FLICKR/LOCO STEVE

Definitely more than pigs and brick.

It’s not all pigs and brick. St. Louis, a fast-growing tech hub, is actively expanding its network of greenways that connect rivers and parks, including the revitalized Gateway Arch National Park. And part of the historic garment district’s renaissance, the 142-room Last Hotel, housed in the circa-1909 International Shoe Company headquarters, will open in the spring. The 21c Museum Hotel brand chose Kansas City for its latest endeavor, piggybacking on the river city’s percolating art scene (from $185 a night, 21cmuseumhotels.com). About midway between the two urban centers, in the college town of Fulton—where Winston Churchill gave his Iron Curtain speech—sits the National Churchill Museum. Starting in January, the museum kicks off its 50th anniversary with a year-long program of cultural events (nationalchurchillmuseum.org).

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What do Missouri, the Maldives and Tunisia have in common? They're not just exotic vacation spots, although (of course) there's that. They're also among the Wall Street Journal 's "10 Most Intriguing Travel Destinations in 2019."The venerable newspaper's roundup, published last week, is locked behind a paywall. But we've been to the other side, and we can report their plug is just as thrilling as the visitors bureau's wildest dreams. Thetouts St. Louis Kansas City, and Fulton, Missouri, as a must-visit, one of just two domestic options to make the cut. (The other is Seattle.)The paper's writeup comes under a photo of the Arch:(For more on the Last Hotel, which apparently will vaunt St. Louis to must-visit status, see this from St. Louis Magazine .)Incidentally, we're not justthe's list — we're relatively high up on it. At No. 6, Missouri doesn't just make the grade, it ranks higher than Namibia, Warsaw, Tunisia and the Bahamas. Tell that to your snobby coastal-dwelling friends next time they duck out on a visit!