Three Favorite Spring Day Trips from Kansas City
May is marvelous in the Midwest. Flowers bloom, fresh fruit ripens and trees are lush and green again. It’s a beautiful time of year to enjoy the outdoors and a bit of whimsy on a one-of-a-kind road trip. Whether you’re looking for an afternoon getaway or a weekend adventure, these are a few of our favorite trips to take in the month of May.
Watkins Woolen Mill State Park: A 19th Century Textile Mill and Living History Site
Take a break from technology and enjoy an opportunity to get back to nature at one of the most scenic state parks in Missouri. Just north of the river lies Watkins Mill State Park (26600 Park Rd. N., Lawson, MO, 816.580.3387), featuring a 100-acre lake, campgrounds, picnic areas, trails and Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site. This is a great destination for a day trip or a family campout.
Make Memories in May:
- Living History Farm Program: Memorial Day weekend through mid-August, the Living History Farm Program operates weekly on Saturday and Sunday. The site comes to life with costumed interpreters demonstrating life in the 1870s with farming, cooking and other living history programs, which vary each weekend.
- Camping: May is one of the prettiest months for camping and enjoying the great outdoors at the state park. Tent and RV campsites are available. MoStateParks.com
Must-See Sites:
- Woolen Mill & Home: Tour a 19th century three-story woolen mill and home to learn what life was like for families more than a century ago. The mill is the only 19th century textile mill in the United States with its original machinery still intact.
- Watkins Mill State Park: This beautiful state park features a lake with a paved bike path, fishing spots, boating, picnic tables and a swim beach. If you’d like to stay the night, you may make reservations to use the campgrounds. During the day you’ll see white-tailed deer, wild turkeys and a variety of birds (pack binoculars and a good camera). At night you’ll enjoy terrific views for stargazing.
- Jesse James Home: In nearby Kearney, MO, you can tour the Jesse James Home (JesseJames.org), the historic site telling the story of the notorious outlaw and preserving Missouri’s Civil War history.
Lawrence, KS: An Eclectic Day Trip
Lawrence is home to the University of Kansas and famous “Mass. Street,” where shoppers love to browse for antiques, clothes, toys, candles, books and European groceries.
Make Memories in May:
- Strawberry Picking: The season starts in May, and Lawrence is home to Wohletz U-Pick Farm. See our Kansas City strawberry picking guide for more information.
- Food Truck Festival, May 2: More than 15 food trucks, live performers and art displays make for festive fun. KSFoodTruckFest.com
- Lawrence Busker Festival, May 29-31: This annual festival is a fun-filled gathering of street performers. The festival boasts “most talented freaks, geeks, artists and musicians around.” LawrenceBuskerFest.com
Must-See Sites:
- The KU Natural History Museum: Dyche Hall, 1345 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS, 785.864.4450, NHM.KU.edu. The four-floor museum is filled with fascinating exhibits and artifacts. Children love the enormous panorama of animals and plants. The most famous feature of the museum is the extensive collection of fossils, including the Mosasaur, the largest known lizard to have lived.
- Massachusetts Street: Mass. Street in Downtown Lawrence is a bustling shopping district with unique restaurants and stores.
- Prairie Park Nature Center: 2730 Harper St., Lawrence, KS, 785.832.7980. You'll find fantastic animal exhibits, including reptiles (iguanas, alligators, snakes and more), amphibians (several species of frogs and toads), birds (including native birds of prey) and mammals. The hands-on center for preschoolers features nature puppets, puzzles and other touchable activities. The park includes grassland, forest and lake with trails for walking and exploring.
- Pendleton's Country Market and U-Pick Farm: 1446 E. 1850 Rd., Lawrence, KS, 785.843.1409. Pendleton's Country Market sells fresh produce and plants and seasonal u-pick vegetables.
Pella, IA: A Taste of Holland
It has become an annual tradition for my girls and me to make a trip to Pella, IA (approximately 3-4 hours from Kansas City), to enjoy Tulip Time. The small town offers a taste of Holland in the Midwest with a historical Dutch village, authentic windmill, 28,000 tulips each spring, a canal, cheese shops, bakeries, bologna shops, a klokkenspel and wooden shoes galore. You can enjoy the history and charm of Pella year-round, but May is our favorite time to visit. This weekend getaway is not far from Des Moines, so sometimes we build in a day for a visit to their zoo, science center and botanical garden.
Make Memories in May:
- Tulip Time, May 7-9: During Tulip Time, Pella comes alive with Dutch flowers and fun. The festival features Dutch parades (day parades complete with Dutch street cleaners and lighted night parades, as well), performances, demonstrations, Dutch attire and food and spring in all its splendor.
Pella’s Must-See Sites:
- Historic Pella Village: The village features more than a dozen buildings representing life in historic Pella and the Netherlands, including the childhood home of Wyatt Earp, a working grist mill, the Goliath street organ, blacksmith, wooden shoe shop (where you can watch as shoes are made from start to finish), gift shops, bakery, a Dutch heritage museum, library, general store, and the famous Vermeer Windmill. PellaHistorical.org
- Vermeer Windmill Tour: Touring the working Vermeer Windmill is included with Historic Pella Village tickets or may be purchased separately. This is our favorite attraction of all. Parts of the authentic working Dutch mill were built in Holland and assembled in Pella. The mill grinds wheat into flour using only wind power and is the tallest working windmill in the United States. The total height to the tip of the most upright blade is 124 feet. Souvenir bags of flour are available in the gift shop. The mill also houses a miniature Dutch village with trains, streetcar, canals—so many buildings and people to see.
- Giant Wooden Shoes: Outside the Vermeer Mill you’ll find a giant set of wooden shoes large enough to seat a small child. Wooden shoes are prevalent throughout Pella, just as they were worn in Holland because of the moisture that destroys leather shoes quickly.
- In't Veld's Meat Market & Opa's Deli: In addition to the famous Pella windows, tulips, pastries, and windmill, Pella is known for ring bologna, a salami-style meat that is smoked and cured and popularly sold at Pella’s meat market.
- Sunken Gardens Park: Located at 1110 Main, this park features a sunken pond in the shape of a wooden shoe. Thousands of tulips, a small windmill and walking trail make it a great place for a picnic and photos.
Kristina Light and her girls look forward to their annual trip to Pella and photos atop the Vermeer Windmill.
Tip: Read our “Day Trips Archive” for more inspiration.