 acres referred to as lakes in Missouri. A Minnesotan might find that funny.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by sub

In Springfield, a person can fish at a place like Stockton in the evenings after work if they choose, among other, even closer options.
Reelfoot is a weekend trip at best for people in St. Louis. There's also Lake of the Ozarks and Mark Twain for weekend excursions.
Springfield is surrounded by that sort of thing.

Never liked Lake of the Ozarks much. Too busy.

I prefer Table Rock. The land is also more rugged and pretty Ozark/upper south scenery. Same with Bull Shoals.

You also have Rend Lake as well in IL if you're from the St. Louis area and Mark Twain as well.

[SunGrins]

Originally Posted by MOforthewin

Never liked Lake of the Ozarks much. Too busy.

I always avoided being on the water in the area near the big name resorts close to the dam. Much better out in the Niangua/Little Niangua arms or near the state park -- if you want to fish.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by SunGrins

I always avoided being on the water in the area near the big name resorts close to the dam. Much better out in the Niangua/Little Niangua arms or near the state park -- if you want to fish.

Not only that, I just don't like the scenery as much as well. Lake of the Ozarks is on the northern fringes of the Ozarks. Just doesn't have the rugged terrain that far southern Missouri and North Arkansas has such as Table Rock for example.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by SunGrins

Central Missouri might be a more reasonable fit. Lake of the Ozarks is there as well as Truman Lake. You will be on the northern fringe of the Ozarks in what might be considered a transitional zone from Midwest to Southern/Ozark. I lived in Jefferson City for 30+ years and had a short drive to Columbia (35 miles or so) and a short drive to Lake of the Ozarks (40 miles). We would go to the "Lake" for lunch some days or Columbia for dinner in the evening. Jefferson City was (then) a good place to raise kids...my kids are grown and I've been away for a bit. I know they are building a second high school so it is growing a little. They just built a new hospital. You are part-way in the bible belt but not like Springfield or the deep Ozarks...mostly Catholic/Lutheran/Methodist etc. Being the state capital there are a lot of non-natives who fit in just fine and it is somewhat mixed politically though generally conservative. Lincoln University is an historically black university dating to the 1860s and it generally now serves the wider local population. University of Missouri is close by in Columbia and there are regional hospitals there. To the east is Missouri's Rhineland with dozens of German communities and wineries. You can take a daily excursion on Amtrak from Jefferson City to Hermann to visit wineries. Katy Trail bike path runs across the state just across the Missouri River with a side spur that comes into the city. To the west is Sedalia (State Fair) and a little bit of "Amish" country. The population in Columbia, Jefferson City, Fulton, and Lake of the Ozarks/Osage Beach probably approaches 400,000 and it is a mix of native-born and newcomers. Fulton is probably more conservative by a few degrees than the other areas and Columbia would be more liberal. Fulton is somewhat quaint by comparison to Columbia but famous for Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech and Churchill Memorial. It is also in horse breeding country (American Saddlebred & Fox Trotter) and a outlier of "Little Dixie" so there is a little more faded Southern-ness to it. St. Louis and Kansas City are a couple hours away, almost equal distance, and both are reachable by Amtrak if you don't want to drive. It's common for families to make a day trip for professional sports games in St. Louis or Kansas City and either come back late or stay over.

That is a good way to put it. Lake of the Ozarks is within that transition zone with a mix of south and Midwest, but the lean goes to Midwestern but certainly some southern influences still. It's near the northern end of that transition zone that runs along US 50 in MO. Except more west you go that zone can extend just north of the MO river in some pockets.

Most of the Ozarks has a least a little bit of southern influences in it except for the parts in St. Louis county. Even southern Jefferson County you begin to pick up a small bit of southern influence even though it's still considered stl metro. I don't consider St. Gen or Perry County as the Ozarks really so I'm not including them.

[MUTGR]

Originally Posted by Leo58

A Minnesotan may be interested to know that there are virtually no natural lakes in Missouri, but a lot of reservoirs and man-made lakes. Also, you will hear puddles as small as 5 or 10 acres referred to as lakes in Missouri. A Minnesotan might find that funny.

A Minnesotan may also be interested to know he won't freeze his ass off as bad in Missouri as he does in Minnesota every winter.

To each his own. Cheers.

[SunGrins]

Originally Posted by MOforthewin

I don't consider St. Gen or Perry County as the Ozarks really so I'm not including them.

There’s that river culture that follows the Mississippi and Missouri rivers that seems a little Southern, a little French, a little German, a little catfish... I have relatives in Ste. Gen.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by SunGrins

There’s that river culture that follows the Mississippi and Missouri rivers that seems a little Southern, a little French, a little German, a little catfish... I have relatives in Ste. Gen.

Ste. Gen doesn't have any southern influence though.

It's strange how St. Francois county to the west is in that transition zone and has some southern influences but Ste. Gen doesn't. St. Francois county Southern Baptist is the majority religion too according to the census so migration patterns there.

From being down there Ste. Gen has a totally different feel than a few miles to the west in Farmington.

Bordering the MS river, Jackson Missouri is where the southern line begins. Cape Girardeau is a bit less southern than Jackson though I think THB said.

Perry County isn't southern as well, but even they're more southern influence than Ste. Gen County. Not much though because it is solid lower Midwest still. Cape Girardeau county is strange. Far north parts are Midwestern, but rural parts are pretty southern.

[MOforthewin]

Originally Posted by MUTGR

A Minnesotan may also be interested to know he won't freeze his ass off as bad in Missouri as he does in Minnesota every winter.

To each his own. Cheers.

Except for Kirksville Missouri. I don't know what it is that makes it so cold. Even their summer average highs are like MN almost and they're still 30 miles south of Iowa!

But yes Most of Missouri in the winter isn't that bad. The Missouri river on south in Missouri still has a lot of mild days in the winter.

The southern quarter, especially southwest Missouri has pretty mild winters. Many days get highs that reach 70 in the winter.

One thing though is that southwest and south central MO get a lot more severe weather and the worst tornadoes due to their location. A lot bigger tornadoes than the St. Louis area gets.