7AM came early this morning. Luckily, it also came with a ton of excitement. Today was the day I had been hoping for since we first decided to participate in the Country Inns and Suites 1K adventure; we were going to the Gateway Arch! After spending the night in the beautiful riverfront town of St Charles (Main Street was incredibly charming. I had no idea St Charles had so much to offer!), I was excited to step foot in St Louis and see one of country’s most famous landmarks. Two of the main travel goals I was hoping to accomplish while on this journey were to visit a state I had never been to (and I have been to the vast majority of them) and to visit a National Park installation that I had never been to. Seeing the Jefferson Memorial in Missouri accomplished both of those goals.
We arrived at the Jefferson Memorial (see our video clue here) just before nine and were greeted by a television camera man who was there to film a story about our adventure (you can see the online version of the story here). As excited as I was to see the television camera pointed in our direction, I couldn’t help but be distracted by the fact that we were STANDING UNDER THE GATEWAY ARCH!!! It was even more impressive than I had imagined. Most of the time when I visit monuments, I tend to think they look smaller in person than the do on television. This time it was the opposite. The arch is massive and truly beautiful. We went under the arch and into the museum below to get our National Park Passports stamped and buy tickets to go up to the top of the arch. Tip- if you have plans to go up in the arch, get there when it opens. We went up at 9 AM and by the time 10 AM rolled around, the crowds were forming.
The elevator trip up to the top of the arch was unlike any other elevator I had ever been in. Families sit in small pods that seat 6 and go up at a slight angle (since it is an arch) until they reach the top. From the top you can walk through the middle of the arch and peer at the world from 630 feet above. Everyone but Ben loved entire experience. I don’t think he was a huge fan of the elevator pod.
When we got back down to the bottom of the arch, we took some time to explore the Museum of Western Expansion. The museum is filled with great exhibits about the Lewis and Clark Expedition and what life was like for early western settlers. Lewis and Clark began their infamous journey in St Louis, and there is a statue of the pair near the shore of the Mississippi River not far from the arch itself (though when we were there, most of the statue was under water. As a matter of fact, most of the parking lot was under water! We parked our Ford Flex about a foot from the Mississippi River).
After we had thoroughly explored the park around the arch, we dialed in for our secound clue (here). This stop was nothing more than a rest stop along the side of the interstate, but as always this Suite Stop had significance. We were driving down the very first stretch of interstate highway ever built, Interstate 70, and stopping at the rest stop was paying homage to the interstate system that helps make so many road trip vacations a possibility.
The third stop of the day (here) was the first ever Suite Stop to give us options. Our choices? Putt or pedal. We chose pedal because after all, we just hadn’t spent nearly enough time in a vehicle lately. Our stop was at Perche Creek in Columbia, MO, and our mission was to ride the go-karts. We put the pedal to the medal and had an absolute blast whipping around the curves of the racetrack. After our go-kart time was over, we just couldn’t leave the Perche Creek without doing a little putt putt as well. Perche Creek was generous enough to let us ride the go-karts and play mini golf free of charge. If you are ever in Columbia, MO, I highly recommend you stop by for some family fun!
Since our previous day had been so long, Team Country decided to give us all a break and let us arrive at our destination a little early today. We took some of the extra time and visited with a friend from college who now lives in Columbia, then headed on down the highway to Kansas City. Our spirits were high and we were excited about getting in to Kansas City early and maybe even sample some of that famous barbeque. We arrived in Kansas City and pulled off the interstate just as the lady who lives inside the GPS told us to do. After a couple miles of driving off the interstate, things seemed a bit off. We were deep into a residential area and we thought that it was an awfully strange spot to put a Country Inn and Suites. Finally, we pulled over and did some further investigating. It seem that Paul had read the address wrong and failed to notice that we were going to Kansas City, KS, not Kansas City, MO. Oops! We were about 30 miles out of our way with about 50 miles of gas left in the tank. We entered the correct address and followed the GS directions in to Kansas. Unfortunately, the lady who lives in the GPS must really like to explore residential neighborhoods because this time us getting lost had nothing to do with human error. I will be honest, I have never been a GPS girl. As a matter of fact, this is the first trip I have ever taken where I have given complete control over to electronics. 9 times out of 10, the GPS is wonderful and leads us to exactly where we want to go but that tenth time, it makes me want to pull my hair out!!! I am neurotic about knowing exactly where I am at all times and when Miss GPS gets me lost, I go into freak out mode. My advice? Always have a map for backup. GPS nagivation is wonderful, expecially when in a big city, but sometimes the GPS systems are wrong and nobody likes to spend an extra hour and a half in the car if they don’t have to.
