Wordsworth said it: The world is too much with us.Day after day we go to the same jobs, drive home bumper to bumper, scramble for dinner, collapse in front of whatever we’ve just TiVoed. Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers. Sure, there are weekends—to catch up on laundry, paint the sunporch, clean out the gutters, visit Aunt Mildred in the hospital, get gussied up for that stupid cocktail party that sounded like so much fun at R.S.V.P. time.
Get away. Throw a bag in the car, forget about gas prices and drive someplace far enough away that all the chores and obligations recede—but not so far that you’ll arrive tired, stiff and cranky. Spring from the car, stretch out for 10 minutes on a feather comforter in your charming B&B and explore a new world, one with its own legends and lore, hiking paths and river bluffs, eccentric antique shops, artisans and gourmet chefs.
No matter which way you point your car, you’re heading in the right direction: away from the stale routine and toward a destination where all that matters is relaxing, opening up to a new place, pursuing its simple pleasures.
Chicago - 259 miles
Second City
We love St. Louis, but it is, as a University City native described it to me, “the biggest small town in the world.” For a pleasant jolt of big-city life, go online and book a room on Chicago’s Gold Coast or the Magnificent Mile, then set your cruise control and head up I-55. Skyscrapers, museums, pigeons, parks, subways, rude waiters, rooftop water tanks, street-corner sax players and white-knuckle taxi rides are all at the ready. Whether you wander around or arrive with a plan, there are a lifetime’s worth of weekends to enjoy in the Second City.
Chicago’s major museums are neatly clustered near Lake Michigan. The Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Field Museum (think dinosaurs and diamonds) and Shedd Aquarium share a campus on South Lake Shore Drive. You can cover all three in a day, but you’ll feel it. The Art Institute (home to the best collection of Impressionist paintings outside Paris) is situated on South Michigan Avenue near Millennium Park. The Chicago Children’s Museum is nearby on the Navy Pier, which is half a day’s activity in itself. The Museum of Science and Industry (57th Street and Lake Shore Drive) has recently unveiled a U-boat exhibit that no military or nautical buff can afford to miss. (Those who want to see the Spertus Museum’s amazing collection of Judaica will have to wait until it reopens in its new facility in the fall of 2007.)
There’s an active theater community in Chicago, as well as comedy, dance and music. For the blues, try Buddy Guy’s Legends (754 S. Wabash), or Rosa’s Lounge (3420 W. Armitage), both good bets. Cover charges vary with the acts, and you’ll get what you pay for.
For an elegant city dinner, try Chicago’s only four-star Italian restaurant, Spiaggia (980 N. Michigan). Want authentic local cuisine? Try Max’s (5754 N. Western) for Italian beef, the signature dish I’d walk to Chicago to order; Wiener’s Circle (2622 N. Clark) for the authentic and perfect Chicago hot dog; Ed Debevic’s (640 N. Wells) for insults (an integral part of the city experience) and comfort food; Giordano’s (730 N. Rush) for stuffed pizza; and the Chicago Chop House (60 W. Ontario) for steaks, and yes, chops. Diners who remember Saturday Night Live’s “cheezborger” skit can make the pilgrimage to its spiritual origin, the Billy Goat Tavern (430 N. Michigan)—and they shouldn’t bother ordering a Coke or fries.
—Chuck Wilcoxen
877-244-2246, www.877chicago.com
Hannibal, Mo. - 115 miles
Delirium Clemens
Downtown Hannibal should shimmer like a waking dream to lovers of literature. As a youth, after all, he scampered down its streets: Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. Although Clemens was born to the southwest in Florida, Mo., Hannibal was his home between the ages of 4 and 17, and it has embraced the lad who became the legend—and it lies just 110 miles northwest of St. Louis on U.S. Highway 61.
Of the seven Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum properties (415 N. Main, 573-221-9010, www.marktwainmuseum.org), the boyhood home prompts the most wonder; in the two-story clapboard house, one can easily imagine Aunt Polly calling, “Tom!” The museum gallery, meanwhile, features a mock steamboat wheelhouse, Twainian studies and other paintings done by Norman Rockwell in the 1930s.
