Summer 2026
Summer in Missouri is a great season! Hot days followed by soft warm evenings encourage us to get outside to enjoy both activities at home and for travel. We mix yard work with summer sports and recreation.The kids are out of school and Missouri’s travel locations call us to enjoy important family time.
In order to help you plan your trips, I have researched some Missouri travel internet sites.
The historic Route 66 that crosses Missouri from St. Louis to Joplin is the subject of this issue’s cover story. The 300-plus miles of the highway in Missouri provides a history of the old road. Parts of the original highway are now covered by more modern highways, but the charm of the original is still there. The road was called “the Mother Road” and was one of the first continuous stretches of paved highway in the US. It began in 1926.
In the 1960s, I loved following the adventures of Todd and Buzz as they traveled Route 66 in their Corvette on the television show that shared its name with the highway. In that show (Route66roadtrip.com/route-66-tv-series.htm). I never got the Corvette that I wanted so much when I was 16, but I certainly have fond memories of the four seasons of that show.
A good place to visit both IRL and online is the Route 66 Museum (Lebanon-Laclede.lib.mo.us/66-museum/route-66-museum-home) in Lebanon. The museum is free and self-guided.
Springfield is often called the birthplace of Route 66. Good photos and plenty of background information can be found at SpringfieldMo.org/blog/post/birthplace-of-route-66.
A few miles south of Springfield in Ozark is one of three Lambert’s Restaurants (ThrowedRolls.com/ozark-mo). I once met Norm Lambert, the son of founders Earl and Agnes Lambert, at the original Sikeston location.
Paris Springs, just west of Springfield, is the home of Gary’s Gay Parita, a restored Sinclair service station. The station, which can also be found online at Route66RoadRelics.com/destination/missouri/ash-grove-missouri-route-66, is a living museum with vintage cars, classic Sinclair advertising signs and more.
Another restored service station and gift shop, Spencer Station (SpencerStation.myshopify.com), is located just down the road in Miller, population 720. Perhaps the town (CityofMillerMO.org) was founded by one of my ancestors!
Another famous highway in Missouri is Highway 61. This year Highway 61 also celebrates its 100th birthday. The present-day course of U.S. 61 south of St. Louis largely follows the original course of the Spanish colonial road El Camino Real. The highway began in 1776, when the Spanish lieutenant governor recognized that the two principal communities of St. Louis and Ste. Genevieve needed a connecting highway.
Ste. Genevieve is the oldest permanent European settlement in Missouri, and there is a lot of history to be discovered there. VisitSteGen.com provides a sample of what the city offers. I have been there a number of times and found the history and the people very interesting. Most of the restaurants offer a local specialty, liver dumplings. I know, they have liver in them but they are really good. Give them a try.
I hope you have a great Missouri summer as you travel our historic highways or through your computer screen. If you should see me catching a throwed roll or enjoying some liver dumplings, be sure to say hi. I still don’t have a Corvette, but I can share some incidents from Route 66 anyway. Good Missouri food, good friends and good stories makes a great combination.
In order to help you plan your trips, I have researched some Missouri travel internet sites.
The historic Route 66 that crosses Missouri from St. Louis to Joplin is the subject of this issue’s cover story. The 300-plus miles of the highway in Missouri provides a history of the old road. Parts of the original highway are now covered by more modern highways, but the charm of the original is still there. The road was called “the Mother Road” and was one of the first continuous stretches of paved highway in the US. It began in 1926.
In the 1960s, I loved following the adventures of Todd and Buzz as they traveled Route 66 in their Corvette on the television show that shared its name with the highway. In that show (Route66roadtrip.com/route-66-tv-series.htm). I never got the Corvette that I wanted so much when I was 16, but I certainly have fond memories of the four seasons of that show.
A good place to visit both IRL and online is the Route 66 Museum (Lebanon-Laclede.lib.mo.us/66-museum/route-66-museum-home) in Lebanon. The museum is free and self-guided.
Springfield is often called the birthplace of Route 66. Good photos and plenty of background information can be found at SpringfieldMo.org/blog/post/birthplace-of-route-66.
A few miles south of Springfield in Ozark is one of three Lambert’s Restaurants (ThrowedRolls.com/ozark-mo). I once met Norm Lambert, the son of founders Earl and Agnes Lambert, at the original Sikeston location.
Paris Springs, just west of Springfield, is the home of Gary’s Gay Parita, a restored Sinclair service station. The station, which can also be found online at Route66RoadRelics.com/destination/missouri/ash-grove-missouri-route-66, is a living museum with vintage cars, classic Sinclair advertising signs and more.
Another restored service station and gift shop, Spencer Station (SpencerStation.myshopify.com), is located just down the road in Miller, population 720. Perhaps the town (CityofMillerMO.org) was founded by one of my ancestors!
Another famous highway in Missouri is Highway 61. This year Highway 61 also celebrates its 100th birthday. The present-day course of U.S. 61 south of St. Louis largely follows the original course of the Spanish colonial road El Camino Real. The highway began in 1776, when the Spanish lieutenant governor recognized that the two principal communities of St. Louis and Ste. Genevieve needed a connecting highway.
Ste. Genevieve is the oldest permanent European settlement in Missouri, and there is a lot of history to be discovered there. VisitSteGen.com provides a sample of what the city offers. I have been there a number of times and found the history and the people very interesting. Most of the restaurants offer a local specialty, liver dumplings. I know, they have liver in them but they are really good. Give them a try.
