The stretch of Route 66 from Baxter Springs, KS to Sullivan, MO has tons of great spots including dramatic caves, vintage gas stations, and quirky gift shops. Happy travels!
LessBuilt in 1923 this bridge is in the style of the Marsh arch. Its gleaming white color is due to the city's diligence in keeping the bridge fresh-looking and graffiti free. It's almost a hundred years old but the bridge is still safe to drive across!
A cute little shop with a brick facade is surrounded by flower pots and trees. Inside you'll find your usual mini-mart victuals and freshly made sandwiches from the small deli. You can also purchase a variety of Route 66 souvenirs. If you're traveling along Route 66 in this area, the store is a must-see whether or not you're hungry.
If you loved the movie "Cars," then you'll love this little restored gas station. A few vintage autos complete with "eyes" affixed to the windshields make this a must-see for little kids. There's a small snack bar with some comfort food too. The station is closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but you can still see the cars and take pictures.
One of the highest rated attractions in Missouri is a recreation of an early 1900s small Midwest town. It was designed by Lowell Davis who was often likened to Normal Rockwell for his bucolic depictions of provincial American life. The town has a lot of restored and relocated buildings such as a schoolhouse, feed store, dine, town hall, jail, and some homes. It looks like a ghost town but is really an open-air museum.
Very few of us are spelunkers and Fantastic Caverns is perfect for those of us who wish to explore the depths of the Earth from a motorized vehicle. A tram hitched to a jeep accommodates several passengers driving through chambers naturally decorated with rock draperies, flowstones, and cave flowers. It's a 55-minute tour - which is quite a bang for your buck. This tour is perfect for those with disabilities - the tram easily accommodates wheelchairs and walkers.
AZA accredited, the Dickerson Park Zoo is home to approximately 500 animals representing almost 200 species. Not only is this park a zoo but also an wildlife rehab center where trained vets rescue injured or ill wild animals. Among the zoo's efforts is participation in the Species Survival Plan. Currently, the zoo is involved in breeding Asian elephants, maned wolves, and cheetahs.
As you can imagine this candy shop is rife with puns of your nether regions - all intended, of course. Would we be party POOPERS to note that astronomers usually pronounce the seventh planet with a stress on the first syllable? (YOOR-uh-nus) Probably, so just forget that and have fun. Don't forget your soft, brown hunks of chocolatey fudge! Not so into the chocolate? They've got peanut butter, strawberry, and maple flavors as well.
The bridge is named for the bend in the river below and comes from the days when loggers would transport logs by floating them on the water. The loggers themselves would stand upon the floating logs, but the devilish turn in the river made the logs hard to control. This steel and concrete bridge has the Route 66 shield logo stamped on the pavement going through, marking it as an important and historic thoroughfare.
Open since 1933 this mom 'n' pop shop has been serving travelers for decades. Small but interesting, at this trading post you can find all kinds of curios, antiques, snacks, and clean bathrooms. Pick up a handcrafted Ozark souvenir too. This is one of the essential small businesses that helped to make Route 66 the historic landmark we know today.
Located at the Missouri University of Science and Technology this Stonehenge is a refined masterpiece with clean lines and smoothed surfaces. There are plenty of interpretive signs to give you information on how Stonehenge works with the planetary cycle. This is a great place to relax and take photos. Parking is free!