Overlooking downtown from the north is a bronze statue of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, beyond which looms Cardiff Hill. Its 200-plus steps ascend to the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse, built to commemorate the 1935 centennial of Clemens’ birth.
Around the corner from the Clemens home sits the Mark Twain Dinette & Family Restaurant (400 N. Third, 573-221-5511). The place is famous for its homemade root beer, and rightly so. After the ascent of Cardiff, the frothy, restorative stuff tastes like nectar from Mount Olympus. Ready for a nap? The Hotel Clemens (401 N. Third, 573-248-1150) sits near enough to the boyhood home that even a frog filled with quail shot could move between the two with ease.
In the posthumous Chapters From My Autobiography, Clemens called his older brother “a dreamer from birth,” adding that “this characteristic got him into trouble now and then.” The same held true, of course, for Clemens himself—and that grand and glorious dreaming began here.
—Bryan A. Hollerbach
866-263-4825, www.visithannibal.com
Springfield, Ill. - 96 miles
Lincoln Log
By now you know about the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. (112 N. Sixth, 217-558-8844) Despite complaints from academics that it’s too entertaining, it’s actually a lot like Abe: appealing to almost every American. I, a college professor, learned a lot about the man and his era, and my young kids had a blast—especially at “Civil War: The Ride,” complete with vibrating seats.
Other Lincoln sites include his home, his law office, the Old State Capitol where he gave his “House Divided” speech, and his tomb. Admission to each is free, and the tours are top-notch. (If you visit the tomb, stop by the souvenir shop near the cemetery entrance, itself a piece of history—lots of timber, Adirondack chairs, that sort of thing.)
But there’s more than Lincoln to Springfield. First, I-55 has a few attractions of its own. In Troy, Ill., Kelly’s Butcher Shop and Deli (804 S. Main, 618-667-6268) has been a landmark since 1948; this is where you stock up on edibles for the drive. In Staunton, wander through rows of antique vehicles at Country Classic Cars (2149 E. Frontage, 618-635-7056), a museum that doubles as a sales lot. In Mount Olive, pause at the Mother Jones monument: Like Lincoln, Mary “Mother” Jones was an emancipator, fighting for labor rights and children’s causes in the early 20th century.
Let’s say you’re nearly to Springfield and you realize that you don’t care much about Lincoln or American history. Stop at the Lake Springfield Marina (exit 88) and rent a pontoon boat. The water couldn’t be more peaceful, even on a windy day, and there are 57 miles of shoreline to explore. Sunbaked, drive north into town and begin to walk Springfield’s urban grid, a shopper’s delight and an eater’s paradise. Recommended: a hip little luncheonette called Café Marina (524 E. Monroe, 217-544-0574).
Springfield’s also home to one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous works, the Dana-Thomas House (310 E. Lawrence, 217-782-6776), an excellent example of his prairie style. It’s only open Wednesday through Sunday, so plan accordingly. There’s also the Illinois State Museum (217-782-7386) and, in August, the Illinois State Fair—enough for a busy three-day visit. The professor in me, however, hopes you’ll take time to stop by Elf Shelf Books (413 E. Adams, 217-527-1990) and pick up a book of Vachel Lindsay’s poetry. Peruse it at Café Brio, then walk down to the Vachel Lindsay Home (603 S. Fifth), one of the oldest and most beautiful houses in Springfield. It was Lindsay who wrote, “A bronzed, lank man! His suit of ancient black, / A famous high top-hat and plain worn shawl / Make him the quaint great figure that men love, / The prairie-lawyer, master of us all.” You are in Springfield.
—Aaron Belz
www.visit-springfieldillinois.com
Brown County, Ind. - 245 miles
Paint the Town
Nicknamed the “Little Smokies,” with autumn leaves that can match New England’s, Brown County draws cyclists, photographers, golfers, birders, foodies with a yen for heartland cuisine, couples madly in love and, above all, artists. T.C. Steele was already a renowned Impressionist painter when he built the House of the Singing Winds (4220 T.C. Steele Road, 812-988-2785) high on a hill in Brown County. An artists’ colony soon formed, and painters newly seduced by nature joined farm families who’d been married to the land for generations. Painter Adolph Robert Schulz arrived in 1907 and would later write, “Never before had I been so thrilled by a region; it seemed like a fairyland with its narrow winding roads leading the traveler down into the creek beds, through the water pools and up over the hills.”