I hope you have a great Missouri summer as you travel our historic highways or through your computer screen. If you should see me catching a throwed roll or enjoying some liver dumplings, be sure to say hi. I still don’t have a Corvette, but I can share some incidents from Route 66 anyway. Good Missouri food, good friends and good stories makes a great combination.
Spring 2026
Spring! I am certainly looking forward to it. As I write this column, I am surrounded by the snowy residue of a late winter storm. It was -4 degrees when I awoke this morning.. When this is published, we will all be enjoying the birth of spring and the delights of another Missouri happy season.
I have been comforted during these cold days by my faithful feline friend. I have a tuxedo cat named Socks who loves to sit on my lap and to sleep on my bed. I like cats, but Some people don’t, including my retired dentist friend Steve. For those who like cats, a cat cafe is a real treat, and there are several of them in Missouri. Some of their locations are The Cheshire Grin Cat Cafe in St. Louis (TheCheshireGrinCatCafe.com), Bertha’s Beans in Columbia (BerthasBeans.com), Bristocats Cat Cafe in Jefferson City (PhpCatRescue.org/baristocats) and Whiskers Cafe in Kansas City (WhiskersKC.com).
Checking out their websites will let you see some cute cat pictures and read rules and times of operation. Most of them are coffee shops that also serve food. The cats are in a separate room from food prep, and you must agree to not pick them up or to pull their tails if you go into their room. Children must be supervised by an adult. Some of the cats are available for adoption, and they are all usually very happy to sit on visitors’ laps. I know my friend, Steve, will not be visiting, but I may make an IRL visit.
For those who like bicycling, Missouri’s Katy Trail (BikeKatyTrail.com) is a great asset. The trail is 239 miles long and is the former MKT Railroad right of way. It crosses most of Missouri and is available for hiking or biking. Horseback riding is allowed on two segments of the trail: Sedalia to Clinton and Tebbetts to Portland. Over half the trail’s length follows Lewis and Clark’s path up the Missouri River, where you can ride beneath towering river bluffs while eagles circle overhead. America’s longest “rails-to-trail” project is flat and scenic.
The little town of Marshfield hosts a Cherry Blossom Festival every spring in mid-April. It is the featured festival on page 46 of this issue. The festival, which can be found online at CherryBlossomFest.com, has a lot of varied activities including welcoming descendants of our nation’s presidents who will share stories about their family. Marshfield is the birthplace of Edwin Hubble, who was responsible for the Hubble Space Telescope. The courthouse in Marshfield has a 1/4-size replica of the telescope, which can be seen at RoadsideAmerica.com/tip/10463. Photographs taken with the still operating space telescope can be viewed a Science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/.
I hope you have a wonderful spring in Missouri. If we should cross paths at a cat cafe while enjoying a cup of coffee or checking out the replica space telescope, please say hello. Wherever we meet, it is always good to see a friend in Missouri.
I have been comforted during these cold days by my faithful feline friend. I have a tuxedo cat named Socks who loves to sit on my lap and to sleep on my bed. I like cats, but Some people don’t, including my retired dentist friend Steve. For those who like cats, a cat cafe is a real treat, and there are several of them in Missouri. Some of their locations are The Cheshire Grin Cat Cafe in St. Louis (TheCheshireGrinCatCafe.com), Bertha’s Beans in Columbia (BerthasBeans.com), Bristocats Cat Cafe in Jefferson City (PhpCatRescue.org/baristocats) and Whiskers Cafe in Kansas City (WhiskersKC.com).
Checking out their websites will let you see some cute cat pictures and read rules and times of operation. Most of them are coffee shops that also serve food. The cats are in a separate room from food prep, and you must agree to not pick them up or to pull their tails if you go into their room. Children must be supervised by an adult. Some of the cats are available for adoption, and they are all usually very happy to sit on visitors’ laps. I know my friend, Steve, will not be visiting, but I may make an IRL visit.
For those who like bicycling, Missouri’s Katy Trail (BikeKatyTrail.com) is a great asset. The trail is 239 miles long and is the former MKT Railroad right of way. It crosses most of Missouri and is available for hiking or biking. Horseback riding is allowed on two segments of the trail: Sedalia to Clinton and Tebbetts to Portland. Over half the trail’s length follows Lewis and Clark’s path up the Missouri River, where you can ride beneath towering river bluffs while eagles circle overhead. America’s longest “rails-to-trail” project is flat and scenic.
The little town of Marshfield hosts a Cherry Blossom Festival every spring in mid-April. It is the featured festival on page 46 of this issue. The festival, which can be found online at CherryBlossomFest.com, has a lot of varied activities including welcoming descendants of our nation’s presidents who will share stories about their family. Marshfield is the birthplace of Edwin Hubble, who was responsible for the Hubble Space Telescope. The courthouse in Marshfield has a 1/4-size replica of the telescope, which can be seen at RoadsideAmerica.com/tip/10463. Photographs taken with the still operating space telescope can be viewed a Science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/.
I hope you have a wonderful spring in Missouri. If we should cross paths at a cat cafe while enjoying a cup of coffee or checking out the replica space telescope, please say hello. Wherever we meet, it is always good to see a friend in Missouri.