Day Trips in Every Direction
One of our main goals at Kansas City Parent is to encourage families to enjoy all of the adventures and learning that our wonderful city has to offer. Be a tourist for a day in your own city, so to speak. In this issue we want to encourage you to venture outside the metro area and consider a day trip involving not more than a few hours of drive time.
After doing a little research of your own, you’ll find plenty to do at each of the following destinations. Load the car up early and drive for an hour before stopping for breakfast; this will break up the trip for the kids and give you a chance to dine at an off the beaten path location or two. Make an enlarged photocopy of the map to show the kids where you are headed and let them follow along as you make your way toward your final destination. Learning to read a road map is much more fun when you are in the car headed for a day of adventure. And the best part of all? You’ll be home in time to sleep in your own bed and there is no luggage to unpack!
Southwest
Louisburg Cider Mill Freshly pressed cider, cider slushies, home-made cider donuts, and Lewis & Clark Sarsaparilla soda. Enough said? Make this your breakfast stop on your way south for the day. LouisburgCiderMill.com.
Marais Des Cygnes Wildlife Area French for marsh of the swans you might actually spend a few hours hiking in this 7,000 acre reserve looking for the white pelicans that migrate through the area each spring. If you miss the migration, you’ll surely enjoy looking for some of the 300 species of birds that have been spotted here over the years. MaraisDesCygnes.fws.gov.
Fort Scott Located just an hour and a half south of Kansas City; Fort Scott is considered one of the best kept travel secrets in the Midwest by some of the top travel writers in the country. Many special events are held from spring to fall that will interest tourists of all ages. FortScott.com.
Northwest
Parkville This quaint riverfront community is bustling, and an afternoon spent checking out the stores on Main Street is time well spent. ParkvilleMo.com.
Leavenworth Start with the Historic Leavenworth Wayside tour but leave time for play time at Leavenworth Landing Park. Tour one of the Victorian-era mansions and take a ride on a 1913 wooden carousel at the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum. While in the Downtown area have lunch and an old-time soda at The Corner Pharmacy, built in 1905 and rated the #1 old-time soda fountain in the KC area! No visit to Leavenworth would not be complete without stopping in at Ft. Leavenworth, the oldest fort west of the Mississippi and home of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Command. (I.D. required to enter the Ft.) LVKS.org
Weston Antebellum homes can still be found in this hillside community. Lewis and Clarks expedition camped at what is now the base of Main Street. Wonderful antique stores await your arrival as do unique galleries and cafes. Weston.mo.us. Read our guide to Family Friendly Day Trip Ideas in Weston.
Atchison I’m a huge fan of this quaint little town! The shopping for home decor items just cant be beat! While the kids are enjoying a trolley tour of the city or the Amelia Earhart Museum, you can hit Mary Carol Garrity's famous trio of stores and more on Commercial Street. Plan for lunch at my favorite café--the Marigold Caf! Older kids might enjoy narrated trolley tour through "the most haunted town in Kansas," offered most weekends in the fall. Advance reservations required. 800.234.1854 AtchisonKansas.net. Read our guide to Family Friendly Day Trip Ideas in Atchison.
Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge Though the bald eagle migration takes place in November and December and the white pelicans can be spotted in April and September, we didn’t want to miss this opportunity to tell you about this tucked away treasure.
SquawCreek.org.
Northeast
Watkins Mill Found in the quaint town of Lawson, MO this state historic park and site is a learning experience in disguise. Your kids will enjoy seeing how a 19th century woolen mill and home was run. MoStateParks.com/wwmill.
Jamesport Learn a little bit more about the Amish and enjoy a day of shopping at more than a dozen Amish owned furniture, craft, antique and bake shops. Plan this trip for a Saturday since Amish owned businesses are not open on Sundays. Jamesport-mo.com.
Shatto Dairy Farm As the Missouri winner of the Small Business Owner of the year award, Leroy Shatto was able to personally deliver several bottles of his delicious chocolate milk to the White House where it was enjoyed by the President! Try all seven varieties after you learn all about how the dairy works on the tour of this Osborn, MO farm. ShattoMilkCompany.com.
West
Lawrence Whether or not you are a Jayhawk fan, you are bound to appreciate a day on Massachusetts Street. Downtown Lawrence has a unique history that every Kansas and Missouri student should understand. Plan to spend an hour or two at the KU Natural History Museum or the Spencer Museum of Art. VisitLawrence.com.
Topeka Since I became engaged at a beautiful bed and breakfast in Topeka, this town will always hold special memories for me. The rest of you will likely enjoy the zoo, the governors home at Cedar Crest, the state capitol building, the Kansas History Museum or the antique carousel in the park. TopekaCVB.org.
Village West If you haven’t been out to the newest arrival in KCK, you are missing out! With shopping galore, exciting dining destinations such as the T-Rex Cafe and Dave & Busters, along with Cabela's, the Kansas Speedway and the Great Wolf Lodge, the folks in Wyandotte County have created a regional destination! VillageWest.us.
Downtown Kansas City Maybe you live in the outskirts of the city and you’d rather make a day of it in town. You cant go wrong with what I call the Crown Center combo package. It includes the American Jazz Museum (AmericanJazzMuseum.com) and Negro League Baseball Museums located at 18th & Vine, followed by a mile or two drive to Crown Center. Park your car and plan to walk between all that the Crown Center/ Hallmark complex (CrownCenter.com) has to offer as well as Union Station and the Liberty Memorial WWI Museum. (UnionStation.org) You can take in a play at the Coterie Theater (Coterietheatre.org) or the American Heartland (ahtkc.com) depending on the ages of your travel companions. And if you’re hungry, swing by Fritz’s for a great burger delivered on a train or stop in the Crayola Cafe for a colorful, kid-friendly meal.
Great resources that also make great gifts!
Shifra Stein’s Day Trips from Kansas City, Thirteenth Edition. by Shifra Stein.
WOW! Where Families Can Find Awe & Wonder In and Around Kansas City by Toni Wood & Jilian Mincer.
The Kansas Guidebook for Exploreres by Marci Penner.
Shifra Stein’s A Kids Guide to Kansas City By Diana Lambdin Meyer & Katheryn Lutz Dusenbery.
TravelKS.com & VisitMO.com will provide you with a list of festivals and special events in any city you select.