The MKT Nature and Fitness Trail was chosen as the second-best urban trail in the nation by readers of USA TODAY.

Looking for a unique way to enjoy autumn's splendor? Get up close and personal with nature on one of Columbia's two unique trails. The nine-mile MKT Nature and Fitness Trail was named the second-best urban trail in America in a recent USA TODAY readers' poll. The MKT is built on the bedrock of the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas railway line and features a special "Voices from the Past" audio tour that visitors can download to their smart phones while on the Trail. The MKT runs through downtown Columbia and connects to the 240-plus-mile (and growing) Katy Trail State Park, the longest rails-to-trails conversion in the US and Missouri's skinniest state park. The Katy Trail runs along the western border of the city and covers a large swath of Missouri's landscape from Clinton on the west side of the state to Machens on the east. Much of the Katy Trail winds along impressive limestone bluffs following the Missouri River, traversing a countryside dotted with pastures, wild flowers and passing through several formerly forgotten railroad towns now ripe with quaint bed and breakfasts, cafes, bike depots and antique shops.

Katy Trail State Park is the longest rails-to-trails conversion in the US.

Need further encouragement? Consider this: Ernest Hemingway once wrote, "It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are... you have no such accurate remembrance of country... as you gain by riding a bicycle." So, for a deeper appreciation of Columbia's beautiful scenic countryside, bring a bike (or rent one from one of several bike shops around town) and hit the trails. You'll surely see Columbia in a different light. For more information on Columbia's trails and parks, please go to  www.VisitColumbiaMO.com/section/parks-trails/. 

Whether visitors come to Columbia to attend a film festival, bike the city's trails or catch that big game, they'll have plenty of opportunities to sample some fine libations at any of the city's five microbreweries. Logboat Brewing Company, one of Columbia's newest alcoholic alchemists, has wasted no time in establishing itself as not just one of the best in Columbia, or even Missouri, but as one of the best in the United States. At the recent Great American Beer Festival held in Denver, Logboat took home a gold medal for its seasonal Bear Hair, a Belgian-style blond ale, and a bronze medal for Mamoot, its year-around English-style mild ale. To sample these award-winning beers, stop by Logboat's taproom at 504 Fay Street on the outskirts of downtown, or look for them at your favorite local liquor store. Learn more about Logboat at www.LogboatBrewing.com. 

Other local brewhouses of note are: Flat Branch Pub and Brewery, located near Flat Branch Park in downtown, is Columbia's oldest brewery and offers a wide variety of beers and menu items as well; Broadway Brewery, located downtown on Broadway Street, features a rotating list of craft brews and a seasonal menu comprised of locally-sourced produce and meats; Rock Bridge Brewing Company and Bur Oak Brewing Company, both named after natural Columbia landmarks, are a part of the city's new guard of craft beer producers.

And, very recently, Columbia was ranked in the top 50 of a list of the "100 best places to live" in the US. According to the Livability staff, Columbia makes the cut because "Columbia  attracts a diverse group of newcomers with its excellent health-care system, great schools and high-quality amenities. The University of Missouri plays a big part in Columbia's economy and culture and is one of the reasons why Columbia has repeated appearances on the Top 100 Best Places to Live. Downtown Columbia is filled with restaurants, shops and music venues, and the city's MKT Trail has been called one of the best urban trails in the country." We couldn't agree more. 

For the complete list of top ten college towns or the top 100 most livable cities in the country, visit www.Livability.com.