Heartland View

A state has numerous facts that a majority of people know, but who can say that have heard unusual things about a state? The unusual things come from outdated laws, attractions, and facts in general, that are never mentioned. Taking a tour through the four Midwest states of Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska you will gain an insight to these states.

If you have traveled through Missouri, you have probably seen the Arch in St. Louis or been to the Lake of the Ozarks. However, the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis holds two great achievements; the first ice cream cone served, and the soft drink Dr Pepper was introduced. New Madrid, Mo., holds the record for the largest recorded earthquake in the continental U.S., with a 7.9 on the Richter scale in 1812. Kansas City prohibits installation of bathtubs with four legs that resemble animal paws.

Now, if you travel over the Missouri River, you come to the great wheat state of Kansas where Dodge City, Kan., is actually the windiest city in the U.S. with an average of 14 miles per hour. You can also travel to the geographic center of the U.S., which is located just outside of Lebanon, Kan. One unusual attraction Kansas lays claim to is the world's largest ball of twine in Cawker City. The ball measures at 38 feet in circumference and weighs almost 17,000 pounds. A couple unusual laws in Kansas are if two trains meet on the same track, neither shall proceed until the other has passed, as well as it is illegal to shoot rabbits from a motorboat. On your way out of Kansas, grab a bite to eat at Pizza Hut which opened its first store in Wichita, Kan.

Entering the Cornhusker state of Nebraska which prides itself in being "Home of Arbor Day," the most interesting attraction is Carhenge. Located in Alliance, Neb., Carhenge is a recreation of Stonehenge using cars. The unique town of Valentine, Neb., receives requests every year for cards to be postmarked Feb. 14. If you have a dying thirst, you can stop in Hastings, Neb., where Kool-Aid was invented in 1927 by Edwin Perskins. Lincoln, Neb. was the first city in the U.S. to use the 911 emergency systems, and as you leave the state to travel eastward, remember it is illegal to whale fish.

With the last stop in Iowa, you will continue to find interest as Iowa is the only state with the whole east and west borders formed completely by water. If you like water, you may enjoy visiting Sabula, Iowa, the only town in the state on an island, by driving down Snake Alley in Burlington, Iowa, you can travel on the most crooked street in the world. Maybe if you're lucky, you can ride the Fourth Street Elevator in downtown Dubuque, Iowa, the shortest and steepest railroad in the U.S. As you leave your tour of Iowa and are a man with a moustache, you may never kiss a woman in public.

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