Finally, after a phone call to the hotel, we coasted to a nearby gas station on fumes, filled up, and then let out a cheer as we pulled into the Kansas City, KS, Country Inn and Suites for the night. The property is directly across the street from the Kansas City Speedway so Nascar Fans should definitely keep this hotel in mind if they are ever in the area.
Now its bedtime for the Earnshaw Clan. We have had a great time driving through Missouri and I couldn’t be happier to be in yet another state I have never been in. Rumor has it tomorrow is going to be a day filled with lots of driving so wish us luck! I have no idea where we could be heading next but I can’t wait to see where the road takes us.
I hope this post has inspired you to take your own Road Trip Adventure. For more information on how to create your own trip to remember check out http://www.countryinns.com/1kcountry.
Want to follow us on the adventure as it happens? Be sure to follow @doubleadventure on Twitter and the hastag #CIS1K to see what all the families are up to every day of the Country Inns and Suites 1K!
Disclosure: A significant portion of the costs and resources for our family’s participation in the 1K Country Adventure was provided by Country Inns & Suites By Carlson.
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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
Yesterday was long. I mean REALLY long. Luckily it was also really fun. While we didn’t go incredibly far mileage wise, we did see and experience an amazing number of fantastic sights. By the time I got the kids tucked in bed and wrote my post for the day, it was nearly 2AM!
I am a woman who needs her sleep. Six hours does not cut it for me so when 8AM reared her ugly head, I became an alarm snoozing machine. Finally, around nine, I was convinced to drag myself into the shower. Luckily, the Country Inn in Naperville had a wonderful breakfast which tempted me out of my slumber and into the dining area. The kids seemed incredibly refreshed even though they went to bed near 11 at night (bad Mommy. A slap on the wrist for me). It was drizzly outside but we were anxious to hit the road and get our first clue (which you can see here).
Our first stop was at the clock tower in Fredenhagen Park, which is along the riverwalk in beautiful downtown Naperville, IL. Unfortunately it was raining, so I volunteered to quickly hop out of the car and snap a picture. I wish the weather had been better and we had more time, because the riverwalk certainly looked like something worth sticking around for.
Our second clue (here) told us to go to the town of Joliet, Il, which had a historical museum that revolved around Route 66. We literally only had time to take a potty break and snap a couple pictures which was a bummer because the museum looked like so much fun. I have always had a fascination with old travel routes and Route 66 is probably the most famous of them all. As sad as we were to have to leave the Route 66 museum without getting a chance to explore it, we were happy to discover our entire day’s travels were Route 66 themed.
Our third clue (here) told us we were going to Atlanta….. Illinois. First of all, I had no clue that there was an Atlanta outside of
Georgia. Second of all, where the heck is Atlanta, Il? Well, we quickly found out it is on Route 66 in Central Illinois and it is home to a large beardless Paul Bunyan holding a hot dog. If you are ever in the area I insist that you pull off the interstate and take a picture of your brood with the Beardless Paul Bunyan. I also insist that you head across the street and have lunch at the Palms Grill Cafe (clue number four). Eating at the Palms Grill is like stepping back in time. The old time cash register and old time Coke machine left me in antique envy, and the Ponyshoe (bread topped with turkey,fries, and cheese sauce) was unlike anything I had tried before. All three Country Inns families dined together and we all enjoyed both our meals and each other’s company. It was a highlight of the day.
After lunch we hopped back in our Ford Focus and listened to our fifth clue (here). This time were headed to Mt Olive, Il, and the Soulsby Gas Station on old Route 66. While our time at the gas station was nothing more than a pit stop, it was also a delightful step back in time. The station was no longer operable but it had beautiful Shell gas pumps that were perfect for photo ops.
After our short time in Mt Olive, we got our final clue of the day (here). We were headed across the Mississippi River and in to St Charles, MO. I was aboslutely thrilled. I have been to most of the 50 states, but Missouri had evaded me up until today. We pulled up to the Country Inns and Suites in St Charles and wiped the drool from our chins. The property here is GORGEOUS. The exterior is beautiful red brick and the hotel is only a block from the Missouri River.
After a quick check in, we decided to head down South Main Street and eat dinner at the Old Mill Stream Inn Restaurant. The patio dining along the tree canopied creek was a perfect way to wind down after a long day in the car. Tomorrow, we are planning on getting an early start so we can fully enjoy all the Suite Stops that Country Inns and Suites have planned for us. While I don’t know exactly where we are going, I have a feeling that a famous arch may be in our future!
