Walt Disney

America loves heroes, but the truth is that no one is completely heroic or a villain. Everyone is a combination of good, bad and otherwise. I would imagine that's true of Walt Disney, too, who had humble beginnings in the Kansas City, Missouri area before he became a worldwide phenomenon in the motion picture and entertainment industry.

I did not know this, but then again I am not a genius and that's not breaking news. Did you know that Highway 36 in Missouri is really known as the "Genius Highway"? I do now and I'll share what I've learned.

Driving to and from college on Highway 36, I would come across Marceline, a small town right in the middle of Missouri. And while it might be hard to believe, Marceline has one of the best museums in the Midwest (and you might not even know about it).

Imagine packing up the kids and heading for that dream vacation to a Disney theme park ... in St. Louis.

Did you know that Walt Disney attended the Kansas City Art Institute? Or did you know that J.C. Penny graduated from Hamilton High School? There have been quite a surprising number of movers and shakers to come out of Missouri.