Outsiders might dismiss the recreation and entertainment opportunities found in the Northland.

After all, this is the Midwest. There are no mountains or beaches, no Broadways or Hollywoods. Just miles of corn and the Missouri River, right?

Not exactly. Take beaches. The Northland is home to Smithville Lake. It's not the Pacific, but this sparkling blue reservoir encompasses some 7,000 acres and has nearly 200 miles of shoreline. Besides accounting for some of the best fishing in the state, Smithville is ideal for the many sailboats anchored in its Sailboat Cove and the pleasure craft that explore its open channels and tree-lined coves. And yes, there are beaches. Three in fact.

The area has other surprises as well. Clay and Platte counties are home to three of Missouri's riverboat casinos, the largest collection of these adult recreation venues found in the state: the Argosy in Riverside, Harrah's in North Kansas City and Ameristar in Kansas City, North. The Ameristar is the area's largest casino/recreation complex. Harrah's and more recently the Argosy have begun major expansions so that all three offer enter- tainment such as theaters, convention facilities and hotels. Between the three, the Northland is one of the busiest gaming scenes this side of Las Vegas.

More traditional recreation takes place at the area's parks. Besides the giant Smithville Lake, which includes more than 5,000 acres of park and wildlife areas, the Northland has an abundance of other outdoor amenities. Each city operates separate facilities that range from beautiful Riverfront Park in Riverside to the North Kansas City community center or Liberty's Fountain Bluff Sports Complex--none more than a few years old.

Kansas City, North--the portion of Kansas City in the Northland--is the largest single city and not surprisingly it has the largest acreage of park land. Two of the biggest are Tiffany Springs in Platte County and Hodge Park in Clay County. Hodge is especially unique with both an 18-hole golf course and Shoal Creek Village, a recreated 1800s village spread across 100 acres of rolling hills.

Yet the Northland offers more than scenic rolling hills, no matter how beautiful they are. In fact, the area is home to a surprising array of cultural activities, from established organizations such as the 35-year-old Northland Symphony Orchestra, the equally storied Bell Road Barn Theater and newer venues such as Corbin Theatre in Liberty or the Paradise Playhouse dinner theater in Excelsior Springs.

Adding significantly to this mix are offerings by the Northland's colleges and universities. William Jewell College's Fine Arts Program is the most widely known, having established a reputation for attracting international talent to its stage. William Jewell also provides support for activities such as the Liberty Symphony. Theater groups at Maple Woods Community College and Park College are equally important in building culture within the community.

Some of the college influence is even more distant. One of the most popular local activities is Gladstone's Theatre in the Park, a summer outdoor series featuring popular musicals and other performances. The high quality of these presentations is largely due to the efforts of a husband and wife team who operate an area performing arts studio and teach at Benedictine College in nearby Atchison, Kan. A similar connection is being forged in Riverside where a professor from a St. Joseph college is opening a performing arts school later this fall.

The Northland does lack a few things and here is where its connection with metropolitan Kansas City pays dividends. Thanks to the area highway network, Northlanders are only minutes from the Nelson Art Gallery, the Kansas City Museum or dozens of art galleries, parks and other amenities.

Not surprisingly, Northland residents often claim they have the best of both worlds: an area still open and lacking in congestion, but close enough to any big city feature they might desire. It's an argument that is hard to contest.