Missouri’s Best Foods, Parks & Road Trip Fun
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On Day 3 of my crazy cross-country road trip, I drove from Cahokia, Illinois to Manhattan, Kansas. It was a pretty short driving day at about 5 1/2 hours. The majority of my day was spent driving across the state of Missouri. Here are some fun things that I found along the way, as well as a few FAQs about what Missouri is famous for. Welcome to Day 3 of my crazy cross-country solo USA road trip. If you want to read about it from the beginning you can start here.
Don’t Forget to Check the Weather
As I mentioned before, the Weather Channel App is one of my top picks for important apps to have on your phone for a road trip. Every morning, I checked the app to get an idea of what the weather looked like for the day ahead. On nearly every day of the trip, the high temperature was over 90 degrees F (32 C). That’s unusually hot for much of the midwest especially.
When I checked the morning of Day 3 there was rain in the forecast all the way from Saint Louis, Missouri to Manhattan, Kansas (my destination for that night). [In the image above, green is light rain, yellow is moderate and orange/red is heavier rain.] I generally don’t mind driving in the rain, especially on Interstate freeways. The roads aren’t too curvy. They’re designed to handle big trucks, so unless it’s a heavy downpour, I’m usually ok.
St. Louis’ Gateway Arch National Park
After I checked the weather and packed my car, I headed west from Cahokia, Illinois across the river through St. Louis. I was able to get a glimpse of the famous Gateway Arch from the road! This is one of the most famous landmarks in Missouri and is also a National Park.
According to the Gateway Arch National Park website, “The Gateway Arch celebrates St. Louis’ role in the westward expansion of the United States during the nineteenth century. The park is a memorial to Thomas Jefferson’s role in opening the West, to the pioneers who helped shape its history, and to Dred Scott who sued for his freedom in the Old Courthouse.”
Visiting The Arch
Our family had a chance to visit and go up inside the Arch back in the 80’s, but I’m sure much has changed since then. It would have been great to stop for a visit on Day 3, but unfortunately, I had many miles to drive to Manhattan, KS so it would have to wait until next time. The tram ride to the top and all National Park Service programming was not available anyway due to COVID. The Museum and Visitor Center were still open though. If you have an interest in unique engineering, architecture, and history, I highly recommend seeing this engineering marvel when the tram rides to the top are open again.
The rest of my drive through Missouri was quick, but I learned a few things along the way and thought I’d share these fun facts about the state. You’ll want to try some of their favorite foods when you’re there, so check out what they’re famous for in the FAQs below. There are over 100 parks in the state as well, and you’ll find a variety of lodging options with reasonable rates in the quiet of nature. After the FAQs you’ll find more about my road trip driving across the state.
Missouri Fun Facts and FAQs
What is Missouri’s Nickname?
Missouri is known as the “Show-Me State”. The phrase appears on their license plates and describes the character of Missourians. They’re not easily fooled and they won’t believe a story without adequate evidence. Hence the nickname “Show-Me State”
What is the State Dessert of Missouri?
Well, the ice cream cone, of course. The 1904 World’s Fair in Saint Louis, MO saw the introduction of the waffle style ice cream cone. What’s more All-American than that?
What food is Missouri famous for?
Missouri’s biggest food claim to fame (besides the ice cream cone) is their barbecued meat – most famous are Kansas City BBQ and St. Louis BBQ. Saint Louis BBQ sauce is generally tomato-based but not as sweet and a little thinner than Kansas City Style – due to small amounts of vinegar. The key to this flavorful meat is in slow-cooking the ribs over low heat, using a smoky grill.
Ribs are sauced repeatedly during the grilling process to caramelize them. If you’re passing through Missouri be sure to stop for a tasty serving of Barbeque ribs, brisket, or whatever cut of meat suits your fancy. For a special treat try “Burnt Ends”, golden nuggets of brisket that are a Kansas City rite of passage. You won’t regret it.
What is Missouri’s favorite soda pop?
In 1947, the carbonated beverage Fitz’s Root Beer debuted in Missouri and it’s been a huge hit over the past 70+ years since. Whether you call it soda or pop, the next time you’re in the Saint Louis area pick up a six-pack of this delicious root beer to take home in it’s red, white, and blue packaging. Or better yet, grab some lunch and order your own root beer float with a generous scoop of ice cream in a frosty glass.
How Many National Parks in Missouri?
The National Park Service oversees 6 National Parks in the state of Missouri, including the most famous icon in the state, the Gateway Arch. They also manage the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area and 36 National Historic Landmarks.
How many State Parks are in Missouri?
Missouri claims 92 State Parks in its park system. Including 40 State Parks, 7 State Forests, 7 State Historic Sites, 2 Metro and City Parks, 1 National Historic Site, 5 National Wildlife Refuges, 1 State Natural Area, 12 State Wildlife Areas, 6 State Wildlife Management Areas, 1 State Wildlife Refuge, and 1 National Forest.
