Driving through Missouri in two weeks (Kansas City, St. Louis: how much, construction, college)

[mlpslc]

Hi Everyone,

My husband and I are moving from Utah to Kentucky in two weeks, and will be spending a couple of days in Missouri on our way there. Our planned route is along I-70 and I-64 but we'd be willing to go out of the way for some cool/unique sights. Neither of us have been to Missiouri. If anyone has any suggestions of things we shouldn't miss, please share

Thanks!

[ajf131]

Well, stop in St. Louis and Kansas City if you can. i can't really think of a whole lot of interesting stuff off I-70 besides those two cities. I guess you could always drive on U.S. 40 instead of I-70 in the areas where they are not the same highway if you wanted to make it interesting. You could check out Columbia and Jefferson City if you wanted to....Columbia is just a small Midwestern college town in the middle of Missouri along I-70...Jefferson City is the state capital...really not that interesting of a city to me unless you just want to see the Capitol Building. Umm....that's about all I can think of off the top of my head. I-44 is really more of the highway you want to take if you want interesting scenery in Missouri, that will take you through the Ozarks. but if you take that you will wind up losing at least a day or two on your trip....I guess it's all a matter of what you want to do. I guess you could take I-44 west and then get on U.S. 50 to Jefferson City...south of there you could probably cut through some of the Missouri River bluffs that lie just below Jefferson City...pretty interesting scenery...then at KC you could just take I-435 north and get back on I-70. I'd say maybe take U.S. 50 from St. Louis to the southern outskirts of Kansas City (you will need to get on I-44 west at St. Louis, not I-70. I've never been on that stretch of highway but it looks like it cuts through the area where the Ozark foothills begin.

[northbayeric]

Ajf131's description of Columbia, Jeff City and I-70 are right on. What would you think about stopping off at Meramec Caverns, a few miles off I-44? When you get to Columbia, take U.S. Highway 63 south, which will take you through Jefferson City (with the dramatic State Capitol building visible from a pretty long distance), and keep going southeast until you reach I-44 in St. James. Then start going east, and Meramec Caverns is at the Stanton exit. Don't worry, there will be multitudes of billboards and other signs referring to Meramec Caverns, so you can't miss it! After the cave tour, take the fun boat ride along the Meramec River right at the cave parking lot. You might see some turtles and blue herons during the boat ride! Get back on I-44 and visit the Shaw Nature Reserve at the Gray Summit exit. Again, allow 2 hours or so (3 to 4 hours if possible) to check out this wonderful reserve with its array of plants and flowers. The price of admission is totally reasonable, too. Then try to spend some time in St. Louis. Either ajf131 or I can fill you in on the St. Louis particulars.

Really, I-70 from Columbia to St. Louis is okey-dokey, but when I drove along it a few years ago, it was one billboard after another most of the way. You start really running into traffic by the time you reach O'Fallon. I'd go with I-44 from St. James to St. Louis instead.

[Cali BassMan]

Don't forget the Gateway Arch, and the Pioneer Museum in St.Louis, and there is always a Cardinals game........

[ajf131]

I've talked with my dad about this...you definitely should travel U.S. 50 through Missouri. It's scenic driving throughout most of the state from what I recall...it takes you through Jefferson City and lands you on the southern outskirts of Kansas City. You are going to need to get on I-44 west at Downtown St. Louis via I-55 south, and then take I-44 to the exit for Union, Missouri....I-44 picks up U.S. 50 at Lindbergh Blvd., just east of I-270 and they split about 40 or 50 miles outside of St. Louis. you might as well see Meramec Caverns...I believe Meramec Caverns is about 20 miles past the exist for U.S. 50 to Jeff. City. So I guess you could pay a visit there (they have 28 different ice cream flavors, yum)...then you'll have to turn around and take I-44 east back to U.S. 50 west. get off at the exit that says "Union, MO"...and just stay on U.S. 50 all the way to Kansas City. Then you should take I-435 or I-470 (it merges with one of these highways), north to I-70. in downtown Kansas City, I'll add a bonus and recommend taking I-670, a southern bypass route of downtown Kansas City..I-70 connects you to it...it takes you into Kansas and I believe saves you 4 to 6 miles of driving that you would do if you took I-70. THe downside about U.S. 50 is that getting across Missouri on it could take up to 5 hours. On I-70, it is about 3 and a half hours to Kansas City from St. Louis assuming you don't stop.

