Road Trip

[kristyo15]

My family and I are taking a summer road trip. We are taking 3 days to get from Houston/Cypress to Springfield, IL. The planned route is to Dallas the first day {family visit}, next morning to Joplin, Missouri, and then finish the trip to Springfield on the third day. If you know of any 'must-see' locations between here and there, we'd love to have some advice. Thanks!

[lscottpht]

Oh, I made that trip but from Dallas several years ago. Unfortunately, I had to get to Springfield quickly, so we didn't stop along the way (I remember how beautiful parts of it was). I had to do a shoot on Springfield for American Photo mag. You might look up that issue, if you can. It's an issue dedicated to Illinois. I was based in Springfield for the shoot. There was quite a bit to shoot around there. I also went to an Amish area close by and got to eat at an Amish family's home. It was awesome!

[kristyo15]

Thanks! My mom's side of the family is from Pleasant Plains {just outside of Springfield}, I will definitely have to look up that issue. I've always wanted to visit an Amish area, we'll have to look for that!

[MikkiStreak]

There's a ton of tiny, tiny towns and fruit stands and/or quasi-antique stands along the side of 75/69. Lake Eufala region is the best part of that drive. If you can plan to hit that area during the day so you can see the hills and lake, that's where the best landscapes are. Theres a new casino right before Joplin, which would be a good spot to spend the night.

I might be a bit "immune" to the drive since I take that path several times a year to go visit family, but of that stretch from DFW to Joplin, there's only about 1-2 hours that is interesting. It's full of tiny, tiny towns (lots of 75mph to 50mph zones about 30 minutes apart from each other) and roadside fruit stands. Tons of speed traps on that stretch of OK too... it's one of the few areas I travel thru that I religiously drive the speed limit instead of my normal speed.

If you're going up 35 and the across 44 to hit Joplin, it's even less interesting in between the big-city (OKC, Tulsa) stops. But this would be the path with more places to stop and check out in OKC, Tulsa, then Joplin.

Have you ever taken a path up thru Arkansas and the Ozarks in MO and then cut across to STL and Springfield? Much better scenery, and the visual eye-candy lasts much longer than cutting up thru DFW to Joplin and across to Springfield....

[kristyo15]

Thanks so much for the information! The reason we were going thru Dallas was to eliminate one night of a hotel stay. Last summer we went from Diamondhead, MS {wedding} to Springfield...but we drove thru the night and missed all of the good scenery. We could tell we were in the hills, but not much more! :)

[sldi]

I just came down from Rockford, IL thru Joplin and then down to Durant this week. In Springfield, MO there is the big Bass Pro store, I think it might have been the original one to start these Mega sporting goods stores. Other wise I can't think of much you are going to squeeze in, other than a trip to the Arch in St Louis, just be warned it still high water there and most of the riverfront is still under water.