They total more than 200,000 acres (nearly 81,000 hectares) including approximately 3,500 campsites, 194 cabins, and 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of trails. The state boasts the longest developed rails-to-trails project in the nation at 448 miles with more on the way. The largest state park is Lake of the Ozarks.
16 of Missouri’s State Parks offer a variety of lodging options from rustic camping, smaller singles to roomy family cabins. You’ll find yurts to modern motels and a 3-bedroom Lake House. All are at reasonable prices for travelers and vacationers.
Missouri State Parks even offer Cabins for Canines. A lodging program with units for people who love to travel with their dogs. The program includes outpost cabins, camper cabins, yurts, single-unit cabins, fourplexes, and duplexes. About 30% of lodging units are available for owners with dogs. The other 70% are pet-free.
Bonaventure Coffee
More about my road trip across Missouri. Just as I try to support local restaurants when I’m traveling, I’ve been starting to look for local coffee places in the mornings as well. During COVID especially and on this road trip, I tried to find drive-thru coffee stops so I could safely distance and get on the road as fast as I could. Sometimes it wasn’t possible, but today I did some checking along the route before I left my Airbnb and found Bonaventure Coffee on the west side of Saint Louis, just a few minutes from the freeway. I was intrigued by the mention of a Lavender Latte in one of the reviews I read, so I added it as a stop on my Google maps and was on my way.
The setup was easy to get in and out from either direction and the building looked clean and new. When I pulled up (with my disposable facemask on) there was a young man and young woman inside. At the end of July when I was passing through, Saint Louis was one of the cities where the COVID virus cases were spiking and I was trying to be extra careful there. I asked about the Lavender Lattes since I didn’t see them on the menu. The young man explained a few different options and I chose a large Iced Lavender Latte (with vanilla).
COVID Precautions
I was very disappointed to see that neither of the staff members at Bonaventure Coffee were wearing masks. When I asked if it was mandatory in Missouri, the young man commented on how hot it got in the small building. Later he said that he had a medical condition that excluded him from having to wear one. The young woman explained that they were very careful when serving the customers. She also said that she was exempt from having to wear one. I find it a bit hard to believe that both healthy young 20-somethings were actually exempt, but I suppose that’s between them and their employer. There wasn’t much I could do about it at the time. I certainly hope they didn’t catch or expose anyone to the virus.
I also found it odd that during a pandemic with employees not wearing masks they used straws that weren’t wrapped in paper. The good news is that the Lavender Latte was excellent and refreshing on a warm summer day. I would recommend this place if you’re not too concerned about the virus or when things have calmed down in COVID cases.
Stormy Weather
With coffee safely in the cup holder, I hit the road under warm, humid, and stormy skies. Just as the forecast predicted, the rain started soon after I left the city. The rain wasn’t too bad. Except for 10 or 15 minutes when I had to turn the windshield wipers on full blast. It lasted about the first hour or so, then just sprinkled on and off the rest of the day. Thankfully it didn’t slow me down too much.
Missouri’s Eisenhower Highway
At one of the “rest” stops on the way through Missouri on Interstate 70, I made a couple of interesting discoveries. First, did you know that before 1956 America didn’t have Interstate freeways as we know them today? All the highways had stop signs, cross-streets, and traffic lights that drastically slowed down long-distance travel. It wasn’t until Congress passed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 creating federal funds for interstate highway construction that things changed. President Dwight Eisenhower signed the bill and Interstate Highways were born. New freeways with on and off-ramps, overpasses, and underpasses to allow traffic to move freely even through cities and towns. In honor of that major development for our country, Interstate 70 is called the “Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway”.
Clever Hand-washing Stations
I know this is kind of an odd thing to mention, but another fun discovery was a clever all-in-one handwashing station in one of the bathrooms. I wonder if you think like I do. When I’m in a public restroom I wash my hands. Then I have to walk over to a hand-drying machine with the water dripping all over the floor. That makes me think, “There must be a better way”. In this case, someone cleverly figured out a way to do it all in one place.
You start on the left with the motion-activated soap dispenser. Next move to the center motion-sensor water faucet to get your hands wet. When all is thoroughly clean and rinsed you move your hands under the large dryer on the right and all the water drips back into the sink and down the drain (not on the floor). How brilliant is that? Kudos to the Bradley Corporation for coming up with this clever solution. I wish there were similar options in all public restrooms.
So there you have it. Some of the cool and quirky things I discovered in Missouri. Although I didn’t have much chance to stop that day, I certainly saw enough to make me want to come back another time. Do you have a favorite destination in the state? What’s your favorite Barbecue joint there? If you like this list be sure to save it to Pinterest too.
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-Find even more of my favorite travel resources here.
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More About My Road Trip
If you missed other parts of the journey, here are posts related to my road trip…with more to come!
My Cross-Country Road Trip Planning
My Road Trip – Favorite Songs and Artists
Road Trip – Day 1 – Charleston, West Virginia
My Road Trip – Day 2 – Kentucky State Parks
Road Trip – Day 3 – Destination Manhattan, Kansas
