Places to see - Driving from Houston to Minneapolis (Rochester: live in, club)

[nalayak]

I will be driving from Houston to Minneapolis in the forthcoming weekend. I am planning to make it a 4 day trip, stopping at places in between and indulging in some sightseeing. I will be taking I-45 from Houston to Dallas and 1-35 from Dallas to Minneapolis.

What are some of the nice places to see/visit on this route? Appreciate any suggestions.

[Ben Around]

Unfortunately, this has got to be one of the least interesting routes in America. The only thing I can think of that's worth spending time in is Kansas City. Wish I could be more encouraging, but I've done this route before. It's miles of flat, treeless prairie and cornfields.

[MplsTodd]

Here's a few suggestions:

Kansas City: Definitely check out the Country Club District--this is arguably the first master planned shopping district in the entire country. It was designed by JC Nichols in the 1910s-1920s. It has become the premier retail district in the city and includes Spanish themed architecture, lots of plazas and lots of fountains. Its located around 47th Street, east of the MO-KS state line. The City Market and Liberty Monument also worth seeing.

Clear Lake IA: a nice little town in northern Iowa (just west of I-35) by a decent sized lake, this town is famous for being the site of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens last concert at the Surf Ballroom (located northwest of downtown). There also is a memorial somewhere nearby at the actual plane crash site.

Austin, MN ( for kitsch value only): You can visit the SPAM museum. The town is about 15 miles or so east of I-35, but is on I-90. The town itself is not too attractive.

Owatonna: If you like architecture, there is a very unique bank building in dwtn Owatonna designed by Louis Sullivan (circa 1890 or so). You'll know it when you see it.

If you have a little extra time, a very scenic drive would be to cut over on I-90 to Rochester (home of the massive Mayo Clinic) and then go over to Highway 61 (either at Winona or Wabasha). Highway 61 follows the Mississippi River and is lined with beautiful bluffs and rock outcroppings. The river widens into Lake Pepin (which was the birthplace of waterskiing in the 1920s). Red Wing is a very scenic and historic little city of 15,000 or so.

[Big G]

I'll bite. I live in Dallas and was originally from Mpls., so I'm familiar with pretty much the entire stretch of I-35. There's not a lot, but here are a few things:

TX: On the way to Dallas, if you haven't seen it yet, you should visit the 10x life-size Sam Houston in Huntsville.

OK: There's an action figure museum in Pauls Valley that is good for a laugh if you can catch it when it's open. You should also definitely check out the Okla. City Bombing Memorial & Museum.

KS/MO: The WWI Museum in KC is well worth your time. There are also a number of famous BBQ joints in the city.

IA: Well, I guess the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. That's all I've got.

MN: If you like the schlocky oversized statues of fictional characters, MN has them in spades.