Things You'll Need:
- Lots of $'s for gas
- A reliable vehicle
- Minimum of 17 hours
- Ability to remember the route I tell you to take
- Toll booth money
- Patience
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Step 1
Gas up your vehicle, check the oil, check the tire pressure, pack your things and load up.
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Step 2
Put your seat belts on and head west from Gilberts, IL (a NW suburb of Chicago, IL). Head west from Gilberts on Rt 72, go approximately 30 miles to I-39 and head south. Continue for approximately 100 miles (now your in Bloomington/Normal, IL) and exit on I-55 southbound. You'll loop around Bloomington and after about 5 miles, continue towards Springfield, IL (60 miles away). Yes, there is a rest stop 10 miles south of Bloomington.
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Step 3
Interstate 55 is a "famous and historical" route. Many places abound that may be of interest to you as this once was the main route between Chicago and Los Angeles, CA (1800 miles). Oftentimes, you can see the actual old two-lane road right beside the new I-55. Notice the vastness of open black turf where corn and beans grow so well. You are viewing some of the best land in the world for growing crops. (Remember the "black" soil...) After having driven approximately 100 miles south of Springfield, IL, you will be crossing the Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO. (Stay in any of the 6 lanes as you cross the river because they all will get you to Missouri). After having crossed the "big muddy", you can't help but notice the Gateway to the West. Yep, it's the famous St. Louis Arch, built as a memorial to our initial explorers of the wild west. A stop here, coupled with a trip to the top and a visit to the museum below is well worth it. It's only about 3 miles after the arch that you will need to exit I-55 and follow signs to Tulsa, OK. The route you need will be I-44. This route will take you all the way from St. Louis, MO to Wichita Falls, Texas, should you stay on it that far. Yes I said Texas.
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Step 4
Depending on your timing, the traffic may be a concern for about the next 25 miles as you start climbing up the Missouri hills west of the metropolis. I frequently stop at the Fenton, MO exit 268 (near the Drury Inn Hotel) and fuel up, because it's always cheaper than Illinois. Don't forget to look to your right as you pass by mile marker 256 Pacific, MO, or you will miss Great America Amusement Park, set back in the hills. This is a nice place to visit too, especially in the heat of the day since it is a mostly shady amusement park. Continue westbound on I-44 for about another 60 miles and you can visit a real cave, Merrimac Caverns. complete with stalagmites and stalactites. Stalagtites grow downward from the ceiling of caves. This is another good stop if you want to cool down and, you can go swimming in the nearby Merrimac River. Farther west on I-44, you will come to the town of Rolla, MO. This is a nice place to stop and get something to drink or eat. You are now 400 miles from Chicago or about 620 miles from Ft. Worth, Texas. Hopefully you have noticed the beautiful country as you came through Missouri. Shortly after Rolla, you will go down a large hill and be in a river valley. After that you will crawl out of the valley and be on top of the eastern edge of the Great Plains. Now you can see for miles and miles, usually, and see the storms as they approach from the west.
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Step 5
Your travel will take you to exit 82 on I-44. This is where you really have to make a HUGE decision. If you take Rt 65 south, through Springfield, MO about 12 miles (not 8 as the sign says on I-44), you will find a great place to eat. Lambert's Home of the Throwed Rolls Restaurant will be on your right as you exit at Ozark, MO. You can't miss it. Hundreds of people will be waiting outside for their name to be called to go inside and yes, catch a freshly baked roll thrown to them across the room. Add some honey to it and enjoy! One note: Lambert's personnel won't tell you before you order, but all items on the menu come as all you can eat. Plus there are employees walking around the room giving you free items to eat as well.
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Step 6
Now you must backtrack the 12 miles northbound on Rt 65 or continue south about 28 miles to Branson, MO. I'd be sure and go the 28 miles south. Branson is a spectacular place to view tons of live entertainment, great scenery and even a nice shady amusement park, Silver Dollar City, just outside of town. Branson offers lots of traffic (although it's better now than it was 15 years ago) and it's home to the Passion Play on the Hill. Anyway, I digress. Get back to I-44 (40 miles north) and head west. You now have only 82 miles to go until you will be in Oklahoma (now notice the soil - it's Red)and near the intersection of 4 states. Yep, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma borders, at one point, are only approximately 4 miles away as you pass into Oklahoma. In a few miles you pass under an arch over all lanes of I-44 which houses a neat McDonalds, you know, a rest room stop, although there are 5 rest areas as you drove through Missouri.
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Step 7
As you speed up a little, Oklahoma's legal speed limit on the interstate is 75 miles per hour, notice the sign that suggests you shouldn't drive into smoke, you really need to buckle up and another that references the patrolmen have no tolerance for anyone driving over 75 mph. Even the semi-trucks are legal at this speed. (Makes sense to me!) Shortly you will come to Big Cabin, OK, take this exit, Rt 69, and head south. You will pay a toll, see a tall indian statue on your right at the truck stop, and you must not speed for the next 5 miles (or longer). Parked semi-trailer signs along the side of the road warn that this part of the highway is indeed a "speed trap".
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Step 8
Adair, Ok will come up in about 10 miles. There is a nice little park on the north side of town that offers a place to get out and walk, go to the bathroom and stretch for awhile. (Slim facilities here, however). Follow on southward on 69 and you will soon come to McAlester, OK. This is a great place to spend the night if you aren't going to drive all night. The Holiday Inn there is about 2 years old and somewhat reasonable. You now are approximately 100 miles from the Red River otherwise known as the border with the great state of Texas. As I recall, you have driven about 898 miles now and only about 180 miles or so remain. You can't help but feel now that you really have arrived "out west". It's a comforting feeling, at least for me. Stop at the Texas Welcome Center and get a free map or other literature they offer for attractions in the state.
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Step 9
Pass through Sherman, Tx heading for Plano and the northern burbs of Dallas. Rt 69 shortly will be joined with Rt 75 as they share the lanes for several miles. Keep heading and looking south for another 60 miles or so and you'll start to see the taller buildings located on the north side of Dallas. I'd follow Rt 75 to I-635 and head west. You'll pass by DFW Airport, it's only 750 miles from Chicago if you would have flown, but you would have missed all the places I suggested you stop at. Near the south entrance to DFW, get on Rt 183, known as Airport Freeway and head west. Follow until you access I-820 and go west again. Stay on I-820 and it will wrap around the NW side of Ft. Worth, Texas allowing you go to your destination as you please.
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Step 10
I don't stop here, however, as I am usually heading to a little town southwest of Ft. Worth known as Granbury. I dream of living here as I have friends there and it seems like a reasonable place to avoid Illinois winters. If you do make it this far, try spending a Saturday night in town and visit "Granbury Live" located on the east side of the downtown square. Great popcorn is available as well as fantastic entertainment. Your trip now has taken you 1060 miles from Gilberts, IL and you should have arrived here after having driven about 17 hours.
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Step 11
ENJOY!!
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Step 12
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