Brown County still has its back roads and clear streams, rural common sense and romantic artists’ colony. You’ll sift through a lot of starving-artist work, but you’ll find truly fine art, and craft, in the mix. Galleries show everything from plein-air watercolors to leatherwork and antique gun replicas to stained glass, mosaics and holograms. Don’t miss Peter Grant’s handcrafted furniture, on Main Street in the town of Nashville—and don’t miss the sock factory for bare feet (2082 St. Hwy 45, 812-988-6674), either. Grab a pair of old-fashioned suspenders at Brown County’s Old Country Store in the historic Nashville House Inn and restaurant (Main and VanBuren, 812-988-4554). Go for breakfast and indulge in Brown County’s specialty, fried biscuits with apple butter. In golden Indian summer, try per-simmon pudding or ice cream made with rock salt and ice at Millers’ Ice Cream House (61 W. Main, 812-988-0815).
Drive the winding country roads past fields of blue and yellow wildflowers to the whimsically named Gnaw Bone (the Gnaw Bone Tenderloin was featured in Gourmet) or through the Bean Blossom covered bridge (you’ve seen it on calendars). Raise your binoculars to hawks in Brown County State Park, the largest state park in Indiana, and dine at its Abe Martin Lodge—rough-hewn timber, polished cuisine. Or try a wonderful hotel and restaurant called the Artists’ Colony (105 S. Van Buren, 812-988-0600), or the Story Inn, on the north side of the Hoosier National Forest in a 19th-century village (6404 S. State Road, 800-881-1183). Need respite? At the Brown County Redwood Cabin, (2705 Grandma Barnes Road, 812-988-4247) 50 acres of quiet lets you hear yourself think, and a pontoon boat’s waiting to take you across the five-acre lake so you can set up your easel.
—Jeannette Batz Cooperman
www.browncounty.com, www.frenchlick.com
Nashville, Tenn. - 307 miles
Grand Ole Getaway
Memphis may have Graceland, the Peabody Hotel ducks and that cute mini–Busch Stadium, but Nashville has a sassiness that makes its Tennessee sister city look, um, like nothing but a hound dog.
Named after Revolutionary War hero Gen. Francis Nash, the city was officially founded on Christmas Eve 1779. If it’s good enough for Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, Al Gore, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Vince Gill, Bill Frist and a university with the moniker of Vanderbilt, it’s Nashadelicious to a population around 550,000. It’s also an easy drive from St. Louis; you can get there in just over four hours, heading across the river and down I-57 to I-24.
Once in the vicinity, you can take in the gracious Belle Meade Plantation (5025 Harding, 800-270-3991, www.bellemeadeplantation.com) or Andrew Jackson’s former digs, the Hermitage (4580 Rachel’s Lane, 615-889-2941, www.thehermitage.com) and visit the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere (3777 Nolensville, 615-833-1534, www.nashvillezoo.org). Tour the Grand Ole Opry (2802 Opryland, 615-889-3060, www.grandoleopry.com), then swing by the Country Music Hall of Fame (222 Fifth, 615-416-2001, www.countrymusichalloffame.com) and gawk at Elvis’ gold Cadillac and piano.
Or, try living the life of a native. Start the day with a pile of pancakes from the Pancake Pantry (1796 21st, 615-383-9333, www.pancakepantry.com). Later, head for the family-owned Rotiers (2413 Elliston, 615-327-9892, www.rotiers.com) and order up a cheeseburger on French bread, visit Fat Mo’s Burgers (three locations) or drive over to the Calypso Café (2424 Elliston, 615-321-3878) for black-bean nachos.
Want a jaw-dropping tour of the city? Climb aboard a Pepto-Bismol–pink bus with an interior featuring confetti fringe and a shrine to the King and take the Nash Trash Tour (900 Eighth Avenue N., 800-342-2132, 615-226-7300, www.nashtrash.com), run by the Jugg sisters, Sheri Lynn and Brenda Kay. The ladies sing and dish the dirt on Music Row and its celebs. Among other memorable stops, there’s the drive by the county jail and the recitation of all its famous (temporary) residents (Willie Nelson, George Jones, Hank Williams Jr., Kris Kristofferson, et al).
