Pictures Anyone? (St. Louis, Ozark, Branson: beaches, suburban, palm trees)

[Florida2Missouri]

Okay, I've traveled to many parts of the US and outside the country...however, I have never been anywhere in the midwest. I keep trying to find pictures of St. Louis online, but all I get is the Arch over and over and over. Does anybody have any pictures of the suburban area they could share? I'd really like to get a chance to see what it looks like there besides the normal "city type" pictures.

Also, what areas outside St. Louis do you guys find beautiful? Are there any? or is the beauty of Missouri mostly in the SW?

Thanks!

[ShadowCaver]

For some very excellent photos of the city and area [as many of these share my love for architect], might check out this
Urban St. Louis - View Forum - Photography - Showcase St. Louis

Another one that I frequent: Missouri Photos | TrekEarth

Actually, as beauty is w/in the eye of the beholder, and contrary to my overall affinity for the hills and hollers of the Ozarks, even the flat lands of the northern half have their own beauty - catch a sunrise over a misty field, w/ the tassels of grain gently blowing in the whispering wind, a bit of fog dancing in the air,,, be amazed at the beauty even there. And then the two mighty rivers, one cutting through the heart of Missouri, the other bordering her eastern line - images of such are awesome. Person just needs to appreciate the variation and differences. But, yea, overall, lol, give me the cricks and ridges!!!

[Florida2Missouri]

Are there hills outside of the St. Louis area? I've heard someone comment on the board, St. Louis is flat. Remember now, I am from Florida (land of the Palm trees, beaches and the FLAT landscape...and when I say flat I mean flat...except Ocala, FL!) lol so anything even remotely close to a hump in the ground is a hill to me! LOL to me, Ocala, FL has hills...where as those born outside of FL laugh at me for that. Would it compare to say Montgomery, AL or Birmingham? Or is that more like what Branson is like?

[ShadowCaver]

StL the city itself has some changes in elevation, more of the softly rolling type. But, LOL, no nothing at all similar to Branson or B'ham.

If ya look at a map, and take a band a few miles wide, making a swath ~10 miles wide from Sulphur Springs to Byrnes Mill to Petersburg, you have some interesting slightly 'rougher' hills. For example, if on I-44 a bit west of StL, by the Meramec River towards Antire Hill and Pacific, and you will find some of these. So, in a minor way, if look at it in this manner, StL is surrounded by a semi-ring of 'minor hills', similar to B'ham - but of course much smaller scale.

Then as ya travel further to the SW from the Gateway City, will get into more of the Ozarks proper. But the city and its burbs, at least for me, have enough rolls [albeit quite minor ones] to keep the topography interesting.

Keep in mind that, as said before, everything is relative - as you say, FL is flat, and then ya have eastern CO-western KS and the northern IN flats... so when saying StL is 'flat', well that is mostly comparing it to the rest of the area to its SW. San Fran - now that is for sure a non-flat city.