How to Plan a Jesse James Road Trip

Jesse James is a classic American outlaw, immortalized in song and story. Called the American Robin Hood by many, James led a life of crime after his career in the Confederate Army. If you're traveling to Missouri, Jesse James can be an intriguing theme for a road trip.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Research Jesse James. You must know a bit about the outlaw before you plan the stops to make on your road trip, or else history just won't come alive. A good biography of Jesse James, such as "Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War" by T.J. Stiles, can help you understand why the man is such an icon. It may also give you more ideas about sites to visit.
2. Consider Kearney, Missouri as a stopping point on your road trip. There you can find the James Farm and Museum, and the site of Jesse James' original grave. The family home looks much like it did when Jesse was growing up there, and its museum offers interpretative displays, artifacts and a short video. After the museum, go to Mount Olivet Cemetery to visit the site of Jesse James' current grave.
3. Make Liberty, Missouri one of your stops. The first daylight bank robbery occurring in peacetime was carried out by the James Gang in 1866 at the Clay County Savings Bank in Liberty. Today, the bank houses the Jesse James Bank Museum, featuring information about the robbery and the James brothers.
4. Visit the Jesse James' Home in St. Joseph, Missouri, where he lived with his wife and children until he was killed. It was in this house that Jesse was shot in the back and killed by James Gang member Bob Ford. It's now a museum containing various Jesse James artifacts.
5. Wander down to Meramec Caverns outside of Stanton, Missouri. Local tradition has it that this cave was the James Gang hideout of the 1870s. Three miles from the cave is the Jesse James Wax Museum, which documents Jesse's life and his use of the cave.
6. Get some insight into Jesse James' career as a Confederate soldier by driving to Lawrence, Kansas. In 1863, William Quantrill led a band of Confederate soldiers into town, killing all of the men they found and burning all of the buildings. James rode under Quantrill's command during the Civil War and may have been a part of this massacre.
7. Be ready to stop by local taverns and diners to strike up conversations about Jesse James, especially with older folks. Many people in western Missouri and eastern Kansas have family stories about Jesse James stopping by an ancestor's home for a visit and always behaving chivalrously, often leaving money to help them pay their taxes or mortgage.

Tips & Warnings

• Plot out each of the points you want to visit on a map of Missouri (and Kansas, too, if you're stopping in Lawrence). For the best road trip, plan your route so you can hit other small towns and experience some of the scenic routes of western Missouri.