columbia, missouri: where the coffee's strong and the stories are weirder

so here i am, sitting in this tiny-what do you call it-cafe on a corner that feels like it's been here since forever. columbia, missouri. didn't plan to stay long, but the weather's weirdly perfect right now: 16.23°c, feels like 14.93°c, and the air's so dry you could almost hear your thoughts crackle. humidity's at 39%, which means my skin's not hating me yet. if you get bored, jefferson city and saint louis are just a short drive away, but honestly, i'm not sure why you'd leave just yet.

i came here chasing a rumor-some guy at a truck stop in kansas said there's a bar downtown where they serve drinks in mason jars and the jukebox only plays vinyl. sounded like a gimmick, but here i am, and yeah, it's real. the bartender, a woman named marcy who's probably seen three decades of college kids come and go, told me the place used to be a pharmacy back in the '40s. now it's just a spot where you can hear the same three people argue about mizzou football every friday night.

walking around, you notice things-like how every other building has a mural that looks like it was painted by someone's cousin during a particularly inspired weekend. there's one near the courthouse that's just a giant guitar with local landmarks for strings. corny? absolutely. but it fits.

if you're into nature, there's this trail along the missouri river that people keep telling me about. someone said it's "the best-kept secret in mid-missouri," which probably means it's going to be packed with hikers and their golden retrievers by next summer. still, worth a look if you need to stretch your legs.

and the food-oh man, the food. i had burnt ends at a place called [insert local bbq spot name here] that made me question every life choice that led me to live anywhere else. someone told me that the columbia farmers market on saturday mornings is where you go to see the town's soul on display. i haven't been yet, but i'm told the honey vendor will talk your ear off if you let him.

anyway, here's a little map so you don't get lost like i did the first day:

and because no travel post is complete without photos that make you wish you were there:

i keep thinking i'll leave tomorrow, but then i remember that there's a diner down the street where the waitress calls everyone "hon" and the pie is apparently life-changing. maybe i'll stick around a bit longer.

if you want to read more about what makes this place tick, check out tripadvisor's columbia guide or the local scene on yelp. and if you're really curious, there's a whole rabbit hole of midwest travel blogs that might convince you to road trip out here yourself.

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