I hope this post has inspired you to take your own Road Trip Adventure. For more information on how to create your own trip to remember check out http://www.countryinns.com/1kcountry.
Want to follow us on the adventure as it happens? Be sure to follow @doubleadventure on Twitter and the hastag #CIS1K to see what all the families are up to every day of the Country Inns and Suites 1K!
Disclosure: A significant portion of the costs and resources for our family’s participation in the 1K Country Adventure was provided by Country Inns & Suites By Carlson.
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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
Stop number two on our tour of the nations best zoos is the mighty Midwest. The heartland is home to plenty of terrific spots to take the kids, and it’s zoos are amongst the best around. Lets get started with the zoo that is home to my childhood hero, Jack Hanna.
Photo Courtesy of Columbus Zoo
I have never had the pleasure of visiting this world class park but it is very high on my zoo “bucket list”. The zoo is divided into different geographical regions, from the Asia Quest to the newly opened Polar Frontier. In the Australia region, Marvelis tells us “you can enter the Kangaroo Walkabout and walk a path where a “mob” of kangaroos is only a rope away.” Be sure to see the manatees in the Shores Region. It is one of only three places outside of Florida that you can see these massive yet gentle creatures. If you would like to break up the animal experiences with some rides take time to visit Jungle Jack’s Landing, the carousel, train, and the boat rides.
Check out more Trekaroo family reviews of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
Photo Courtesy St Louis Zoo
This highly acclaimed zoo is free! That’s right, its free to visit the tigers, leopards and lions in the Red Rocks and walk along Rivers Edge to discover cheetahs, rhinos, and giant anteaters. For a small fee, you can take the kids inside the Children’s Zoo which is equipped with a “Just Like Me” play area, plenty of critters to pet, and even a slide with lookouts so kids can wave as they shoot past playful otters. Ahoward212 offers this great tip: “If you have the extra $$$, the Behind the Scenes tour Penguin Encounter was fabulous. We were able to get an up close & personal hang out time with two penguins (Fidget & Shadow). An experience we’ll never forget.”
Check out more Trekaroo family reviews of the St Louis Zoo.
Photo Courtesy Trekaroo Member Gretchen
Just east of the Colorado Rockies lies a zoo that Trekaroo families just can’t seem to get enough of. The Denver Zoo is a sprawling park with several large habitats for both the animals and visitors to enjoy. This zoo has always been on the cutting edge and its Bear Mountain was the first naturalistic habitat in North America. Be sure to visit Predator Ridge which is home to lions, hyenas, and African wild dogs which rotate exhibits so they can explore each others enclosures and enjoy the smells left behind by the previous occupants. No matter what time of year you visit, gwosatum notes that “There is always something fun to do whether it’s attending a special event, watching the animal shows, or just hanging out and viewing the animals.”
Check out more Trekaroo family reviews of the Denver Zoo.
Photo Courtesy Minnesota Zoo
Even with those harsh Minnesotan winters, the Minnesota Zoo is a zoo for all seasons. In the winter when the snow is falling and the temperatures are below zero, visit the Tropics Trail and Discovery Bay. Its nice and warm inside and animals from the Caribbean, South Pacific, and tropical rain forests are happily awaiting your visit. When its hot and humid outside, head over to the Splash Pad and cool off between watching the sharks get fed and the moose chomp on water plants. The exhibits at the Minnesota Zoo provide plenty of roaming room for the animals and Minnemom reminds us ”outdoors, there’s a lot of walking to be done, so bring your walking shoes and a stroller for little ones who aren’t good walkers yet.”
Check out more Trekaroo family reviews of the Minnesota Zoo.
Photo Courtesy TLC
Catholic Family calls the Henry Doorly Zoo ”a gem of the Midwest in terms of the amount and quality of exhibits.” It is home to the world’s largest indoor desert, world’s largest nocturnal exhibit and America’s largest indoor rain forest. The Desert Dome, the world’s largest geodesic dome at 13 stories high, features plants and animals from the Namib Desert of southern Africa, the Red Center of Australia and the Sonoran Desert of the southwest United States. Located below the Desert Dome is the Kingdome of the Night, which transports families into a nocturnal wonderland. The Lied Jungle completely immerses people in a natural rain forest environment with cliffs, caves, waterfalls, and bridges leading guests towards clouded leopards, pygmy hippos, and spider monkeys.
Check out more Trekaroo family reviews of the Henry Doorly Zoo.
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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids and the woman behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
