A Kansas – Missouri road trip route takes me to Wichita, Tallgrass Prairie, Council Grove, Topeka, Osawatomie, Kansas City, Independence, and other sites along the way.
I was a guest of the Travel Kansas, Visit Wichita, the Council Grove Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, Visit Topeka, Miami County, and Visit KC, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our our Disclosure/Disclaimer page for more information.
Table of Contents
- 1 A Kansas – Missouri Road Trip
- 2 Wichita, Kansas | Days 1 – 3
- 3 Tallgrass Prairie & Council Grove, Kansas | Day 4
- 4 Topeka & Osawatomie, Kansas | Days 5 – 6
- 5 Kansas City, Missouri | Day 7
- 6 Independence, Missouri | Day 8
- 7 An Itinerary Planning Note
- 8 Map It!
- 9 We Would Love to Hear From You
- 10 Pin this Post!
- 11 Helpful Links
A Kansas – Missouri Road Trip
It may not sound that grandiose, but I can tell you honestly that doing a Kansas road trip has been a dream . . . dare I say it . . . birthed in childhood. I had never visited Kansas, but there were visions from stories, songs, and history that populated my imagination, and when my dream finally came true, Kansas was everything I had hoped it would be, and so much more.
I had traveled to Missouri in my teens on a family road trip, but I didn’t remember much about it. So I was totally unprepared for everything the greater Kansas City metro area had to offer, especially to a history buff like me.
This is a round-up post linking to five previously published articles from my Kansas – Missouri Road Trip. It is a great resource for anyone interested in traveling to Wichita, Tallgrass Prairie, Council Grove, Topeka, Osawatomie, Kansas City, Independence, and parts in between.
Wichita, Kansas | Days 1 – 3
My Kansas – Missouri road trip began when my plane landed in Kansas City, Missouri. I retrieved my rental car and set out on a 3-hour drive to Wichita, the first destination on my itinerary.
It didn’t take long for me to learn two opposing realities of interstate highways in Kansas. The downside is that virtually all of them are toll roads, a concept foreign to this Floridian who lives near the intersection of I-75 and I-4, two toll-free interstates. The upside is that the standard Kansas interstate speed limit is 75 mph, making it perhaps an even trade for distance drivers.
I spent Days 1 – 3 of my Kansas – Missouri road trip exploring Wichita. Our post What to Do in Wichita reports on the following attractions, dining, and lodging options:
Tallgrass Prairie & Council Grove, Kansas | Day 4
Day 4 of my Kansas – Missouri road trip was one of the most memorable days on the road ever! It was my birthday, and driving from Wichita to Council Grove along the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway was the best gift I could have received.
I drove through Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, stopping for a visit at Spring Hill Ranch and other roadside pullovers along the way. Arriving in historic Council Grove, I explored several key sites on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail.
Our post Drive the Kansas Flint Hills National Scenic Byway gives a detailed account of my visits to the following scenic and historical locales:
The Kansas Flint Hills Scenic Byway
Bichet School, District 34 (1896)
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
The Santa Fe National Historic Trail
Kaw Mission State Historic Site (1851)
Topeka & Osawatomie, Kansas | Days 5 – 6
On Days 5 – 6, I toured sites connected to the rich Civil Rights history in Topeka, Kansas. Most people do not immediately associate Topeka with the collective fight for freedom, but for more than 100 years it has been intrinsically tied to the abolition of slavery, desegregation of public education, and LGBTQ equality.
I left Topeka and drove down to Osawatomie to visit the site most powerfully-connected with abolitionist John Brown’s efforts in Kansas.
Check out our post Explore Civil Rights History in Topeka, Kansas, for coverage of the freedom sites I visited on my Kansas – Missouri road trip:
Topeka, Kansas Civil Rights Historical Sites
Brown vs. Board of Education NHS
Osawatomie, Kansas
John Brown Memorial Park and Museum
Kansas City, Missouri | Day 7
On Day 7, I crossed the state line into Missouri, and explored several top-notch Kansas City museums. I loved them all, but I was most excited about visiting the Arabia Steamboat Museum, a museum that had been on my bucket list for several years. This venue displays thousands of artifacts rescued from a steamboat that sank in the Missouri River and was excavated 132 years later in a farmer’s field. The museum is a pristine time capsule from the year 1856, and when in Kansas City, it is not-to-be-missed!
This post details my visits to 7 World-Class Kansas City Museums, plus food, spirits, lodging, and shopping:
National World War I Museum and Memorial
National Museum of Toys & Miniatures
Kansas City, Missouri Food, Spirits, Lodging, and Shopping
Independence, Missouri | Day 8
Day 8 of my Kansas – Missouri road trip took me to Independence, Missouri, to walk in the footsteps of native son President Harry S. Truman and to explore locations associated with the “jumping-off point” for the National Frontier Trails.
For information on these historic locations, check out Truman Sites and Frontier Trails in Historical Independence, Missouri, as detailed below:
Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
The Presidential Years (Main Level)
His Life and Times (Lower Level)
Passport to the Presidential Libraries
Harry S. Truman National Historic Site
National Frontier Trails Museum
An Itinerary Planning Note
The posts linked in this Kansas-Missouri road trip route offer a wealth of information for travelers planning itineraries to any or all of the key destinations, but I do need to offer one caveat. When on assignment, travel writers typically have whirlwind itineraries planned by our hosts, in order to show us an optimal number of experiences in a limited amount of time. Even though I did visit all of these locations in eight days, future travelers may want to spend more time at certain locations and less time at others. Either way, I encourage you not to over-schedule your itinerary, so that you can fully enjoy all of the places you go.
Map It!
We Would Love to Hear From You
We enjoy dialogue with our readers, especially when they share off-the-beaten-path destinations and useful travel tips. Have you ever driven through Kansas and Missouri? If so, we would love to hear about your experience. We invite you to leave your comments and questions below, and we always respond!
Pin this Post!
Helpful Links
Drive the Kansas Flint Hills National Scenic Byway
Explore Civil Rights History in Topeka, Kansas
7 World-Class Kansas City Museums
Truman Sites and Frontier Trails in Historical Independence, Missouri
Looks like y’all had a great time! Thank you for sharing your travels and experiences so others can use your trip for inspiration.
I did have a great time, Abby, and it means a lot to know readers find our content inspirational. Thanks!
Glad you stopped in the Flint Hills/Council Grove area…lots of history there!
Me too, Lisa! It was my birthday and my favorite day of the Kansas-Missouri road trip.
Simply the best road trip we have been on. We have covered the great state of Kansas more than once & just came back from our last road trip; Planning the next road trip right now. The history & historical sites can’t be beat & the people of this wonderful state are the best. Regards jh
Hi John! So great to meet a kindred spirit who feels the way I do about Kansas. I am envious of your statewide travels, and especially the road trip you are currently planning. Thanks for stopping by!
Looks like an awesome road trip! I hope to get to explore this someday, Howard. Thanks for sharing this and as always, love the organization and ways you put these together.
Thanks for the positive feedback, Carl! Good to know discerning readers like yourself find these round-up posts user-friendly.
What a great road trip! As someone who lives within this adventure, I hope to explore the places on your list that I haven’t visited yet very soon.
Hi Sage! Thanks for stopping by Backroad Planet. You are blessed to live in the Kansas-Missouri region. Enjoy visiting the locations I enjoyed during my visit.