70 west from St. Louis doesn't showcase the state all that well in opinion. Missouri is nearly two different states, from north of the Missouri River the topography is flatter, open, with lot's of crops and farms. There are some stands of timber scattered about with a few rolling hills, but nothing like the Ozarks. Get south of the Missouri River and look out! A couple of million acres of public land in steep Ozark hills, heavy timber, lot's of beautiful clear, fast running streams. Some large lakes to spend some time on in the summer. To my eye, this area of the state is the crown jewel.