Each year hundreds of restaurants start and fail. It takes dedication and consistency to build a sustainable dining business. While some of the newcomers have unique menu offerings, we believe that tried and true eateries have developed a taste that appeals to a wide range of diners. Springfield, Illinois is home to a variety of […]
Maldaner’s Restaurant – Lunch At A Local Landmark Read More »
When planning a visit to a new destination, we try to pack our schedule really full. This allows us to write tons of articles on each city, so that you will have more options when planning your own vacation. Even with a full slate of stops planned, we seem to still squeeze in one more
Visiting Springfield, Illinois would not be complete without paying respect at Lincoln’s Tomb. Having a chance to see the final resting place of our 16th president, was high on our list of must do activities. Since our visit to Springfield was focused on the downtown region of this Midwestern city, we decided to make this
Springfield, Illinois is a Midwestern city filled with historic houses. Being the hometown of the Abraham Lincoln family puts it squarely on the map of vacationers and history buffs alike. While some of the homes are available for tours, others can only be viewed from the outside. We found one that crossed the tourism-only line
When you hear the name Oklahoma, many people immediately think of the namesake musical. While farming and ranching still exists in much of the state, Oklahoma City has grown into a thriving metropolis. Our three day visit was chocked full of fun attractions, delicious dining, and unique shopping districts. This overview article highlights some of
Every city and town we visit has a variety of stories to tell. These range from entertaining to amusing and at times horrific. We had no idea what to expect when we visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. Most everyone is aware of the bombing that took place on April 19, 1995, and
Survivor’s Spirit – Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Read More »
When we visit a new destination, we try to mix plenty of cuisine choices in our meal plans. One choice we almost always slip in is a burger joint. Tucker’s Onion Burgers had such an interesting backstory that it just had to be included. Our friendly followers in Oklahoma confirmed that an onion burger was
Old dogs may not be able to learn new tricks, but humans are never too old to have new experiences. This was certainly the case when we visited Riversport Adventures OKC for an afternoon of fun and thrills. With three locations, one of our biggest choices was which site to visit. Since the majority of
Facing The Challenges At Riversport Adventures OKC Read More »
Like many metropolitan areas, Oklahoma City is a collection of neighborhoods and business districts. Each one has its own distinct flavor and atmosphere. Automobile Alley is an area that once held many of the city’s car dealerships and still has recognizable features from that era. Today it is going through a transition that is breathing
Iguana Mexican Grill – Getting Our Happy Hour On Read More »
Our visit to the Oklahoma City Zoo was a chance to experience an amazing opportunity for us. We have found that many zoos around the country are embracing the idea of helping their visitors have a more enriching experience. Zoos have guest speakers lecture about the environments that certain animals inhabit. Overnight camp outs can
We love museums of all types, so when we are planning our trips we keep an eye out for unique stops. Oklahoma City is home to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. This attraction is filled with stories and artifacts about Western history. When I first reached out to the museum regarding our visit,
Explore The Wild West: National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum Read More »
Have you ever been researching dining locations and came across a place that is a “must visit”? When we were planning our Oklahoma City trip we stumbled upon Hatch Early Mood Food and knew it would be a breakfast stop. With our close proximity to Automobile Alley, this place was well within walking distance. When
One of our favorite types of places to visit are ones like Science Museum Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. These large scale attractions are a great place to spend large amounts of time and be able to entertain all ages. While they are designed to engage the younger crowd, most have taken steps to make sure
Sometimes some of the best things are right under your nose. In Oklahoma City, our stay at the Ambassador Hotel put us right next door to Waffle Champion. This breakfast and brunch eatery specializes in serving up an eclectic menu with an interesting spin on an old classic, the Waffle! This place ranked high with
It never ceases to amaze us how each downtown has its own unique flavor. In Oklahoma City, we discovered their urban environment is experiencing a continued resurgence. An assortment of neighborhoods are included in this revitalization and we tried our best to touch as many as possible. Our stop in Bricktown gave us an opportunity
There are lots of highways that criss-cross the Central U.S. One of our favorites is the old “Route 66”, which is also referred to as the “Mother Road”. This old school road has regained much of its popularity, as people from all over the world choose to travel on it. Running from Illinois to California,
One of the things we most enjoy about traveling is the people that we meet. By interacting with the residents, we get a better understanding of what drives them through their lives. Our extended stay in St. Louis, Missouri gave us an excellent chance to mingle with some of the locals, as well as observe
11 Things That Make St. Louis The True Gateway City Read More »
For five years we ran a local restaurant blog, before moving into the travel arena. Through that time, we came to realize that every dining establishment has its redeeming values. Some may have more flavorful dishes, but they all have at least one that they excel with. The key to successful dining when traveling is
As we have said on numerous occasions, we are zoo people. We rarely pass up an opportunity to visit a new location, and enjoy returning to ones we have already seen. The ever changing exhibits usually offer a new view on something or at least a different perspective. When we planned our St. Louis trip,
Being visitors from outside of St. Louis, we found the Forest Park area to be an amazing place to spend time. The lush landscape and numerous attractions beckon visitors to explore. The four crown jewels of the park include their zoo, art museum, science center, and the Missouri History Museum, which is the focus of
Being from Kansas City, we always attempt to test out the local barbecue at least once. Now we are far from being BBQ experts, but we do know what we like. Since we were staying on the Delmar Loop, a visit to Salt + Smoke seemed to be the perfect spot to do some research.
