Follow Route 36 for a cross-state Valentine's vacation

Weekend trip just for two or for the whole family

The Whiskey Mansion Inn in St. Joseph offers beautiful spa rooms and breakfast, making it a must-stay when Holts Summit resident Cassie Kana is in the area.
The Whiskey Mansion Inn in St. Joseph offers beautiful spa rooms and breakfast, making it a must-stay when Holts Summit resident Cassie Kana is in the area.

With President's Day on Feb. 15, Valentine's Day falls in the middle of a four-day weekend for many. For those wanting a break from up-and-down weather and cabin fever, look no further than a car drive away for a family or romantic adventure.

One Cole County mom hopes to turn the weekend into a road trip through northern Missouri, a trip she's been saving for and planning for a few months.

Just under two hours north of Jefferson City is Route 36, spanning from Hannibal to St. Joseph, which Jefferson City resident Bethany Crosby said is a blast of little-town fresh air for family or romantic memories.

You can cross Missouri's northern half in under five hours, a breeze compared to the two-day trip it once took to cross the state by train. Crosby recommends starting in Hannibal and driving west to St. Joseph, checking out bed and breakfasts, parks, museums along the way.

"Road trips are my favorite for getting away, but not going too far and still discovering great little gems," said Crosby, a stay-at-home mom who enjoys to travel and explore.

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AP

Damashata Washington looks for work at Work 2 Future, a federally funded job training center, in San Jose, Calif. New claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week as layoffs ease and hiring slowly recovers.

Appreciate natural beauty in Hannibal

Route 36 spans from the home of Mark Twain through the home of Walt Disney and ends at the birthplace of the Pony Express. Crosby planned her trip around parks, state history and shopping.

"After checking out the standard sights in Hannibal, I recommend getting back on the road and heading to the Lodge at Mark Twain Lake Bed and Breakfast in Stoutsville," Crosby said. "It's near Hannibal and the park and comfortable for our family. When the weather is nice, I used to like to go hiking in that neck of the woods."

The Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau offers an audio CD to accompany a tour down Route 36, known as "The Way of American Genius," which Crosby hopes to use this year. Be sure to contact the center ahead of time to verify its hours.

Heading west after Hannibal and Stoutsville, Crosby recommends stopping in Marceline to show the kids where Walt Disney spent part of his childhood. Unfortunately, the Walt Disney Hometown Museum is closed until April 1.

"Not too far off of Highway 36 is another amazing park called the Swan Lake Refuge. It isn't all open during the late winter, but much of it is, and it is a gorgeous location to take pictures of, including with your husband or wife and children. You can see tons of bald eagles in the winter and also hike," Crosby said.

Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge is right off the highway in Sumner. Its visitors' center is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, and noon-6 p.m. Sundays.

Hit historic homes, museums in St. Joseph

Once in St. Joseph, Crosby recommends couples stay at one of the several historic bed and breakfasts in between checking out nearby sights.

The Whiskey Mansion Inn is near the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art in St. Joseph. It offers water spa rooms that boast a jetted claw-foot tub, private bathroom, Wi-Fi and full breakfast.

"Unbelievably beautiful home! Rooms are gorgeous and super clean," said Holts Summit resident Cassie Kana. "The owner cooks the breakfasts, and they are divine. I will never stay anywhere but here when in St. Joe."

The Whiskey Mansion was built in 1885 and home to Ferdinand and Sarah Westheimer, German immigrants who founded Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The family made its fortune distributing whiskey to mining towns, later investing in and distilling their own rye whiskey, which was featured in the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.

St. Joseph's history continues to the Patee House Museum, which once served as the headquarters for the Pony Express and as a Civil War outpost. Crosby said her boys love the display of western relics, especially the 1860 train that you can board. Her daughter loves riding the indoor vintage carousel. The museum also boasts a stagecoach, various automobiles, a set of fallows, and various furniture and toys. Admission for the Patee House is $6 for adults, $5 for those 6-17 years old and free for children younger than 6.

One block away, visitors can find the home where outlaw Jesse James was shot and killed.

A nearby 1891 home, the J.C. Wyatt House has also been converted into a bed and breakfast. The required reservations are considered worth it by online reviewers, who say the lodging has delicious cuisine and a Victorian ambiance, which many children may not appreciate as much as they would one of the several other hotels in town with an indoor pool.

Crosby said she'll be headed to St. Joseph mostly for an event taking place that weekend, which makes her thankful for her husband's four-day weekend. For the Love of Junk is a three-day antique show and flea market at the St. Joseph Civic Arena. More than 60 dealers from five states will be present at the show, which will also offer free appraisals.

"Even if my kids don't enjoy the antiques as much as the eagles at the park, they'll someday appreciate all the great things I'll find for our home," Crosby said.

The show will be from open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.

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AP

This artist rendering provided by the Eisenhower Commission shows a model for the national memorial in Washington for President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The proposal by renowned architect Frank Gehry features a series of 80-foot-tall columns and metal "tapestries." The $100 million memorial would be on four acres behind the U.S. Air and Space Museum and in sight of the Capitol. The commission is aiming to finish it by 2015.

Toast the trip in Weston

Before heading home, fellow Jefferson Citian Toby Akers recommends stopping through Weston, a 40-minute drive south of St. Joseph.

"My wife loves the Main Street Galleria Upstairs Tea Room in downtown Weston, but I'm all about the McCormick distillery, which has quarter samples," Akers said.

The downtown Main Street Galleria offers casual dining, dinner theater, and even a soda fountain and fudge counter for children. Older couples are sure to enjoy memorabilia from Elvis Presley to "I Love Lucy," "The Three Stooges" and Coca-Cola.

The last time Akers and his wife were in Weston, they attended a show at Cline's Opry at the New Deal Tobacco Warehouse. The Opry hosts family-friendly country music and comedy variety shows at 5 p.m. every Sunday. Tickets are $12 each and free for children under 12.

"If you're not driving and you don't have the kids, stop by McCormick," Akers said, referring to the oldest continuosly operating distillery in the U.S. "It was started before the Civil War, and quarter samples cannot be beat."

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark traveled through Weston, where they discovered the limestone springs used by the distillery, founded in 1856 by Ben Holladay. They also noted fish and geese when they went by the nearby Lewis and Clark Lake.

Crosby plans to start her family's Monday morning at Lewis and Clark State Park before heading home to unload their new treasures and memories.

"We'll have a gander at the park and unwind a bit to get in good spirits before taking the three- to four-hour drive home," she laughed.

Lewis and Clark Lake is located off Route 138 in Rushville and is open from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.

Enjoy the ride

Akers said car games are a necessity in any family road trip.

"The best part about road trips, for me, is the chance to explore our state," Akers said. "It's a way for me to connect with my kids the same way my parents connected with me. We play bingo, "I Spy,' and all the classic car games. As my kids get older, we like to play word games based off of categories or synonyms. It's a throwback to some of my best memories, and I hope to provide them with the same fun and sense of adventure."

Crosby estimated the majority of the cost of the road trip will be food, shopping and lodging, which averages between $100-$150 each of the three nights they'll be on the road for the mentioned bed and breakfasts.

"I'm budgeting about $1,000 for this trip for me, my husband and two sons, but the memories will be priceless," she said. "That's for food, gas, admission and tickets and lodging. Of course, I'm sure the antique show will bust the budget my husband doesn't know about."