kansas missouri I - 70

<p> i will be passing through on a road trip that brings us through Kansas and Missouri via I - 70. Any suggestions of interesting destinations to not miss? TIA</p>

<p> Paul, about 40 mi SW of Topeka is Emporia, KS. There's a guy there named Jan Jantzen who runs horseback or ATV ecological tours of the Flint Hills that are worthwhile. My family and I took one and had a wonderful and memorable time. Jan goes out of his way to help you understand and get good pictures of the subtle ecological features of the Flint Hills, and his cooking is first-rate. Be sure to tell him your emphasis is on photography. </p>

<p>http://www.kansasflinthillsadventures.com/</p>

<p> There's a windmill farm not far from Emporia (west of it) that's something to behold.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>HA!</p>

<p>There may be those, unlike we who grew up in Kansas, who may urge putting on the autopilot and not waking up until you get to Denver.</p>

<p>However, there is actually a lot to see and even photograph on the way west. Missouri, well, that may be another story, I'll let the Missourians respond to that.</p>

<p>Kansas City is better than its reputation. The Nelson Art Gallery has one of the finest collections of Asian art in the USA. The fairly newly refurbished Zoo is very good. The Kansas City Plaza (arguably the world's first shopping mall) is all in California Spanish style and very interesting. The Shawnee Mission district has fantastic homes built in the 1920s by the grain millionaires from WWI. Finally, on the Missouri side there is Arthur Bryant's BBQ restaurant (marked on the interstate). It may not be the "best restaurant in the United States" as Calvin Trillin has called it, but it certainly is very worthy of a stop. Try the "burnt ends".<br /> If Paleozoic to Mesozoic geology is your thing, there are road cut sections of limestone, etc. that are to die for. Many of them are good fossil hunting areas, if it weren't for the difficulty of stopping on the interstates.<br /> Lawrence, KS has the University of Kansas with some decent museums and a very attractive campus on "Mount Oread" overlooking the Kansas (Kaw) Valley. Actually some decent places for lunch or dinner there, although I'm no longer current.<br /> After Lawrence, you get into the Flint Hills - a subtly beautiful plains environment that is still relatively like the landscape was before recent times. There are some prairie reserves and scenic drives. It won't look like hills to people not used to the concept of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peneplain">peneplain</a> that has been eroded by post-glacial lift. The tops of the hills are all on the same level, in other words, but there is considerable terrain elevation difference all the same.<br /> Salina is my home town, but they haven't yet got the monument erected. More interesting is the small Swedish town of Lindsborg, about 20 miles s on I-35). Swedified architecture, some of it authentic, Swedish crafts, a very nice museum of one of the outstanding American Post-Impressionists, Birger Sandzén. Some Swedish cooking of good quality also.</p>

<p>Further west, another hill range, the Smoky Hills, even more High Plains, as opposed to prairie. Some fenced in (but not so you'd notice) buffalo (bison).</p>

<p>Then it starts to level out. As you drive you will see the proof of the curvature of the earth as the grain elevator of the town to the east drops below the horizon, while the grain elevator to the west rises up.</p>

<p>There are some interesting Cretaceous chalk beds with a few hoodoos and an eroded fossil hunting area known as Hell's Bar. Many of the marine reptiles in museums around the world came from these areas in Gove County, KS. Hays KS has a museum with many fossils. It was originally set up by one of the last of the great "fossil hunters."</p>

<p>Get a Mobil guide, and somewhere there's a guide to sights along the interstates that has country wide coverage if you're doomed to follow the four lanes.</p>

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<p>Atomic Cannon? Truckhenge? The birthplace of Bob Dole..? See <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com">http://www.roadsideamerica.com</a> and <a href="http://www.visitkansas-i70.com">http://www.visitkansas-i70.com</a><br />And don't forget "Jesus Saves" graffiti on every highway overpass :-)</p>

