Missouri vacation ideas

[bjscheel]

We're dropping DD20 at the KC airport in mid-May for her short term study abroad. Then the rest of us (DH, me, DD23), want to go on a little vacation from there. We have SW points but for some reason flights from MCI to places we might want to go are too high on the couple of days after she leaves. And with flights being in such flux these days (already booked one trip for DH and I that experienced major schedule changes within days of booking so I canceled), now thinking of driving.

Maybe a loop from KC to Joplin to Springfield, Lake of the Ozarks and back north to Iowa. We're not big on being in the city, most of our non-Disney vacations are national parks, or smaller towns with some tourist areas. Some examples of things I have saved in Tripadvisor: Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Route 66 Car Museum and other Route 66 stuff, Springfield Conservation Nature Center, Fantastic Caverns, maybe Worlds of Fun, and DD would like to zipline somewhere. Not sure about LOTO, we don't boat or fish.

Any suggestions of places possibly on the route that would be fun are welcome. I've searched TripAdvisor for the cities mentioned, but there may be some other places that are on the way.

 

[Her Dotness]

Branson, perhaps? Music shows, lots of folk art and souvenir shops, Silver Dollar City amusement park which is fun in a folksy, lowkey way. Marvel Cave, a bit west of Branson, is interesting to tour.

If you're Little House fans, you might want to drive east to Mansfield, MO (only about an hour's drive from Springfield through beautiful country) where you can tour the farm home of Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder. The house has been carefully kept as it was upon the author's death in 1957. There's also a small museum with Pa Ingalls's fiddle and other family heirlooms.

That's about all I know of that area. Hope it gives you some possibilities.

 

[chickapin parterre]

WOW..... this is sad....all those years I taught high school American literature .and no one wants to go to Hannibal

quote from Wiki . Most Hannibal residents enjoy the visitors, and the town at large benefits from tourism revenue.

that's it....find the folks who don't enjoy tourism dollars...that would be a great documentary.

 

[LadyBeBop]

WOW..... this is sad....all those years I taught high school American literature .and no one wants to go to Hannibal

quote from Wiki . Most Hannibal residents enjoy the visitors, and the town at large benefits from tourism revenue.

that's it....find the folks who don't enjoy tourism dollars...that would be a great documentary.

The two places I thought of immediately were Branson and Hannibal. I’ve been to both places and throughly enjoyed both of them. I especially wish I had more time in Hannibal. We were only there overnight, coming home from Branson.

My thought about Hannibal…depending on what part of IA they’re driving back to, might it be out of the way? Hannibal is directly across the state from Kansas City.

 

[Micca]

The Walt Disney Family Museum is in Marceline, Mo. about a 2 hour drive from KC. If you enjoy Disney history it's really good and located in an old train station. It's just a tiny town that ostensibly influenced the idea of Main St. U.S.A.

 

[Allison Joy]

Missouri resident here. ANY of the state parks are worth checking out. I feel they are underappreciated. It's probably way too far east, from what you've said, but Johnson Shuts-Ins and Elephants Rocks are just fantastic state parks. They are close enough to do in one day, with Johnson Shut-Ins taking the majority of the day.

 

[CO2CA]

NOT MISS-ERY!!!! Just kidding, sort of. I say that because we have family there lol

I would recommend Hannibal and do a ghost/history tour (if you're into that). They have a really great open air bus that takes you on a tour of the city from a ghost perspective.

 

[bjscheel]

Probably not Hannibal as we're returning to SW Iowa. Marceline can work on the way back- we did Branson and Laura Ingalls site when the kids were younger and thought about catching Marceline but didn't.

 

[Southernmiss]

We loved our trip in and around St Louis in 2019.

Stayed at a KOA cabin in Eureka. Hiked in the area, toured Meramec cavern, ziplined there. Wish we would have taken a day to visit the town of Eureka and had more time to do nature things. We drove Route 66 and ate at the Big Chief Roadhouse Restaurant.

We drove in to St. Louis and toured the arch, the Basilica, WashU (college visit), went to a baseball game, ate at the the Italian hill area, went to the zoo, played at the City Museum, toured the art museum-fabulous, toured the botanical gardens, Grant's Farm, Budweiser tour. Drove into Illinois to the Cahokia site and the Saucier house (ancestors of mine).

And wish we had time to do more.

 

[Kirby]

There's the Precious Moments Chapel in Joplin, MO. At least I think that's where it is.

 

[AussieFan8]

I’m from St. Louis but live in Kansas City. Feel free to message me if I can help. I stay mostly in the cities, though. Southernmiss hit on some great highlights in St. Louis. Eureka also has a Six Flags if that interests you, and a family favorite Italian restaurant, Joe Boccardi’s.

 

[Travel60]

If you can swing a bit further south, Eureka Springs AR is great fun.

Lambert's Cafe in Ozark, MO is a food experience.

 

[Kittyblue]

I really enjoyed the WWI museum in KC, much more than I expected to. If you’re into music, 12th and Vine was fun to stop just to say I’ve been there (from the song Kansas City by Fats Domino). The arch in St Louis was also a great stop.

 

[Allison Joy]

Lambert's Cafe in Ozark, MO is a food experience.

Oh, YES! Lambert's is a must. I attended college near the original Lambert's in Sikeston, MO and it was basically a rite of passage to anyone who attended my college to go to Lambert's at least once. In fact, I had a "final" for one of my classes at Lambert's, even! It's the "Home of the Throwed Rolls" and that is meant completely literally. As in... at times, thrown across an entire room. And the free "pass around." What would be "sides" at many restaurants are free "pass arounds" at Lambert's. I haven't been there recently enough to tell you what the pass arounds are, but if I recall correctly, fried okra and some potato based side are included.

 

[Her Dotness]

Ah, well, if home is in SW Iowa, I wouldn't want to go clear across the state to St. Louis myself. That's a good 4-hr drive. Nor would I drive across the state to Hannibal, either. I just don't think there's that much to see there, big fan of Twain's works though I am.

Since you've been to Branson, I don't think there'd be much for you in either Joplin or Springfield. Neither is known for anything scenic that I'm aware of, just cheaper places to stay than in Branson itself.

What about simply hanging around KC for a while? The art museum has an excellent Asian art collection, and it's fun strolling around on the Plaza. Some great restaurants there.

Stroud's is worth a stop, wonderful homecooked family-style chicken dinners.

 

[dez1978]

Lake Ozark is fun. But just starting to really pick up for the summer around then. Water is still too cool for swimming, but there are lots of resorts with heated pools and other things to do. Branson is always our go to tho. My kids love Silver dollar city.

 

[mom2rtk]

The Truman Presidential Library is in the greater KC area in Independence. Normal hours of operation resume in May. Not sure if his home (maybe a mile away from the library) is back open to the public but it's worth checking on.

 

[Mysterian]

If you need a cheap overnight stay, there's the Lazy O Motel. There's even a pool. The manager's a read spit-fire though, might want to avoid making too many complaints.

 

[bjscheel]

We've decided on just KC and LOTO for less driving. DH dislikes driving on vacation since he's a truck driver. DD23 will probably do a lot of the driving! A resort with a heated pool and a hot tub, a couple of state parks, zipline, and just chillin' we decided would be fine and a change of pace from our usual vacations.

 

[AussieFan8]

There's a Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City, Kansas, if that interests you at all. Very close to KC, MO.