Kansas City Diners Test St. Louis BBQ At Salt and Smoke Read More »
With all of the cities that we visit, we will obviously need lodging. Most of these are nice chain locations that we try to mention during our overview articles. Once in a while we will happen upon a location that stands out as a special stay. This was the case in St. Louis, when we
No matter how well we research, it always seems that we find at least one nugget that we had not foreseen. In St. Louis, Missouri that hidden gem was Blueprint Coffee. During a morning stroll down the DelMar Loop, we stumbled upon this diminutive coffee house. We popped in to get a fresh cup of
Like many people, we are learning that there are lots of things to do in some of the medium sized cities. Our visit to Joplin, Missouri lasted just over 24 hours, but could have easily been extended to a full weekend. (We packed a lot into our timeline.) Joplin is a name that many have
St. Louis offers so many great educational opportunities for visitors of all ages. Our visit to the St. Louis Science Center sparked our imaginations and opened our minds to new ideas and possibilities. Located in the Forest Park neighborhood, this center is designed to engage all ages in a series of fun, interactive displays and offers
How The St. Louis Science Center Brings Science To The Masses Read More »
During the planning portion of our St. Louis trip, it was decided that we would make the Moonrise Hotel, on the DelMar Loop, our home base. With this in mind, we went to work looking for unique dining destinations within walking distance. When we happened upon the Peacock Loop Diner, it was obvious that a
During the planning stage of our St. Louis trip, we had assembled our preliminary itinerary. A phone conversation with Anthony Paraino from Explore St. Louis shed light on a couple of great attractions we had overlooked. The St. Louis Art Museum was preparing for the launch of a new traveling exhibit. Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds
We Spotted Sunken Treasures At St. Louis Art Museum Read More »
A friend from work was the first to mention that we should visit Fitz’s Restaurant on the Delmar Loop. We don’t drink a lot of sodas, but the chance to taste some at the source was something we couldn’t pass up. Our lodging was set up at Moonrise Hotel, which is just down the street.
Our request for suggestions of places to visit in St. Louis was met with an amazing number of responses. One location that we kept seeing mentioned was City Museum. We took a look at their website, and were intrigued by what appeared to be the world’s largest jungle gym. Now we may not be as
Like many of you, we associated the name George Washington Carver with peanuts, but couldn’t really tell you why. The knowledge that he was a botanist seemed familiar, but that was about the extent of what we remembered from school. A visit to the George Washington Carver National Monument would forever change this. The site
St. Louis, Missouri has tons of places to explore, but all of that action means working up an appetite. After our visit to the Civil War Museum and Jefferson Barracks Cemetery, we needed to find a nearby restaurant. (You can read about the museum here.) Just a couple blocks away we discovered Cafe Telegraph, a locally
When the name of Joplin, Missouri is mentioned, many will think immediately of the 2011 EF5 tornado that devastated portions of the city. Joplin is so much more than that. It has a rich history reaching back before the Civil War. We stopped in the Joplin Museum Complex to learn more about this southwestern Missouri
When planning our visit to St, Louis, we wanted to make sure we included some stops that would help us better understand the history of the area. Jefferson Barracks happens to be the oldest operating U.S. military installation west of the Mississippi River. On these grounds, the Missouri Civil War Museum has operated since 2013.