For some of “Music City’s” music, consider stopping in at the World Famous Station Inn (402 12th, 615-255-3307, www.stationinn.com), Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge (422 Broadway, 615-726-0463, www.tootsies.net) and radio café (1313 Woodland, 615-262-1766).
And for that memento to bring home? The Goo Goo Cluster is a chocolate, caramel, marshmallow and peanut confection born (and beloved) in Nashville.
—Christy Marshall
Paducah, Ky. - 175 miles
Paducah’s Portfolio
Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers, Paducah is a regular stop for major riverboats like the Mississippi Queen and Delta Queen. But the city named after Chickasaw chief Paduke is considerably more than a dock and a stop.
In 2001, Paducah launched an artist-relocation program that has become a nationwide model. Mark Barone, a local painter, had tromped to City Hall to gripe about his neighborhood drug dealers. Out of his complaint came a plan to entice artists across the country to move to the then-derelict Lower Town and downtown areas, buy houses (in many cases for a buck) and rehab them. Incentives included the Bank of Paducah’s lower-than-market interest rates, discounts on closing costs, health-insurance packages and free websites. Since the program’s launch, the artists who moved to Paducah have reportedly invested more than $21 million in the area, a return of more than 14 to 1 on the city’s original investment.
Spurred on by the success of the relocation program, “the Soho of the South” has recently completed construction on the $44 million Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center, a multi-use building that hosts performing arts. Paducah, a town of 26,000, even has its own Symphony Orchestra (2101 Broadway, 270-444-0065, www.paducahsymphony.org). Art’s everywhere, in a succession of galleries and shops and even on the city’s floodwalls.
The art travels beyond canvas and stone to the needle: Paducah, also known as Quilt City, USA, is home to the world-famous Museum of the American Quilter’s Society (215 Jefferson, 270-442-8856, www.quiltmuseum.org). If you harbor a fascination with patterns and small pieces of fabric, visit during Quilt Show Week (April 25–28).
And when your stomach rumbles? Locals recommend barbecue at Starnes Bar-BQ (1008 Joe Clifton, 270-444-9555); Italian at Cynthia’s Ristorante (125 Market House Square, 270-443-3319, www.cynthiasristorante.com); steak (and the chance to dine in the presence of a ghost, specifically Stella Cohen) at C.C. Cohen Restaurant & Bar (103 Broadway, 270-442-6391); coffee, culture and music at Café Minou (329 N. Fifth, 270-443-0331, www.cafeminou.com); and oysters at the Moss Ross Café (119 Market House Square, 274-575-4828).
Other Paducah hot spots: Maiden Alley Cinema (112 Maiden Alley, 270-441-7007, www.maidenalleycinema.com), the River Heritage Museum (117 S. Water, 270-575-9958, www.riverheritagemuseum.org) and Whitehaven (Highway 45, I-24 exit 7, 270-554-2077), the country’s fanciest travel center and rest stop.
—C.M.
Eureka Springs, Ark. - 332 miles
Victorian Secrets
Eureka Springs sprang from the earth near a legendary healing cold spring and peaked at 10,000 inhabitants in 1879. Entranced by the curative waters, the Victorians plunked down big bucks and built beautiful edifices. When the railroad linked the place to the rest of the world, in 1882, tourist amenities soon followed. Today visitors come for spa treatments, art galleries, affordability, alpine appeal, history both sensible and sensational—and funnel cakes.
