Road trippin'

What’s your road trip style?  Do you hustle to get to your destination as quickly as you can (which is my husband’s road trip style)?  Or do you pull over to check out interesting places on the way?  For those traveling southwest on Hwy. 44  and Hwy. 65 to get to Branson, there are some fun detours you may want to pull off the highway to visit.  As you may know, Hwy. 44 parallels the old Route 66 and some of these places have been around since the heyday of Route 66.  These are in order of travel from St. Louis southwesterly.  I have put links to any websites that I could find for these places.

The Magic House - Also known as the St. Louis Children's Museum, this fun place for kids of all ages is located in Kirkwood. There are lots of hands-on activities so you can learn about science.  Don't forget to touch the electrically charged ball and get your photo taken!

Purina Farms -   Purina Farms is located in Gray Summit and is operated by the Purina Pet Food company.  Your family can learn how to properly care for your pets and you can see the Incredible Dog Team do incredible stunts.  You can even see farm animals there, and learn about how Purina makes pet food.  Best of all, admission is free!  Reservations are encouraged, so click on the link to find the phone number.  

Meramec Caverns – Also known as "America's Cave," this cave is located in Stanton. It's the largest commercial cave in the state of Missouri and is the largest cave west of the Mississippi.  This cave is 58 degrees all year long.  You can take a guided tour or just browse in the gift store.  There is also a camping area, you can canoe in the river, and there is a zipline as well. 

Cuba, Missouri – Cuba is known as the “Mural City.”  It also boasts the world’s largest rocking chair, which would make for some great photos. There's more to do in Cuba than just view the murals and the rocking chair, however - click this link to find out.  http://cubamomurals.com/2009/05/20-things-to-do-in-cuba-missouri-route-66-mural-city/ You could also spend a night at the Wagon Wheel Hotel, the longest operating hotel on Route 66. 

St. James, Missouri – St. James is home to two wineries.  You can take tours at the wineries and sample some wine. If you’re driving, don’t sample too much! 

Lebanon, Missouri – If you or someone you love enjoy working jigsaw puzzles, pay a visit to Missouri Puzzles, which boasts all kinds of jigsaw puzzles.  Lebanon is usually where we stop for lunch on the way to Branson, since there are lots of fast food restaurants and other restaurants. 

Strafford, Missouri – Strafford is the home of the Wild Animal Safari, which is a drive through animal park. You can purchase food to feed the animals and take photos.  

As you travel south on Hwy. 65, you can stop in Springfield at Bass Pro Shops where you can purchase anything for the outdoors you might ever need.   If you didn't get your fill of animals at the Wild Animal Safari, you can visit Dickerson Park Zoo to see even more animals.  Fantastic Caverns is America's only ride through cave. 

Ozark is further down Hwy. 65, about halfway from Hwy. 44 to Branson.  If you haven't yet gotten your fill of caves, or you're a Civil War buff, you can visit the Smallin Civil War Cave.  And if you're hungry after all this exploring, you can visit Lambert's Cafe, home of the thrown rolls.  

I hope you have enjoyed our trip down Hwy. 44 and Hwy. 65.  Is there anywhere that you like to visit on your way to Branson?  Please feel free to comment below. 

Thanks for reading! See you next time! 

Diane