Missouri Civil War Museum – Remembering The Fallen Read More »
During our visit to Joplin, Missouri we took some time to visit the downtown area. This section of the city falls on the path of Route 66, so it draws a wide variety of travelers every year. After taking in some of the sights, we had worked up a big lunchtime appetite, so we made
Our visit to Baxter Springs, Kansas occurred during the Route 66 Instameet sponsored by Travel Kansas. This was the last stop of the day, so we decided to wander off to explore away from the beaten path. Just a couple blocks from our meeting point, we found the Baxter Springs Historical Museum. We have visited
Let’s just face the facts. We like chocolate! There, it has been said, and there is no taking it back. This may be the reason why so many of our trips include a visit to a chocolate shop. We like to think it is just a service we provide for our readers who are looking
Our Travel Kansas Route 66 Instameet began in Galena, and would end in Baxter Springs. Of course, the space in between was not filled with empty miles. Even though the Mother Road only passes for 13 miles in the state of Kansas, it is filled with some unique sights. With Galena under our belt, it
When we received our invitation to join Travel Kansas for a Route 66 Instameet, it was an offer we couldn’t pass up. Our first Instameet was last year, when we toured various places in Kansas City, Kansas. (Read more about that event here>) This time we were visiting two towns in Southeast Kansas. We wanted
People who journey along the old “Mother Road”, known as Route 66, will periodically encounter some interesting sights. These bites of Americana hearken back to the golden age of automobile travel, and inspire feelings of nostalgia in many travelers. Galena, Kansas sits at the eastern edge of the Kansas portion of the route, which is
Joplin, Missouri has an interesting Route 66 history. The city actually has multiple paths, since the route was realigned a couple of times. While we were making our itinerary for a visit to Joplin, we worked with Carrie Puffinbarger at Visit Joplin. She pointed us toward testing the eats at The Bruncheonette, a local hotspot that rests
Tulsa, Oklahoma is a city of many stories. From the forced move of the five civilized tribes to the oil booms of the early 1900’s, many events helped shape the past of this Midwestern city. What began as a frontier town, blossomed into a boomtown complete with art deco skyscrapers. Our itinerary was designed to
When we are in the planning phase of a trip, I like to leave a little room in the schedule for unexpected destinations. It never fails that many of the locals will point out some of their top spots, and when one gets mentioned multiple times, we try to squeeze in a visit. In Tulsa,
We always make an itinerary for our research trips, since it helps keep us on track. While many of the attractions are the base for our visit, we try to be a little more fluid with our restaurant plans. While I will certainly select a few “must try” locations, some of the others are open
Tacos Don Francisco – Hole In The Wall Dining In Tulsa Read More »
We are baby boomers, and when we launched this blog, we expected that people our own age would be the only ones to read it. We couldn’t have been more off base. The analytics show that our largest age group of readers are actually in the 25 to 35 age span. We hope this is
Tulsa Children’s Museum Offers Entertaining Education Read More »
Have you ever eaten at a restaurant that sources it’s ingredients locally? Did you notice how much more flavor the dishes have? We had that opportunity during a visit to Dilly Diner, in Tulsa, as we checked out their breakfast menu. We were happy to find out the restaurant was within walking distance of our hotel. A scenic
Did you know that Tulsa, Oklahoma is home to the largest collection of art and artifacts of the American West? The Gilcrease Museum holds this vast array of objects, as well as a significant amount of Native American material. Located on the northwest corner of the city, it fit in perfectly after a morning visit
The Largest Collection Of American West Art – Gilcrease Museum Read More »
For those that follow our travels, and especially the eateries we frequent, it is probably obvious we are huge pizza fans. When visiting a new city, we always try to scope out a possible candidate for a meal. In Tulsa, we found Bohemian Pizzeria, in the East Village area near downtown. During research prior to our
Visiting an aquarium in the middle of the United States may seem odd to some, but we were looking forward to this unique experience. The Oklahoma Aquarium is a great place for a family destination, and offers a nice selection of activities, along with some beautiful exhibits. We dropped by on a Saturday morning, and while we
Oklahoma Aquarium Brings Sea Life To The Southwest Read More »
Whenever we travel we like to enjoy a few guilty pleasures. Eating dessert is not an everyday experience for us, so when the opportunity arises, we like to go bold. Antoinette Baking Company offered us a chance to do just that. This place was not on our radar, as I had not seen anything about
When visiting a new city, there are always a few iconic stops that just have to be experienced. In Tulsa, one of them is Tally’s Good Food Cafe on the old Route 66. The restaurant opened on Friday the 13th in November of 1987. Open 7 days a week, Tally’s serves breakfast (all day), lunch, and