Missouri
3
Day Itinerary •
USA
Three days in Missouri gives you the essential Show-Me State experience, from the extraordinary Gateway Arch on the Mississippi River, the most extraordinary monument in the American Midwest, to the vibrant jazz and BBQ culture of Kansas City and the magnificent Ozark Mountains with their crystal-clear springs and rivers. This route covers the heart of Missouri. The extraordinary Gateway Arch National Park and historic Soulard neighborhood of St Louis, the finest BBQ in Kansas City at Arthur Bryant's and Joe's, and the extraordinary Ha Ha Tonka State Park castle ruins and Lake of the Ozarks in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to November
Getting There
Fly into St Louis Lambert (STL) or Kansas City (MCI)
Getting Around
Rental car essential. Missouri distances are significant.
Budget Per Day
Approx $100 to $170 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, mostly driving and walking
DAY 1
ST LOUIS
MORNING
GATEWAY ARCH NATIONAL PARK, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY MONUMENT IN THE MIDWEST
The Gateway Arch is the most extraordinary monument in the American Midwest, its extraordinary 630-foot stainless steel catenary arch designed by Eero Saarinen soaring above the Mississippi River as the tallest man-made monument in the United States. The tram ride to the top in the remarkable egg-shaped capsules gives the most extraordinary view of the Mississippi River, the St Louis skyline and the Illinois bluffs. The Museum at the Gateway Arch below gives the finest westward expansion history. Tram entry approx $16. Drive: 20 min drive
MIDDAY
SOULARD MARKET AND THE HISTORIC SOULARD NEIGHBORHOOD
Soulard Market in St Louis is the most extraordinary public market in Missouri, its extraordinary 1838 French market operating continuously as the oldest farmers market west of the Mississippi, its extraordinary Saturday morning of local produce, Cajun-influenced food vendors and the finest Missouri cheese and charcuterie giving the most vibrant market experience in the city. The extraordinary Soulard neighborhood of 19th-century French Creole rowhouses surrounding the market is free to explore. Drive: 15 min walk
AFTERNOON
FOREST PARK AND THE ST LOUIS ART MUSEUM
Forest Park is the most extraordinary free urban park in Missouri, its extraordinary 1,371 acres larger than New York's Central Park hosting the 1904 World's Fair and now containing the St Louis Art Museum, St Louis Zoo and the St Louis Science Center all free of charge. The extraordinary Art Museum in the former 1904 Palace of Fine Arts gives the finest free art museum in the Midwest, its collection including extraordinary American and German Expressionist works. Both free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Ted Drewes Frozen Custard on Chippewa Street in St Louis is the finest frozen custard in America, its extraordinary concrete so thick it can be served upside down since 1929 in one of the finest Route 66 institutions in Missouri. From approx $5. Open seasonally. The most extraordinary hidden sweet in St Louis.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Winslow's Table, Clayton The finest breakfast in the St Louis area. Extraordinary local Missouri eggs and strong coffee. | Lunch: Soulard Market The most extraordinary market lunch in Missouri. Local produce, oysters and extraordinary Missouri cheese. | Dinner: Pappy's Smokehouse, Midtown The most celebrated BBQ in St Louis. Extraordinary St Louis-style ribs and smoked turkey.
DAY 2
KANSAS CITY
MORNING
ARTHUR BRYANT'S BBQ, THE MOST LEGENDARY BARBECUE IN KANSAS CITY
Arthur Bryant's Barbeque at 18th and Brooklyn in Kansas City is the most legendary BBQ restaurant in America, its extraordinary sauce-slathered beef brisket and burnt ends served on white bread in a no-frills dining room that has fed presidents, celebrities and Kansas City locals since 1908. The extraordinary burnt ends, the crispy caramelized tips of the brisket, are the finest BBQ bite in America. Arrive before noon as brisket sells out. Approx $15 per person. Drive: 4 hr drive
MIDDAY
18TH AND VINE JAZZ DISTRICT, THE BIRTHPLACE OF BEBOP
18TH AND VINE JAZZ DISTRICT, THE BIRTHPLACE OF BEBOP 1.5 hours The 18th and Vine Historic District in Kansas City is the most extraordinary jazz heritage neighborhood in America, its extraordinary concentration of jazz clubs, the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum giving the finest African American cultural experience in the Midwest. Charlie Parker, Count Basie and Big Joe Turner all played the 18th and Vine clubs. The extraordinary Blue Room jazz club gives live jazz most evenings. Jazz Museum entry approx $10. Drive: 15 min drive
AFTERNOON
COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA AND THE KANSAS CITY ART SCENE
Country Club Plaza is the most extraordinary shopping district in Kansas City, its extraordinary 1922 Spanish-inspired architecture of fountains, towers and ceramic tile work giving the finest outdoor shopping environment in the Midwest. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art adjacent to the Plaza is the finest art museum in Missouri, its extraordinary collection of 35,000 works including the finest Asian art collection in the central United States. Museum entry free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Steamboat Arabia Museum in Kansas City is the finest hidden museum in Missouri, its extraordinary 1856 riverboat excavated from a Missouri River cornfield in 1988 with its extraordinary cargo of 200 tons of frontier merchandise preserved in extraordinary condition. Entry approx $15. The most extraordinary hidden museum in Kansas City.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Stroud's Restaurant, Kansas City The most legendary pan-fried chicken in Kansas City since 1933. Extraordinary local Missouri chicken. | Lunch: Arthur Bryant's Barbeque The most legendary BBQ in America. Extraordinary burnt ends and brisket. Arrive before noon. | Dinner: Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que The finest BBQ restaurant in Kansas City. Extraordinary Z-Man sandwich and burnt end baked beans.
