Part of the Lenses & Latitudes Midwest Road Trip Series
When I planned our third day on the road, everything looked perfect on paper.
Leave St. Louis.
Make a few Route 66 stops.
Photograph some classic roadside attractions.
Arrive in Wichita.
Simple.
What actually happened turned out to be even better.
Day 3 became a reminder that some of the best travel memories aren’t the ones you carefully schedule—they’re the ones you discover because you’re willing to change your plans.
Heading West
After two wonderful days exploring St. Louis, we loaded the car and headed west toward Wichita, Kansas.
I was excited for what lay ahead. Tanganyika Wildlife Park had been one of the biggest reasons for planning this entire road trip, and every mile brought us closer.
But first…
There were plenty of adventures waiting between St. Louis and Wichita.
One More Buc-ee’s Checked Off the Bucket List
Whenever possible, I try to stop at a Buc-ee’s I haven’t visited before.
One of my personal travel goals is to eventually visit every Buc-ee’s location, so Springfield became another stop to check off the list.
Like every Buc-ee’s visit, we stocked up on road trip snacks before getting back on the highway.
It was a quick stop…
…or so we thought.
The Billboards Finally Won
If you’ve ever driven Interstate 44 across Missouri…
…you know.
The billboards start appearing miles before you arrive.
Each one more ridiculous than the last.
Eventually curiosity—and my love of sarcastic humor—got the better of me.
We pulled into Uranus.
What I expected was a little fudge shop.
What I found was an entire quirky roadside attraction with colorful buildings, funny signs, and plenty of personality.
The funniest part?
The songs playing throughout the store.
I’ll just say they were completely committed to the theme, and everyone inside was laughing.
Sometimes road trips need stops like this.
Not because they’re famous…
Because they’re fun.
Springfield Surprised Me
Originally our plan included the Route 66 Car Museum.
Instead…
We decided to spend some time hunting murals around downtown Springfield.
I had a list of locations ready, but I honestly had no idea just how many murals we’d find.
By the end of our visit, we’d photographed seven vibrant works of public art.
The Ferris Bueller mural became my favorite.
Its message felt fitting for the day.
“Life moves pretty fast…”
Sometimes slowing down to explore unexpected places is exactly what road trips are all about.
Springfield quickly earned a spot on my list of cities I’d happily return to for a dedicated mural photography trip.
The Stop That Changed Our Entire Day
Craig had always wanted to visit the original Bass Pro Shops.
For years he’d seen advertisements in the back of their catalogs.
Our plan?
Walk through the store.
Stretch our legs.
Continue west.
Then we saw the sign advertising admission to both the aquarium and wildlife museum.
Two tickets for $66.
We looked at each other.
Why not?
That one decision completely changed our itinerary.
The Best Aquarium I’ve Ever Visited
I’ve visited aquariums all over the country.
Without hesitation…
Wonders of Wildlife is my favorite.
Every exhibit felt immersive.
Every room revealed something new.
Instead of simply displaying fish, the designers created environments that made you feel like you were underwater alongside them.
As a travel photographer, I couldn’t stop taking pictures.
By the end of the day I’d captured nearly 700 photographs.
Most of them came from the aquarium.
That probably tells you everything you need to know.
Rather than trying to fit everything into this road trip recap, I’ll be sharing a dedicated article about Wonders of Wildlife later in the series.
It deserves one.
Wildlife Around the World
The wildlife museum surprised me almost as much as the aquarium.
Instead of rows of taxidermy displays, the exhibits recreate natural habitats from around the world.
The craftsmanship is remarkable.
The lion exhibit became one of my favorites, while the polar bears were easily one of the most impressive displays.
If you’re wondering whether Wonders of Wildlife is worth planning a trip around…
My answer is absolutely.
The Stops We’ll Save for Next Time
Because we spent so much more time at Wonders of Wildlife than expected, several planned Route 66 stops had to wait for another adventure.
We skipped:
- Route 66 Car Museum
- Cars on the Route
- Luigi’s Pit Stop
- Galena murals
- Gearhead Curios
- Joplin
Do I regret changing our plans?
Not even a little.
Those places simply became the inspiration for another road trip.
One of the greatest lessons travel has taught me is this:
You don’t have to see everything in one trip.
Sometimes leaving something unexplored is the best reason to come back.
Welcome to Wichita
By the time we reached Wichita that evening, we were tired—but in the best possible way.
Hotel at Old Town was much smaller than I expected, with an industrial, historic character that immediately felt authentic.
It was the perfect place to relax after an unforgettable day on the road.
I’ll be sharing a full review of our hosted stay in my next blog post.
What Day 3 Taught Me
If this day reinforced one travel lesson, it’s this:
Don’t over-plan your road trips.
Research the destinations.
Build an itinerary.
Know what you want to see.
But leave room for curiosity.
Some of our favorite memories weren’t on the schedule.
They happened because we followed a funny billboard, took time to hunt murals, and decided to spend “just a little while” exploring a place we’d never planned to visit.
Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.
In fact, if someone asked me whether they should follow our original itinerary or our revised one…
I’d tell them to follow the revised version.
Then add an extra day in Springfield.
You won’t regret it.
Continue the Midwest Road Trip Series
← The Cheshire St. Louis: How We Escaped to Europe Without Leaving St. Louis
← City Museum: The Place That Made Me Feel Like a Kid Again
Next Up →
Hotel at Old Town: A Historic Boutique Stay in Wichita
Then →
Tanganyika Wildlife Park – Day One
