When you’re from Missouri, most of these things will be of common knowledge to you. But to others, they may require some explanation to fully understand. Here are just a few of the things I find myself always having to explain to to out of towners.
- You have to be loud to attend a Chiefs game.
Harpers470/flickr Kansas City Chiefs fans broke the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar in 2014. During a game against the New England Patriots, they reached a noise level of 142.2 dbA. So, it’s safe to say that the pressure’s on and you better be screaming your lungs out.
- We don’t just eat barbecue.
ATOMIC Hot Links/flickr When people come to Missouri, the first thing they want to have is our award-winning barbecue. But sometimes we have to explain to them that we have other amazing types of food, as well.
- We don’t have a drinking problem.
Cindy R./Yelp We may be home to some of the best breweries in the world, which include Anheuser-Busch, Boulevard and Mother’s, but that doesn’t mean we have a drinking problem. We just enjoy the finer craft beers in life.
- The St. Louis Arch is hollow.
Anna/flickr
Paul Barker Hemmings/flickr From the outside, it looks like a solid stone monument. However, guests can actually go inside and to the top for sweeping panoramic views of the city.
- Provel cheese isn’t just mozzarella.
ambientqueenie/flickr One of our neighboring cities, Chicago, is home to deep dish-style pizza, but St. Louis has their own unique type of pizza as well. We usually have to explain to out of towners what provel cheese is - a blend of provolone, cheddar and Swiss cheese.
- There are two Kansas Cities.
Dean Hochman/flickr There’s KCMO and KCK. Every time I say that I’m from Kansas City, people outside of Missouri assume I live in Kansas and then I have to explain to them that there’s a little state line that separates a mediocre city in Kansas from an amazing city in Missouri.
- Float trips are for canoes, not boats.
missouriugr/flickr Each summer, the Ozarks are packed with canoes and tubes on the water. Float trips are basically a rite of passage for us Missourians.
- There’s a reason we’re obsessed with Mark Twain.
Amy Meredith/flickr With a national forest, restaurant and hotel named after him, it’s safe to say we’re a big fan of the novelist who wrote “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” That’s because he grew up in one of Missouri’s most beloved small towns, Hannibal.
- Columbia is home to the best Zou in the country
Mizzou Football/Facebook The University of Missouri Tigers are the pride and joy of Missouri when it comes to football. We lovingly call our football stadium “The Zou” and wouldn’t have it any other way.
- Forest Park is not in a forest.
Jon Dickson/flickr Forest Park is the most gorgeous urban park in Missouri and it’s located right in St. Louis. It spans for over 1,300 acres and is home to the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Missouri History Museum.
- Ravioli is better fried. Trust us on this.
emilee rader/flickr St. Louis was the city who invented this wild phenomenon. Fried ravioli is the result of an American twist to an Italian favorite and it’s undeniably delicious.
- Missouri is actually pretty amazing.
Jeff Hamm/flickr It seems silly we’d ever have to defend ourselves, but people outside of Missouri just don’t understand all that our beautiful state has to offer.
What do you find yourself having to explain to out of towners? Let us know in the comments!
Harpers470/flickr
Kansas City Chiefs fans broke the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar in 2014. During a game against the New England Patriots, they reached a noise level of 142.2 dbA. So, it’s safe to say that the pressure’s on and you better be screaming your lungs out.
ATOMIC Hot Links/flickr
When people come to Missouri, the first thing they want to have is our award-winning barbecue. But sometimes we have to explain to them that we have other amazing types of food, as well.
Cindy R./Yelp
We may be home to some of the best breweries in the world, which include Anheuser-Busch, Boulevard and Mother’s, but that doesn’t mean we have a drinking problem. We just enjoy the finer craft beers in life.
Anna/flickr
Paul Barker Hemmings/flickr
From the outside, it looks like a solid stone monument. However, guests can actually go inside and to the top for sweeping panoramic views of the city.
ambientqueenie/flickr
One of our neighboring cities, Chicago, is home to deep dish-style pizza, but St. Louis has their own unique type of pizza as well. We usually have to explain to out of towners what provel cheese is - a blend of provolone, cheddar and Swiss cheese.
Dean Hochman/flickr
There’s KCMO and KCK. Every time I say that I’m from Kansas City, people outside of Missouri assume I live in Kansas and then I have to explain to them that there’s a little state line that separates a mediocre city in Kansas from an amazing city in Missouri.
missouriugr/flickr
Each summer, the Ozarks are packed with canoes and tubes on the water. Float trips are basically a rite of passage for us Missourians.
Amy Meredith/flickr
With a national forest, restaurant and hotel named after him, it’s safe to say we’re a big fan of the novelist who wrote “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” That’s because he grew up in one of Missouri’s most beloved small towns, Hannibal.
Mizzou Football/Facebook
The University of Missouri Tigers are the pride and joy of Missouri when it comes to football. We lovingly call our football stadium “The Zou” and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Jon Dickson/flickr
Forest Park is the most gorgeous urban park in Missouri and it’s located right in St. Louis. It spans for over 1,300 acres and is home to the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Missouri History Museum.
emilee rader/flickr
St. Louis was the city who invented this wild phenomenon. Fried ravioli is the result of an American twist to an Italian favorite and it’s undeniably delicious.
Jeff Hamm/flickr
It seems silly we’d ever have to defend ourselves, but people outside of Missouri just don’t understand all that our beautiful state has to offer.
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