Trip to St Louis

I lived in Missouri for eight years just outside of St. Louis and they don't call it the Show-Me state for nothing! There is plenty to see and do in and around the city and especially in the Ozarks but having such little kids does make it tricky. Some things that the five and eight year old will appreciate is the St. Louis Gateway Arch. Even if you don't have time for all the fanfare and going up inside the arch to the observation room, the hugeness and grandness of it alone is enough. See if you can park the car and stand close to the Arch itself. It's amazing! There's also the ever-famous Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales that are raised and kept in stables at the downtown brewing company. They are truly magnificent creatures and come with all the bells and whistles that these famous horses are so famous for! There are tours of the whole beer brewing plant but also tours of the horse stable as well. Once again...it is a kid- friendly favorite stop. Lastly, there is also the St. Louis Zoo which is also downtown as well. This would be more of a whole day affair but a beautiful visit and certainly a family-oriented place to go. I really could go on and on about the list of things to do in Missouri or St. Louis but these were the top three for me as a kid and certainly sights that I will never forget now as an adult. If you choose one single thing...go for the Gateway Arch. It is too magnificent for words!

There are places to stop the whole way through Missouri but nothing grabs me as, you must stop here. Just kind of a don't worry about hitting a spot where they one year old loses it and you are trapped for an hour, ya know?

If you need to get off the road and give them a break from the car - there are not really any must sees but a few fun things. Near Boonville, you can see the farm where the Clydesdales are actually raised - Warm Springs Ranch at Exit 111 and they should have some young horses. There is Crane's Country Market at Exit 161 which is a nostalgic store with an ice cream parlor and museum. Graham Cave State Park at Exit 170 has an easy walking trail to the cave and a nice playground. All of these are a short mile or two off the interstate. Enjoy your trip!

We travel the I-70 corridor quite frequently to visit family in Kansas City and Columbia. My boys - 10, 8, and 5 are pretty used to the rather boring drive, but every once in a while, we all need to get out of the car for a moment. That stretch of road is not very exciting, but we usually will stop at the few rest stops, away from alot of other travelers, and bring a football or a Frisbee and let the kids run and burn off some energy. You might want to bring some bubbles for your littlest one as an alternative. We also try to find fast food restaurants with a play place for the same reason. We don't eat the food there but just let the kids play. There's a huge one inside of a Burger King at the Lake of the Woods exit just east of the Columbia city limits. Some of the other stops mentioned by Deborah B. are great to see, but will extend your travel time by quite a bit. If you're up for that, I would recommend it, but if not, I think stopping along the road is your easiest bet.