Missouri – The Show Me State

For over a century in this nation our idea of The West began somewhere in the United State’s 18th most populous state, Missouri – The Show Me State.

Missouri is a state of eye opening contrasts and time honored tradition; a state as committed to the future as it is devoted to it’s past. A state blessed with natural beauty and diverse wildlife from the majestic peaks of the Ozark Mountains to the nations two longest rivers, the Mississippi and, of course, the Missouri.

But, Missouri is more than just gorgeous vistas and rambling rivers. Culture is as important to Missouri as it’s natural splendor and Missouri has given the World two of the most unique offerings in both the world of Music and Cuisine.

With such a variety of things to offer, Missouri is a state that never ceases to satisfy curious seekers and confound misinformed critics.

Folks in Missouri also know there’s really only one choice in satellite cable providers for the very best in satellite TV programming and that’s Dish TV. Dish TV offers something for everyone in the family.

St. Louis

Situated between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, the city of St. Louis was known as “The Gateway to the West” long before it’s iconic giant arch was raised to grace the city skyline. One of only three Independent Cities outside the state of Virginia, St. Louis owes both its name and it’s founding to French fur trappers who officially established the city in the mid 1700’s.

The St. Louis skyline is known for one thing above all else, the World renowned Gateway Arch. The arch is as much a part of the city as it’s beloved Major League Baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals. The tallest arch in the world as well as the highest standing man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere, the Gateway Arch was built over a roughly three and a half period between February of 1963 and October of 1965 at a cost of what would be, today, around eighty one million dollars. Standing 630 ft. high, the Gateway Arch is one of the most visited attractions in the entire world drawing an estimated four million tourists every year.

If it’s variety you crave then look no further than Forest Park. Covering over 300 square acres and tracing it’s beginnings back over two centuries, Forest Park has long been known as “The Heart of St. Louis” and is packed with tons of fun and excitement for the whole family. The St. Louis Zoo, The St. Louis Science Center, and the St. Louis Museum of Art are all located right there among the gorgeous natural splendor.

Like most major cities, the consistent growth of St. Louis has led to population booms in the surrounding areas. Suburbs like Webster Groves, Chesterfield, and Clayton all have their own unique charm and attractions. Kirkwood, consistently voted as one of the best suburbs of St. Louis, has one such hidden treasure that absolutely has to be seen to be believed. Opening in the early 1970’s, The Magic House and Children’s Museum of St. Louis is simply incredible. Offering loads of hands on exhibits that are both fun as well as educational the Magic House sports it’s own electrostatic generator, a three level climbing and crawling experience named after the timeless children’s story, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, and the obstacle course like “Wonderworks” which is guaranteed to exhaust those little ones and help give Mom and Dad a little alone time.

What better way to enjoy a quiet evening at home than to curl up and watch one of the hundreds of channels offering an endless variety of offerings you’ll find in the St. Louis area with Dish TV.

Springfield

Tucked away in the Southwest portion of Missouri lies the state’s third largest city, Springfield. Known as “The Queen of the Ozarks”, some 160,000 people call Springfield “Home”. Springfield has certainly come a way since it was first established by settlers from Tennessee in the early decades of the 19th century. The city has seen more than its share of colorful characters, historical events, and even found itself competing with New York City and Hollywood for the right to call itself the center of the television broadcasting world for a few years back when TV was still relatively new.

In the 1950’s Springfield, Americans were in love with TV and the variety show format ruled the television airwaves . Thanks in large part to the tireless work of an innovative Missouri native (Ralph David Foster) and his top shelf television production studio (Crossroads TV Productions), more television broadcasts originated from Springfield than anywhere else in the country other than the giants of the coasts, New York and Hollywood. Shows like The Eddy Arnold Show, Ozark Jubilee, and the first network color television program to originate outside Hollywood and New York City, Five Star Jubilee, which was staged from what has become the second oldest and largest public theater in the state, The Landers Theater. Built in 1909, the Landers has been in continuous use as a movie theater or performing arts theater since it first opened its doors and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. These days it serves as the home of the Springfield Little Theater, a community theater group but is still visited by those looking for something more than the usual tourist attraction.

When local Springfield resident John Knox and his hunting dog stumbled upon the cave system that’s come to be known as “Fantastic Caverns” in 1862, the nation was in the midst of our greatest test and darkest days, The Civil War. To assure that neither the North or the South could exploit the caves saltpeter deposits, Knox held onto news of his discovery until two years after the war had ended. Since then it’s been used for everything from a Ku Klux Klan meeting place to a Prohibition era speakeasy and even hosted concerts in the 1950’s and 60’s. These days Fantastic Caverns lays claim to being the only cave in North America to feature a complete ride-through tour that generally takes around an hour and uses a tram system that follows a path created by an ancient, long dried out underground river.

Fun and Educational may not be two words you’re accustomed to seeing side by side, but at Discovery Center of Springfield they go hand in hand throughout the fifty thousand acre plus interactive museum and science center. Since 1998 Discovery Center of Springfield has been a favorite of children and adults alike looking for a unique and informative experience. Visitors can take part in a wide array of hands on adventures like digging for a dinosaur, riding the high wire bike, take a walk through the inner workings of the eye with their giant eyeball exhibit, and take home a sample of your very own DNA. Discovery Center of Springfield is a must see for anyone visiting the area.

If you’re in Springfield or in the surrounding area known as the Springfield Metropolitan Area, which includes surrounding areas like Republic, Ozark City, Marshfield, and Bolivar and you’re ready for the best in satellite TV programming contact your local Dish TV provider today!

