History, sea life, breweries and more – all just 3 hours from St. Louis.
When your passion is travel and you’re living through the COVID-19 pandemic, what do you do? You road trip. My mom and I originally planned a Springfield, Missouri trip for April 2020, but at that point everything with closing fast. So, after almost four months of “lockdown,” and with some things finally starting to open, it was time to try again. And this time was a success!
Fortunately, the Air BNB I booked back in April was available in July so I quickly rebooked. The property, Madeline Cottage, was just what we needed. Two nice sized bedrooms, a fenced in yard for my pup and a great location just a few miles from almost everything we visited.
For those of you who aren’t from Missouri, Springfield is in the southwest portion of the state, not too far from Branson. It’s a three-hour drive from the St. Louis suburbs, making it a nice long weekend destination.
Day 1 in Springfield: Wilson’s Creek Battlefield
We left around 9 a.m. on a Thursday and arrived at our first stop, Wilson’s Creek at 2:30. Along the way we stopped for lunch and spent more than a few minutes – and a few dollars – exploring the walnut bowls store (Shepherd Hills Outlet) and Russell Stover outlet in Lebanon, Missouri. (Darn billboards tempted me!)
By the time we got to Wilson’s Creek Battlefield it was afternoon and really hot. The gates were open – no fees collected, due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, the visitor’s center was closed, but the brochures were available and the park offers a voice-guided tour accessible by a phone, so all in all we had enough information to get the most out of the tour.
At the first stop, we got out and explored the trail down by the creek, Gibson’s Mill trail. The creek was larger than I expected and the rushing water set a calming tone in a place that saw so much violence. We spent another hour or so exploring the rest of the sites in the park. One of the most sobering stops was Bloody Hill. At one point during the battle, a sinkhole served as a temporary burial site. A humble memorial to Nathaniel Lyon is also located there.
Day 2: Exploring the Aquarium, Antique Shops and the Japanese Garden
The next day we spent about three hours touring the Wonders of the World Aquarium. This attraction was the primary reason for our trip and it didn’t disappoint. The experience truly makes you feel like you’re swimming with the sea life. The exhibits are dark and at grand scale. Definitely worth a stop, particularly if you’re traveling with children.
Lunch at the legendary and highly recommended Black Sheep Burgers provided the fuel we needed to tour Mike’s Unique Flea market, followed by a visit to the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden and stop at the butterfly house. (Note: The Japanese Garden is free if you have a Missouri Botanical Garden membership, through the reciprocal gardens program. Otherwise, it’s just $4.)
A trip to Mother’s Brewing Co was a nice way to wind down after a long day of sightseeing. And, because there are just so many breweries to see and we were still thirsty, we made one last stop at White River tap room.
Day 3: History, Hauntings and More Beer
Saturday was another full day, beginning with a trip to the Springfield History Museum. Their website claims they were voted America’s #1 Best New Attraction by USA Today, and I must admit I was a bit skeptical. However, I have to agree that it is a top-notch history museum. Extremely interactive, educational and thorough – covering the city from its early founding to its importance as a destination along Route 66. I guarantee you’ll learn something new. Gave me a whole new appreciation for Missouri and its importance in U.S history. Plus, there’s a really cool story about how cobras once took over the town! I won’t spoil it, but if you want to learn more, visit this site. There’s even a beer named after this incident at Mother’s.
I don’t know if it’s because of the pandemic, the fact that it was summer and all the college kids were home or just the state of the city, but the historic downtown section of Springfield had more than a few homeless people.
Our adventure continued to C-Street. Again, not sure if was the pandemic or a sign of an area in decline, but there were many empty buildings and closed businesses. We had a light lunch at a Lebanese restaurant across the street from the farmer’s market then spent the rest of the afternoon at Relics Antique Mall. You could spend an entire day in this place. Really nice quality booths. Something for everyone. After two hours of shopping, you work up an appetite and I have a strict rule when I travel that I must scout out the city’s local donut scene. The establishment of choice for the Springfield trip was Hurts Donut (though I later learned it is a chain). Get it? Hurts…don’t it? I had the s’mores yeast donut and a blueberry cake donut. My mom had the key lime pie. All were excellent.
That night we booked a ghost tour of Pythian Castle. Before heading over, we decided to try one more brewery. I found the perfect one that met all my criteria: located in a historic building (old fire house), nice selection of lighter beers and on the street named after my 5th great grandfather (John Stuart Kimbrough). Hold Fast Brewing is a newer brewery – established in 2019. It had a great vibe to it and equally good beer. Plus, they fawned all over my dog, so I may be a bit biased.
Pythian Castle is now privately owned but was once the local headquarters for the Knights of Pythias. I just so happen to have a membership coin from one of my dad great great uncles (Floyd Kimbrough). I wanted to learn more about the knights and they promised ghost stories – a combination impossible for me to resist. The castle is impressive. Feels a little out of place in Missouri. Looks more like something you’d see in Europe. This added to its mystery. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and did a good job of mixing ghost stories and history along the way. Sadly, we didn’t encounter any ghosts. But the tour was fun, regardless. My only complaint is they had goofy statues in a few places (a gargoyle and a giant creature) for photo ops. Unnecessary. The building and its history are interesting enough on its own!
The next day, before heading home, we had brunch at the Aviary Cafe. Another recommendation from friends and coworkers. Due to the pandemic and the fact that I had my dog with me, we ate outside. I chose a sweet crepe, but they have a nice variety of savory options, too. The food was impeccable as was my cappuccino (meaning I didn’t have to sweeten it or add more cream!).
So that’s my four-day whirlwind trip to Springfield. I’m sure there are many more places to see, but I feel like the sights we saw give a nice overview of the town and the many options it offers. From the outdoors to art to history to marine life, there’s something for everyone. If you haven’t already, put Springfield on your weekend getaway short list.