Eureka Springs is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and also has a whopping six Ripley’s Believe It or Not! listings, including the town itself! Home to artists and intellectuals, the town occasionally plays genteel host to motorcyclists and UFO-conference attendees, but blues, jazz and folk music and live poetry are steadier offerings. Sleep over in anything from Victoriana “town” lodg-ings to no-clutter bed & breakfasts. Weekend favorites include the Crescent Hotel & Spa (75 Prospect, 877-342-9766), with its rooftop lounge; the Arsenic & Old Lace B&B (60 Hillside Avenue, 866-350-5454); the 1884 Bridgeford House (236 Spring, 479-253-7853), with its famous cinnamon scones; and the Bavarian Inn Lodge and Restaurant (325 W. Van Buren, 479-253-8128), where the trolley stop at the front door is as charming as the inn’s cuisine. Try the Mud Street Cafe (22 G S. Main, 479-253-6732) for a coffee fix—it’s located in “underground Eureka,” which refers to the lower level of the actual street.
Eureka Springs is a family place, but there are no roller coasters for miles and no outlet stores or familiar franchises, either. Must-see attractions include the War Eagle Mill (11045 War Eagle Road, 479-789-5343), grinding organic grain grown outside town; the Eureka Springs Historical Museum (95 S. Main, 479-253-9417); performances by the Eureka Theatre Company at the historically restored “Aud” (479-363-0363 for tickets); and, in the spring, the May Festival of the Arts.
—Diana Losciale
Kansas City, Mo. - 249 miles
Everything’s Up to Date
St. Louis is the gateway, and by the time you reach Kansas City you’re definitely in the West. It’s a city of stockyards and printer’s ink, the city where Ernest Hemingway got his start as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star and native son Calvin Trillin wrote in Playboy “It has long been acknowledged that the single best restaurant in the world is Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque at 18th and Brooklyn.” Trillin made his pronouncement almost three decades ago, and even though it’s still true, we’d rather cross over to Kansas for Oklahoma Joe’s, a filling station with barbecue so fine it’s won eight championships (3002 W. 47th, 913-722-3366, www.oklahomajoesbbq.com).
The Kansas City Royals and Chiefs fans roar from back-to-back stadiums, and there’s raw emotion in Kansas City’s blues and jazz. Watch history play itself out at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (1616 E. 18th, 816-221-1920); taste nervous energy at the Roasterie, a coffeehouse that started in its owner’s basement and is now roasting beans that win raves from Coffee Review magazine. (The new café is at 6223 Brookside, 816-333-9700, www.theroasterie.com.) Note: On Sunday mornings, churchgoers don’t bother with brunch; they all head to Winstead’s (multiple locations, www.winsteadskc.com) for hamburgers with special sauce.
But just when you think Kansas City’s a macho little town, you remember the fountains—fountains everywhere, enough to rival Rome. They’re all over Country Club Plaza (five miles south of downtown), the oldest mall in the country. Still elegant, it’s been invaded by chains, but you can still find local boutiques and original restaurants—try the Classic Cup Café, with outdoor dining while the night air’s still soft (301 W. 47th, 816-753-1840, www.classiccup.com). At Thanksgiving, you can watch the fairytale lighting of the Plaza. Stay two blocks away at the Southmoreland on the Plaza B&B (116 E. 46th, 816-531-7979, www.southmoreland.com), where every movie in its library has a happy ending. Walk to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (4525 Oak, 816-751-1278, www.nelson-atkins.org), famous for its Asian collection. Gawk at the mansions along Ward Parkway, then visit the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (4420 Warwick, 816-753-5784, www.kemperart.org), the Science City Museum in Union Station (30 W. Pershing, 816-460-2020, www.sciencecity.com), and the City Market, downtown in the hip River Market neighborhood (20 E. Fifth, 816-842-1271, kc-citymarket.com). Downtown’s dead after 5 p.m., so if you feel like a lively evening, sup at Rudy’s Tenampa Taqueria (1611 Westport, 816-931-9700), then hit the shops and bars in the Westport district. Or go listen to some ever-lovin’ blues.
—J.B.C.
Rocheport, Mo. - 122 miles
Calling Rocheport’s Bluff
Rocheport, population 200, remains an undiscovered Missouri hideaway, although the bikers, hikers, canoeists and romancers who know her well—well, they just keep coming back for more. And why not? Nothing else in these parts compares to a hike or bike ride down the beautiful stretch of Katy Trail winding south out of Rocheport. Nothing compares to a moonlit night along the Missouri River, viewed from the porch of one of the town’s quaint B&Bs. And, unless you’re willing to head west about a thousand miles to the Continental Divide, nothing will excite a shutterbug or videographer more than Rocheport’s rugged bluffs, which offer breathtaking, ever-changing views with the turn of the seasons.
