There are a lot of places along Route 66 that claim a special connection to the Mother Road, but Springfield has one of the strongest: it’s widely known as the birthplace of Route 66. In 1926, a telegram sent from the Colonial Hotel in downtown Springfield confirmed the highway’s now-famous…
Our Route 66 trip officially began from our home base in the Chicago suburbs, but we intentionally skipped Illinois (for now). After exploring much of Illinois Route 66 over the years, we’re planning a separate summer road trip (without the RV) to properly revisit and document those stops. We also…
The Weldon Spring Site is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management–controlled nuclear waste disposal site with a public interpretive center. That combination alone makes it memorable. During our Route 66 Centennial road trip, we were staying at Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park just outside of…
Atlas Obscura is still one of my favorite tools for planning our travels. If you’re new to it, imagine a global guidebook filled with the strange, fascinating, and wonderfully odd, written by both everyday explorers and curious editors. You can track places you’ve visited, save future must-sees, and build your…
We spent most of the winter at our home base in the Chicago suburbs and by mid-February we were itching to get back on the road. We had a conference back home the first weekend of March, so we couldn’t go too far, but we wanted to at least spend…
Bonne Terre Mine is one of the most unique places we’ve ever toured—where else can you take a boat ride on the world’s largest subterranean lake inside a five-level underground mine? Located in the Missouri Ozarks, this historic site was once a major hub for lead mining, operated by the…
If you’re looking for one of the most unique outdoor adventures in Missouri, you’ve got to check out Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park. This place isn’t your average hiking and camping destination—it’s a natural waterpark carved out by the Black River, full of swirling pools, rushing water, and smooth rock slides.…
Have you ever wanted to stand on the highest point in a state? Turns out, in Missouri, you don’t have to climb a mountain to do it—you can practically drive right up to the top! Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in Missouri at 1,772 feet, is tucked away in…
If you’ve ever been curious about Missouri’s rich mining history, Missouri Mines State Historic Site is the perfect place to step back in time. Located in the heart of the Lead Belt, this site preserves what was once a major mining operation, complete with towering structures, rusted-out machinery, and a…
Nestled in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks, Echo Bluff State Park is one of those places that instantly makes you want to extend your stay—and that’s exactly what we did! We spent two weeks camping here as full-time RVers, and honestly, we could’ve stayed even longer. This park has…