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U.s. 60 In Missouri


roadmaven
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I thought since it's been over two years since there was a post in the US 60 forum, I'd solve that by taking a trip on it. B) Actually, we're heading out to do a little 66ing in Oklahoma this coming weekend and thought we'd mix it up a little on our outbound trip by dipping south and picking up US 60 in Kentucky and taking it on out to Oklahoma's Route 66.

 

So, besides the convergence of the Ohio & Mississippi Rivers in Cairo, IL and Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston, MO, what else does US 60 have to offer between Henderson, KY and Afton, OK??

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Lots to do in Springfield, MO - check out this site:

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=springfield+misso...gfieldmo.org%2F

 

When you get to that, click on "Things to do", then on "Springfield Attractions" - you get wound up in Springfield, you won't make Oklahoma. :D

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

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Lots to do in Springfield, MO

 

What's funny about this trip is that we've been through Springfield more times than I could remember....but on 66. This'll be the first time going through Springfield on a different route, so it'll be interesting to see the city from that standpoint. And based on our schedule Friday, we very well may end up staying there, which we've done umpteen times...at the Rest Haven Court Motel on 66. I don't know if my mind could handle staying in Springfield on a different highway and at a different motel. Might be encountering some weird dimensions come Friday!

 

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I know that there are a couple of Kip approved BBQ joints in Dexter, MO, and one of those is also Denny approved but I can't remember the name of either. Just before the bridges at Cairo, the mounds at Wickliffe are worth a look and well before that you might want to look over the town of Marion, KY. When I was through there in 2004, it had a century old drug store/soda fountain and the only tourotel I've ever seen.

 

I'm in Evansville, IN, at this very moment and will cover US-41 through downtown with rose petals before I leave tomorrow. Hope they don't blow away before you get here.

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So, besides the convergence of the Ohio & Mississippi Rivers in Cairo, IL and Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston, MO, what else does US 60 have to offer between Henderson, KY and Afton, OK??

 

 

 

U.S. 60 in MO between Sikeston and Poplar Bluff doesn't offer much in scenery but Dexter does have the Hickory House BBQ joint that is excellent. There's also a BBQ joint called the Dexter Queen but it's more of a DQ type place. The highway west of Poplar Bluff is spectacular, as you will be cruisin' through the Mark Twain National Forest area. Great picnic and floating area! I've only traveled 60 as far west as Mountain Grove, former site of one of our factories. There's a Civil War Battlefield area on or near 60 just south of Springfield that you might enjoy....Bliss

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I didn't mention it because it is north of 60 on U S 71 - but there is a civil war battle site just south, if I remember right, of Carthage - and a very nice Civil War museum in town on Grant Street. My daughter and I stopped there back in 2002 on our way back for our trip to South Dakota.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

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So, besides the convergence of the Ohio & Mississippi Rivers in Cairo, IL and Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston, MO, what else does US 60 have to offer between Henderson, KY and Afton, OK??

 

Following is info from Kip.....Bliss

 

 

OK...sorry if this is a bit long...

1) Henderson, KY (or Evansville, IN) has the Audobon Park and, I don't know the name, but it has one helluva breakfast nook that has great Country Cured Ham

2) Paducah Kentucky (located between Monkey's Eyebrow and Possum Trot--it is true!) is a great Ohio River Community that is the launching pad to Kentucky Lake (just East of Paducah--if you go there and want something to drink, get something in Paducah, the county where the Lake is located is dry; there is a GREAT Motel just off the lake called the Bel Air Motel--7428 US 641, Gilbertsville, KY), a great riverfront, the Irvin Cobb Hotel, and the home of Harry S. Truman's "Veep" Alben Barkley. There is also the Market Street Theatre, which is also a pretty famous place.

3) Wickliffe is the home of Ancient Buried City, which is an old Indian mound.

4) When you get to Cairo, go to Ft. Defiance Park, you can go to the very southern tip of IL and see where the rivers meet. Cairo is a sad old river town, there is a cool house there (Magnolia Manor)

5) After you cross the Mississippi, old US 60 followed US 62 through Wyatt, Bertrand and Sikeston...people like stopping at Lamberts, although I have never been a huge fan (I remember when it was in a gas station, and it served bad hamburgers and flat soda in Ball glasses--it has obviously evolved). If you stay on Malone, you can follow old US 60, which turns into SR 114 at the west end of town, out of Sikeston and on through Morehouse. You connect with US 60 (a 4 lane highway) just outside of Morehouse. The old road follows 114 to Dexter (there is a cool stretch in Essex, where you can find, just off of 114, a section of "half and half" (half concrete, half gravel (now asphalted over) road, and some cool signage).