<p>Missourian here.<br />Just drive man. Just drive.</p>

<p>Well, ok. if you're sticking around 70 that should be the case until you reach St. Louis. Forest park(St. Louis Zoo, Art Museum, lots of various other facilities) is fun and exciting if you take the 15 minute detour from 70 down 170. Or, just head straight into downtown and go see the arch. Anheiser Busch's plant and tour is down on Arsenal Street, and there's always the great walk/shop/eat(and party at night) area on the riverfront known as the Landing.</p>

<p>Oh, and don't forget about Laumeier Sculpture Park. Very fun on a nice day if you've never been.<br /><a href="http://www.laumeier.org/">http://www.laumeier.org/</a></p>

Eisenhauer Museum in Abilene, Kansas, Truman Museum in Independence, MO, elevator ride to top of Gateway Arch in St. Louis, old architecture in riverfront town of St. Genevieve, MO, last two a littlle way off I70.

<p>St. Louis has a lot to offer but it's tough to find anything good just by driving around.</p>

<p>DO NOT MISS the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica. Located on Linden, between St. Louis University and Barnes Jewish Hospital.</p>

 

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<p>It is fairly dark inside. These were all 8 sec @ f5.6 using asa 400 film. Tripods are welcome! Just stop by the security officer's desk when you first walk in and let him know what you're doing. They love photographers in there. The officer, or any clergy, can tell you if there is a service or mass planned and at what time.</p>

<p>If you like trains, don't miss the Museum of Transportation. It's an outdoor collection of steam locomotives, diesels, Pullman cars, etc. Take a wide angle. It's located off the 270 loop on the southwest side of town. I believe off Tesson Ferry Rd.</p>

<p>Forgot about StL, since it's backyard for me.<br>

The St. Louis Zoo is still, maybe even more than formerly, world class.<br>

The Art Museum used to be sort of so-so, but with new public funding in the last 30 years or so they have extraordinarily fine collections in some areas, especially German Expressionism.</p>

<p>A-B Brewery still. No longer American-owned, but still nice to see.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The view of the KC train station and downtown KC from the Veteran's Memorial on a high hill just south of the train station.</p>

<p>Thanks everybody; great tips.</p>

<p>Also, KC is famous for its fountains particularly on the Plaza and Ward Parkway.</p><div></div>

<p>You just missed the Steichen exhibit at the Nelson Atkins museum in KC. It was mind blowing.</p>

<p>The Konza Prairie near Manhattan, KS is just north of I-70. The Flint Hills in central KS would require more of a journey off I-70, but I can wander around on those gravel roads forever. Lucas, KS is the home of the Garden of Eden and lots of great folk art. Wilson lake has some amazing rock formations, but would require a hike or boat to get to.<br>

Konza Prairie<br>

<img src="http://www.mattneedham.com/zen/albums/default/konzaprairie/Konza_Jan_06.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="400" /></p>

<p>Check out City Garden sculpture park in downtown St. Louis, as well as the Soulard and Central West End Neighborhoods. Avoid the U-City Loop. It's overcrowded, Over-rated and way overpriced.<br>

In between Kansas City and St.Louis is Columbia, home of University Of Missouri and lots of wonderful restaurants and live music bars. The campus is old and the original greek-revival columns still stand in ruins. The Devil's icebox is a MASSIVE limestone sinkhole which is really a vertical cavern entrance. Well worth finding and not far from Columbia.</p>

<p>Thanks once again. Quick followup question... any recommendations for a place other then the usual chains to stay in St. Louis. Any places I should avoid? TIV</p>

<p>In downtown St. Louis there are some really remarkable hotels, some rehabs, others new. They tend to be pricy though.</p>

<p>Adjacent to one of these (interconected) and right near the convention center is a really nice restaurant known as "An American Place" (<a href="http://www.anamericanplacestl.com/">link</a>).<br>

I had several meals there this last spring -- things are American (naturally) with vegetables, etc. all from local farms, not mass production agrifactories. Terrific wine list of almost entirely American wines. Highly recommended. It's one of these purist restaurants with extraordinary superb fresh local food like the Saltsman's Hotel in Ephratah, New York (though I haven't been to the latter in years, unfortunately, but I'd bet it's still good).</p>

<p>JDM<br>

Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated!</p>