Drive up a two-lane road and you`ll find a thin slice of Americana, pronounced in a quaintly Missourified Spanish: Lah Play-tuh. Hay-tai. Bolla-ver. The towns bear no resemblance to their Spanish counterparts, and few of the townsfolk know the origins of their town`s name.
Are there any connections between Latin America and these Missouri namesakes?
To get to the bottom of this mystery, Adelante staffers traveled to remote locations with Latin American legacies. Some connections are hopelessly lost, but others are clearly alive.
We`ve left no stone unturned in our search and we`ve discovered some fascinating places along the way. So get out the road map and brush up on your Spanglish as we take you on an Adelante Tour of Missouri!

Choose your destination please!

Photos by Kevin M. Benedict, Laura Girresch, Douglas Greene, Kristina Hickman, Annie Nelson
Photo Illustrations by Zeina Makky