Columbia

The county seat of Boone County as well as the principal city of a five county metro area known as the Columbia Metropolitan area, Columbia is the states fastest growing city and already boasts Missouri’s fourth largest population. The Athens of Missouri, covers an area of around 65 square miles, Columbia is home to The University of Missouri, Columbia College, as well as Stephens College.

You simply cannot talk about Columbia without talking about Lake of the Ozarks, the 54,000 acre reservoir was created by impounding the Osage River in the Ozarks in central Missouri and runs along the banks of the largest state park in Missouri, Lake of the Ozarks State Park. Drawing as many as two million visitors a year, it features 85 miles of shoreline, the infamous Party Cove, a dozen walking trails, swimming beaches, and even an airport with a 6,500ft runway, the Lee Fine Memorial Airport.

For a taste of culture while visiting Columbia head on over to the North Village Arts District and the PS Gallery. Featuring exhibits from artists throughout the state of Missouri. If you’ve always been curious about art but found the world of Art too intimidating or confusing, this is absolutely the right art gallery for you. At PS Gallery, they want to introduce art to those who might otherwise never visit an art gallery and are more than happy to answer any questions you might have about anything on display.

Columbia is a city surrounded by colleges, art galleries, and natural splendor. Nothing less than the best will do here and the same goes for everyone at Dish TV. Call your local authorized Dish TV provider for more information.

Kansas City

On the western edge of Missouri along the Kansas border is the home of what is perhaps the greatest barbecue and a hotbed for Jazz and Blues music going back to the early days of the 20th century. Kansas City, or as it’s most often called by locals “K.C” is the state’s largest city covering over 300 sq miles and home to over 1.5 million people. Known as The Paris of the Plains to many, K.C is a city with an incredible amount of history, tradition, and culture. Also known as the City of Fountains, Kansas City is home to the world’s largest privately funded fountain, the fountains just beyond the outfield walls of Kauffman Stadium, home to the Kansas City Royals baseball club. Sports, food, art, architecture, and much more. Kansas City is as unique as the music and food it’s so well known for.

If you visit K.C and leave without trying the BBQ and/or steak, you are missing out on one of the very best parts of the city. Kansas City is synonymous with great BBQ and whether it’s the slow cooked pork at Arthur Bryant’s, the Kansas City Strip steaks at The Golden Ox, or the Playboy Strip (there absolutely is a story behind the name) at Jess & Jim’s, you cannot go wrong when it comes to great food in K.C.

If the food in Kansas City isn’t the first thing to pop in your mind when someone mentions K.C, odds are pretty good that Music was and for good reason. Outside Los Angeles, Nashville, and New York the music created and performed in and around K.C has a tradition of being both connected to the past and on the cutting edge of the artform. Birthplace of Jazz icon Charlie Parker, he was so enamored with K.C that he used the city’s name in the title of one of his most beloved and admired pieces of work, “Kansas City Blues”, forever tying the two together.

In 1992, voters in Missouri decided to allow riverboat gambling and Kansas City has since become a wonderful spot for those who enjoy casino gaming. The city has several casinos including Isle of Capri Kansas City and Harrah’s North Kansas City. Open 24 hours a day, you’re never too early or too late to join the good times and great game selection of one of Kansas City’s riverboat casinos.

Your best bet for satellite TV service in and around Kansas City is Dish TV. Sports, Movies, and so much more. Hundreds of channels to choose from and price packages to fit almost any budget, you’re always a winner with Dish TV!

The Cons of Missouri

Missouri, like anywhere else does have it’s problems. Poverty in rural areas, the creeping opioid epidemic has not past by leaving Missouri unaffected and the methamphetamine epidemic has settled in like a dark, unmoving cloud. Public education is underfunded and healthcare is still an issue for many in the state living at or below the poverty line.

Top Services of Missouri

CenturyLink Internet Service

In full coverage areas, you can enjoy speeds starting at 20 Mbps. In select metro areas, CenturyLink offers a fiber-optic network that can support speeds up to 1 Gig (1,000 Mbps). And remember, CenturyLink provides 24/7 tech support to all its customers.

AT&T Phone Service

AT&T has the widest network reach in Missouri, and takes the title for the best network in the state. Missouri has 1,023 zip codes, and the state’s best network, AT&T, covers roughly 98% of them.

Dish Network Satellite TV

Ranked number one in customer satisfaction by JD Power, Dish Network provides pay TV service to over 12 million subscribers. They provide the most international channels and the highest quality programming with the most choices.

Employing roughly 17,000 people in the U.S., here are some of the following services you can get:

• Line-up with more than 200 national HD channels, international channels
• Award winning HD DVR technology
• 24/7 sports coverage with the Multi-Sport Pack
• DishLATINO has the best of Spanish and English language programming
• On Demand library allows you to choose from over 20,000 TV shows and movies
• Ranked number one nationally in customer service by J.D. Power
• 24/7 customer support
• TV and high-speed internet bundles available for one convenient payment
• Hopper whole-home HD DVR allows the power to pause, rewind and record live TV in any room with up to 2,000 hours of recording space. Can now be paired with any Amazon Alexa-enabled device.
• HBO®, Cinemax®, and Showtime® free for 3 months for new customers

Wrapping It Up

But, with so much to offer and much more on the horizon, it’s little wonder why several of the fastest growing areas in the Midwest.