DAY 3
MISSOURI OZARKS
MORNING
HA HA TONKA STATE PARK, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY CASTLE RUINS IN MISSOURI
Ha Ha Tonka State Park is the most extraordinary state park in Missouri, its extraordinary 19th-century European-style stone castle ruins perched on a 250-foot bluff above Lake of the Ozarks giving the most extraordinary architectural and natural landscape combination in the state. The castle was built by a Kansas City businessman beginning in 1905 and destroyed by fire in 1942. The extraordinary Natural Bridge, sinkholes and cave system below the castle give the finest geological park in Missouri. Entry free. Drive: 2.5 hr drive
MIDDAY
BENNETT SPRING STATE PARK, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY TROUT SPRING IN MISSOURI
Bennett Spring State Park is the most extraordinary spring state park in Missouri, its extraordinary Bennett Spring, the fourth largest spring in Missouri issuing 100 million gallons of crystal-clear 56-degree water daily into the Niangua River, giving the finest trout fishing experience in the Ozarks. The extraordinary turquoise clarity of the spring run and the surrounding cedar glades and oak woodland give the most beautiful state park setting in Missouri. Entry free. Drive: 45 min drive
AFTERNOON
LAKE OF THE OZARKS AND THE BAGNELL DAM
Lake of the Ozarks is the most extraordinary artificial lake in Missouri, its extraordinary 1,150-mile shoreline, more than the entire California coastline, created by the 1931 Bagnell Dam on the Osage River giving the finest recreational lake in the Midwest. The extraordinary Bagnell Dam Strip in Lake Ozark gives the finest lakeside dining and entertainment. The lake's extraordinary ha ha tonka coves and limestone bluffs are best explored by boat. Dam free to view.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Ozark Caverns in Lake of the Ozarks State Park is the finest hidden cave in Missouri, its extraordinary wild cave tour through an undeveloped cave system with extraordinary cave angel hair formations giving the most extraordinary caving experience in the Ozarks. Entry approx $12. The most extraordinary hidden gem near Lake of the Ozarks.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Dogwood Restaurant, Osage Beach The finest breakfast near the Lake of the Ozarks. Extraordinary local Missouri eggs and strong coffee. | Lunch: Picnic at Ha Ha Tonka Pack lunch from Camdenton. The extraordinary castle ruins overlook with Lake of the Ozarks below. | Dinner: Truman's American Grill, Lake Ozark The finest restaurant at the Lake of the Ozarks. Extraordinary local Missouri produce and craft beer.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
St Louis, Night 1 The Cheshire or Moonrise Hotel. Approx $120 to $220 per night. Kansas City, Night 2 The Crossroads Hotel or 21c Museum Hotel KC. Approx $130 to $230 per night. Lake of the Ozarks, Night 3 Lodge of Four Seasons or Tan-Tar-A Resort. Approx $100 to $180 per night.
Top Tips
1. Book Gateway Arch tram tickets at recreation.gov ahead. The view from the top at sunset is extraordinary.
2. Forest Park in St Louis is larger than Central Park and entirely free. The art museum inside is also free.
3. Kansas City BBQ: Arthur Bryant's for classic burnt ends, Joe's KC for the Z-Man sandwich. Both extraordinary.
4. Ha Ha Tonka State Park castle ruins at sunset with Lake of the Ozarks below is the most extraordinary view.
5. Ted Drewes Frozen Custard on Chippewa Street in St Louis is the finest frozen custard in America since
1929.
6. The 18th and Vine Jazz District in Kansas City is the birthplace of bebop. The jazz museum is extraordinary.
Total Budget
$100 to $170/day