Destination Missouri

Count Missouri in as a destination! Missouri may or may not be a destination state you think of, but we want to share our experience with you because we don’t think you should count it out. We enjoyed a pet friendly road trip touring through the friendly state of Missouri recently. We discovered so many interesting places on this trip.

Little Rock, AR

Starting from East Texas, where we live, we traveled through Little Rock stopping here to eat. We found a nice little restaurant, The Root, with indoor/outdoor seating and offering healthy options. I had a Shitake Burger with sweet potato fries and Bud had a wonderful salad with matchstick apples on top. We definitely recommend The Root if you are in the Little Rock area. I would love to sit outside next time, since it was too chilly this time. 

Memphis,TN

Next we headed to Memphis for the night. We stayed at Arrive Memphis and loved this hotel. Since we were traveling with our fur baby we walked him around outside the hotel, after checking into our fabulous room and admiring the cool lobby! Our hotel was a stop on the trolley line and we were also, across the street from the famous Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Junior was shot. 

Note the Music History 

The next morning we got up and grabbed breakfast in the lobby from Hustle & Dough. Then we headed out to explore more of Memphis. What an incredible city. It’s so rich with history.  Lots of music history as noted (pardon the pun) by the various museums and halls of fame such as Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Memphis Rock n Soul Museum, Memphis Music Hall of Fame, and Blues Hall of Fame. I certainly don’t want to leave Graceland and the National Historic Landmark, Sun Studios out. These ties to Elvis are a large part of the draw to Memphis.

Home of the Blues

The music never stopped in Memphis. Who would argue that Beale Street is not the Home of the Blues? This happening couple of blocks is home to BB King’s Blues Club, Blues Hall Juke Joint and so much more. The sidewalks are embedded with musical nites in tribute to the legends kicking off their music careers in Memphis. Soak up some Blues here the next time you are in the area. 

Civil Rights

Some very fascinating history surrounds the Sanitation Workers Strike and the I Am Man Memorial. Martin Luther King Jr came to Memphis in support of this historical movement several times, with the last visit ending in his assassination at Loraine Motel. Full Memphis post, including more pictures and details, here. 

St. Louis Missouri 

Leaving Memphis, we travel up to St Louis, driving through a nice little snow shower on the way. If you follow us you know I’m always happy to get the gift of snow, since we don’t see much in East Texas. 

Gateway Arch National Park

It was also snowing when we checked into our hotel in St Louis and then went back outside with our travel buddy, Trit. We were staying next door to the Gateway Arch National Park and were thrilled to see The Arch shining across the snowy, night sky. 

Inside the Arch

The next morning, the Gateway Arch was our 1st experience.  Besides a cool museum, gift shop and café, the main attraction is actually going up 630 feet TO THE TOP, inside the narrow arch. The views are amazing at the top. You can see St Louis on one side of the arch, and a few steps across the arch on the other side, you can see Illinois.

Inside St Louis 

We explored the amazing sculptures at Citygarden Sculpture Park, the shops restaurants and neighborhoods of Central West End and were intrigued by the unique design of the apartment building One Hundred Above The Park. Full post and pictures for our St Louis visit can be found here. 

Kansas City

From St Louis, we traveled over to check out KC MO. In Kansas City, we stayed at the cool 21C Museum Hotel, another pet friendly hotel. It is an art gallery hotel in the historic Savoy building. The Savoy, is a famous place for drinks and dining. The room was great and our room-service meal from The Savoy was fabulous.  

History, Jazz and More

There is no shortage of captivating sights to explore in Kansas City. Besides the Power and Light District, River Market,  and Union Station, the baseball and jazz history will surely pull you in. Check out the 18th & Vine District for both. Speaking of history, the World War I Museum and Memorial are just a short walk from Union Station. 

Barbecue 

Kansas City is famous for it’s barbecue. We definitely enjoyed tasting  several of the top rivals to find our favorite. Really, have you even been to Kansas City if you don’t eat some BarBQ?!

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The giant shuttlecocks persuaded us to check out the grounds of Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, but we were intrigued by the the other art as well. I loved the shiny silver tree, Ferment. This is definitely a worthwhile stop on your Kansas City adventure.

Truman House

Just outside of Kansas City, in Independence MO is the Truman House and Truman Library. Harry S Truman spent most of his life here and in the same house. As the 33rd President of the US, he left quite a mark around Kansas City.

Our full post of our time in Kansas City is here. 

Springfield Missouri 

Leaving Kansas City, we headed to Springfield, acclaimed birthplace of Route 66. We checked out a couple of Route 66 attractions and then headed to Park Central Square. Springfield really does have a nice and charming downtown square. The History Museum On The Square had a sign on it announcing it had been voted the #1 Best New Attraction by USA Today. Nice!

The building that previously housed the Post Office and upper level court caught our eye as we were headed to the square. It’s a beautiful building. I love the architectural design.

Springfield was a very nice stop on our Missouri tour!

Branson Missouri 

Just south of Springfield is Branson where we spent the night. We stayed at Chateau On The Lake, after making a quick little drive into town. It was dark when we arrived, but we realized what a beautiful lake setting it was the next morning. The lobby is an experience all it’s own.

Branson concluded our large loop through Missouri and we headed back to East Texas down through a corner of Arkansas. Another option, if you are near Branson, is Oklahoma. We have been here many times since half of our kids live in Oklahoma. They are north though and we needed to keep going southward. 

Be sure to check out our individual posts (highlighted in text above) for stops on our Missouri trip. We loved exploring this state and think you will too. It’s definitely a destination to put on your US travel list! 

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