Adventurers Lewis and Clark came upon the bluffs of Rocheport while paddling up the Missouri River, later writing that the huge rocks along the river were “very remarkable” but that they were unable to inspect the area closely because of numerous “ferocious rattlesnakes” crawling among the rocks. The serpents didn’t discourage settlement, though, and Whig Party politicians chose Rocheport for their state convention in 1840 (there nominating the ill-fated William Henry Harrison for president).
You don’t have to be a hiker, biker or history buff to enjoy the Rocheport area—you may just have a fondness for vino. On the short trip from I-70 (exit 115) down to Rocheport, detour to Les Bourgeois Winery and Vineyards’ blufftop winery and restaurant (12800 Hwy. BB, 573-698-2300), where you can deck-sit at the A-frame with a chilled bottle of Riverboat Red and whatever other companionship is available. You can dine at the Blufftop Bistro (which is at Les Bourgeois Winery) where the view of the Missouri River valley is phenomenal and the food is equally spectacular.
After that bottle of Riverboat Red, check out the old station, rail tunnel, the trail and the river. The next day, go antiquing and visit the newest local hangout, Rocheport General Store (202 Central, 573-356-7566), reborn in an old storefront and selling the finer things, from fresh-roasted coffee and boutique pasta to locally-made ice cream.
Where to stay? The Amber House B&B (705 Third, 573-698-2028) is a Queen Anne Victorian-style inn with a wraparound porch, a formal dining room and a professional chef. The School House Bed & Breakfast Inn (Third and Clark, 573-698-2022), featured in Hallmark Christmas cards, once housed grades 1 through 12 for the village. The Yates House B&B (Second and Columbia, 573-698-2129) is a replica of an 1850s Western inn, with a private bath for each of the six guest rooms.
—Don Corrigan
Arrow Rock, Mo. - 108 miles
Straight as the Arrow
The entire town of Arrow Rock, Mo., was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964, and it is one of a dozen distinctive destinations named this year by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Only 79 people live in Arrow Rock, which sits on a bluff above the Missouri River at the crossroads of the Santa Fe Trail. Visit Missouri artist George Caleb Bingham’s House (First and High, 660-837-3330) and dine at the Huston Tavern (660-837-3200), which dates back to 1834 and is the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi. This month, catch Dracula at the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre (660-837-3311), then stroll the canopied wooden sidewalks and past cottages from the mid-1800s.
Early in its history, Arrow Rock was 50 percent African-American, and ar-chaeologists have recently excavated homes, a church, a school, a lodge hall and two slave cabins, as well as a pre–Civil War industrial-pottery site and a site believed to be Sibley’s Fort, used in the War of 1812.
Columbia, Mo. - 126 miles
Terra Mizzou
When you reach Columbia, you’re halfway between St. Louis and Kansas City—and halfway between college and the real world. Hang out at the Cherry Street Artisan (Ninth and Cherry, 573-817-3274, www.cherrystreetartisan.com), a basement café and gallery with arguments about Rembrandt and performances of everything from Spanish guitar to bluegrass. Bike the MKT Trail, running 8.9 miles between the Katy Trail and downtown Columbia’s historic Katy Depot, then sip a handcrafted Katy Trail Pale Ale at the Flat Branch brewpub (115 S. Fifth, 573-499-0400, www.flatbranch.com) or try Flat Branch’s latest experiment, the HuHot Mongolian Grill (3802 Buttonwood, 573-874-2000, www.huhot.com). Listen to jazz or watch theater at the university. Dine at Grand Cru (2600 S. Providence, 573-443-2600, www.grand-cru.biz) and puff on a cigar in a private smoking room afterward. Then give in to the mass hysteria and attend a Tiger football game (800-228-7297, www.mutigers.com).
By Aaron Belz, Jeannette Batz Cooperman, Don Corrigan, Bryan A. Hollerbach, Diana Losciale, Christy Marshall and Chuck Wilcoxen