[Northwoods Voyager]

Highway 50 is scenic in some places. You get on Hwy. 50 from I-44 at the Union exit. You will travel through the towns of Union, Beaufort, Leslie, Gerald, Roesbud, Drake, Loose Creek, Linn, then Jefferson City heading west. Keep in mind these small towns have speed limits of 30-35-40 miles per hour. Rosebud has a few antique shops and a pretty good restaurant. Very small village. Gerald is not much bigger and offers a couple of mom 'n' pop style places to eat. Union is larger, chain restaurants, many fuel stops. Drake has a fuel stop, convenience store dating back to 1936, called "The Old Dutch Mill. Naturally, Jefferson City offers more of just about everything. Heading west from there, you will eventually come to Sedalia, another larger town with much to offer. Again, speed zones and local traffic.
I travel this highway almost every day in my business. New road construction has improved Hwy 50 tremendously in many locations.
Suggest get an atlas and map out a route and use MapQuest. Good luck and have a safe and happy trip.

[ShadowCaver]

Originally Posted by mlpslc

Hi Everyone,

My husband and I are moving from Utah to Kentucky in two weeks, and will be spending a couple of days in Missouri on our way there. Our planned route is along I-70 and I-64 but we'd be willing to go out of the way for some cool/unique sights. Neither of us have been to Missiouri. If anyone has any suggestions of things we shouldn't miss, please share

Thanks!

Ummm,,, is it just me, but last I checked UT was not east of KY... yet, seems that quite a few posts so far are mentioning going west, while the OP, at least to my befuddled tired brain indicates they will be going east... hmmm...

Anyhow, moving right along... Couple things, first, do NOT go to Meramec Caverns - please save your dollars from submitting yourselves to the torture therein, along w/ other not so good features. Instead, highly recommend going to Onondaga State Park - no BS, just a beautiful more natural cave and tour. FWIW, there are many show caves in MO, most of any state , and if so desire, any besides Meramec are recommended, IMHO.

US 50, yes, that is a very suggestion and route to take. I would start buggering south at KC, and go along MO 7 towards Camdenton, and then ease towards the northeast on US54 towards Jefferson City, picking up US50 towards its intersection with MO19, taking that then north towards Herman, and there you would need to flip a coin - with heads being MO94 on the north side of the MO River, tails being MO100 on the south, as both have their pros/cons, yet ultimately both getting yas towards St Louis, the north route hitting I64/US40, the south route hitting I44.

Just really depends upon how much extra time/miles desire to spend in MO. But, doing something like such suggested here will get yas a good slice of the central part of the state, getting off of the interstates, seeing many cool various features: lakes, streams, bluffs, wineries, restaurants, people, hills, rivers, etc...

No matter what - WELCOME to your visit to Missouri, and be safe... and oh yea, people may just give yas a friendly wave on those blue highways...

[Northwoods Voyager]

Okay already, it is late and I meant to give directions from WEST TO EAST. Got turned around didn't I? Sorry 'bout that.

[northbayeric]

I just figured the combination of the Meramec Caverns cave tour and boat ride on the Meramec River would be a fun way to spend a few hours. But Onondaga Cave has, in addition to its huge size, mind-blowing cave formations and it definitely scores better on the tourist trap meter. At some point, you really have to visit both caves. And for a small town that makes you feel like you're in old-world Germany, Hermann can't be beat. Definitely strive to spend some time in Hermann if you can.

If you have any younger children, another recommended place in addition to the Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit is Purina Farms, on the north side of I-44 right across from the Shaw Nature Reserve. The farm animals are just adorable, for kids in addition to the kid at heart.

[2beamissourian]

Wineries are everywhere .. those are fun!

Someone mentioned St. james something or another .. I believe there is a antique toy store and wax museum in that same area ( I haven't been in 16 years) but the wax museum was of jessie james and the gang - kinda neat

If In St. Louis - The Arch, Botanical Gardens,

I don't know if its still open but .. The Spaghetti Factory?

What about in Mo. The Limp Mansion Interesting to see the place and very good food!