6) Dexter is a pig lovers dream (I would eat there before Lamberts, but then again, I have a bias). They have two awesome BBQ joints--the Dexter BBQ and the Hickory Log, and a drive inn (the Dexter Drive Inn) that has great BBQ sandwiches. The America's Best Inn (on the north side of US 60 on the west end of town) is the old Hickory House Motel, and is a very cool place to stay (we stayed there for one of our sweetheart cruises). I was born in Dexter, and raised 5 miles north of Dexter (on SR 25) in Bloomfield.

7) About 10 miles West of Dexter you will pass between (or you used to before the 4 lane) two roadside parks. My Uncle Kip (yes I am named after him) donated the land for the park.

8) Poplar Bluff is a cool town (take CR B to go into the town). The Rogers Theatre (in downtown Poplar Bluff) is an old school movie palace, and is being renovated for plays and shows. If you take CR B into town and cross the Black River (a cool bridge) on the left side of the road--just off of old 60--there is the Frosty Drive Inn, long known for "susie Q fries"--the original curly fry. Somewhere in there, on the right side of old 60, was the law offices of Bloodworth and Bloodworth. If you remember the TV series "Desiging Women", the creator was Linda Bloodworth Thomason--she was the daughter of one of the Bloodworths.

9) I have not taken US 60 west of Poplar Bluff in a long time. There is a lot of 4 lane between Poplar Bluff and Van Buren. When you get to Van Buren, you will be in one of the coolest areas on US 60--the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The Current River goes through there, and the old US 60 bridge is now a foot bridge. There is a neat place just off the new 60 bridge to stay...Big Spring is just south of Van Buren--it produces more water per whatever than any spring in at least the US.

10) When you get to Winona (about 19 miles West of Van Buren) a great side trip is to take SR 19 North to Eminence. It is on the Jacks Fork River, and just West of there, on SR 106, is Alley Spring...there used to be a soda fountain in Eminence, and a lot of white trash glory along the river! There used to be a great little motel just outside Alley Spring called Harvey's--it had kitchenettes; my dad loved the place!)

11) I don't know if it is still there, but 9 miles west of Winona is Birch Tree. There used to be a Hickory House Motel there, which I was always fond of.

12) I am not real helpful between Birch Tree and Springfield.

13) About 30 miles West of Springfield, you can take BR 60 into Aurora. At 107 Washington Ave. in Aurora is the original headquarters for the Midwest Map Company, which put out some awesome maps! It is now MWM Dexter, Inc.

14) In Neosho, I think there is a mural there or around there commemorating George Washington Carver (maybe Diamond.) About 20 miles South of Neosho on SR 59 is Noel; I have seen postcards from there where rock outcroppings hang over the road.

 

From there you are on your own...but Route 60 across Missouri is definitely worth keeping your eyes out for! If you want any more info let me know...Enjoy the ride! Slan go foill, Kip

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Hi all & thanks for the GREAT replies! I wish I had posted my note a couple days earlier. We headed out early Friday morning, so we were stuck with finding things on our own. I think we're starting to learn a valuable lesson: No more bonsai roadtrips! We made it as far as Chandler, OK Saturday afternoon and got back here Sunday night at 11:55pm after leaving Tulsa Sunday morning. We met up with Jim Ross, Shellee Graham, and Jerry McClanahan Saturday in Chandler, and after telling Jim our schedule for the weekend, he nailed it: We are masochists! A three day trip like this isn't too condusive to being a good road warrior. Few stops due to time. But, I'll have pics up on my blog later this week and will post a note when that happens. But one tidbit about Lambert's....We were stunned when we arrived there at 2:15pm Friday and there was a 40 minute wait! We ended up skipping it and eventually had dinner at the one on the other side of Missouri in Ozark. It was "OK". Not sure if it's worth a 45 minute wait to go through the novelty again. The food wasn't bad, but wasn't the best I've ever had either.

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