bethkent5

We are a retired couple driving a car to leave in Portland where our children now live. We'll leave Buffalo the last week of August '19 and have the possibility of staying with two friends on the route, one in St Louis area and one in Bolder CO. We haven't confirmed those but we will soon. So, question is where should we stop along the way? Husband would like to spend a day or two in Chicago where we've never been and then head to St. Louis. One day??? there and then off to Bolder. Is there anything to see between those cities? We love to eat local cuisine, see beautiful nature, shop small towns, maybe an art museum. Give us some ideas please. So far I've read that Kansas City is interesting but there isn't much between there and Bolder. This MUST be wrong!!! haha.

Thanks in advance. Beth

5alive

I would Google map the drive and then enlarge the route state by state. A few thoughts spring to mind:

Well, first of all Springfield Illinois has a national park/museum dedicated to Lincoln that is said to be excellent.

I would definitely stop off in Kansas City for at least a day or two. The Truman Library is wonderful.

​​​​​​Your Boulder friends can advise you on options for Colorado, but I'd spend at least 3 days there.

A few hours at least in Salt Lake City would be nice to see the Temple exterior and the lake.

End of the Oregon Trail Museum in Baker City, Tamástslikt Cultural Institute outside Pendleton, Oregon also great.

If you enjoy baseball, you are going through some great baseball towns....Cubs, Cards, Royals and Rockies.
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Citylghts

If you want to see an art museum, the Art Institute of Chicago should be a stop. Highlights of the collection include Grant Wood's American Gothic; Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte and Caillebotte's Paris Street; Rainy Day. The building itself is a remnant of the 1983 World's Fair. Other possibilities include an architectural river cruise, lakefront activities, the baseball teams, theatre, Field Museum of Natural History or the Museum of Science & Industry. You can find other activities and events during your visit by checking the city's official tourism site: www.choosechicago.com.

Springfield is about three-hours SW of Chicago via I-55. In downtown Springfield, you'll find the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum; the Lincoln Home–operated by the National Park Service; the Old State Capitol–where Lincoln was a legislator and announced his presidential run and Lincoln's law office. About two miles north in Oak Ridge Cemetery is Lincoln's Tomb. I'd recommend at least a half-day to adequately see everything.

In St. Louis, one of the prime draws is the Gateway Arch in downtown. If you head to Forest Park, just west of downtown, you'll find the Art Museum, History Museum and Science Center which are all housed in structures constructed for the 1904 World's Fair.

Enjoy your trip.

fmpden

There is not a lot between Kansas City and Denver other than a pretty straight interstate. However, the Eisenhower Library in Abilene, KS is worth at least a half a day. He was president during my childhood so basically unknown to be. The library filled in a lot of gaps. We sure could use his leadership skills today. Of course, once in the Denver/CO area you have lots of things to see and do. Spend a week.

bethkent5

Thanks.

NorthwestMale

If you were each 12-year-old kids, maybe this concept would be more entertaining, but, for a trip like this with more than one person, I still endorse the idea of taking turns selecting spots along the route that each person wants to see/stay, and then building the entire trip around that selection process. SO IF the first person selects "Chicago!"... then you modify what had previously been a more vast realm of possibility to mandate a path through Chicago.

The other person now senses a path gen-er-al-ly pretty direct-ISH that includes Chicago between the start and end destinations. He/she now selects a favorite spot taking into consideration what is left, and then the first person makes a 2nd (3rd overall) choice of which spot to visit (and thus which path to take), and then person #2 gets their 2nd selection, etc.


The whole thing is SORTA random, and you have to firm it up somehow... so why not let your impulses be placed ON a map and see how it looks?