Jan 7, 2018 7 min read

This wasn’t exactly the drive across the country that we had discussed.

When my friend retired and chose to spend the winter in Denver with her son’s family, she realized she’d want her car with her. Would she be crazy to make that drive alone? Maybe. But I was crazy enough to volunteer as co-pilot.

Rather than the scenic route, including Mt. Rushmore or Yellowstone, this trip had a timeline that meant driving due west on Interstate 70.

The route didn’t have scenic beauty, but it sure had some fun cities and lots of delicious food.

Back in Indiana

First stop: Indianapolis.

I have a love affair with Indy because of the Indianapolis 500 race, which I have attended 17 times.

Downtown Indianapolis is beautiful, open and spacious, and the Hoosier people are warm and welcoming.

Stop by the oldest bar in Indiana when you take in fantastic live blues bands at the Slippery Noodle on Meridian Street. Then enjoy the very walkable few blocks nearby that include a huge indoor mall, famous restaurants, like St. Elmo Steakhouse, and boutiques, bars and coffee shops.

Downtown also has fascinating architecture, statues and monuments starting with the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Monument Circle. When we visited, volunteers were stringing miles of Christmas lights and garland from the top while playing holiday tunes for all to enjoy.

Head a few miles north to the suburb of Speedway to visit the home of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” – the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Nearby, Main Street in Speedway has undergone a renaissance with new shops, bars and restaurants opening alongside new headquarters for race teams. There’s even an indoor go-cart track for kids of all ages.

Stop by Foyt Wine Vault on Main Street just a few steps from the racetrack, owned by racing legend A.J. Foyt. His family also owns vineyards in California, and their wines pair perfectly with delicious charcuterie plates and flatbreads. The cozy surroundings include one of A.J.’s race cars in the corner and photos and memorabilia all around you.

Soulful St. Louis

Day two meant a short hop to the “Gateway to the West”: St. Louis, Missouri.

We arrived in the city that began with Native American Mound Builders and became a trading post and crossroads in time for lunch with one thing on our minds: barbecue.

Just south of the Gateway Arch sits Soulard, the city’s oldest neighborhood where streets are lined with red brick townhomes and the blues scene comes alive after dark. The Anheuser-Busch Brewery is located here and nearby Soulard market is one of the largest and oldest farmers market’s west of the Mississippi.

Across the street, you’ll find the best ribs I’ve ever eaten at Bogart’s Smokehouse. It’s not fancy and there will be a line, but it’s worth the wait for the succulent ribs, pulled pork, smoky beef brisket, fire and ice pickles (hot and sweet) and barbecue pork skins with an array of sauces to please your palette.

After lunch, stroll near the Gateway Arch and admire the 630-foot stainless steel monument. It’s the world’s tallest arch and is the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere.

Up-to-date in K.C.

That’s how the song from “Oklahoma” goes, and it couldn’t be more accurate. Only a few hours’ drive beyond St. Louis, we hit the other side of Missouri and a city that boasts wonderful history while embracing everything thoroughly modern.

Kansas City has earned the moniker, the “City of Fountains,” because of the features’ distinctive architectural styles and themes. We spotted some of the most beautiful and ornate in Country Club Plaza, often called the Plaza, which is a site to behold, and shop, on its own.

The Plaza is a huge shopping and housing district consisting of 804,000-square-feet of retail space. It was the first shopping center in the world designed to accommodate shoppers arriving by automobile. The 55-acre site is about four miles south of downtown, and you’ll find stores ranging from Burberry to H&M.

While the Plaza is built in the style of old Spanish architecture, modern skyscrapers of steel and glass are found downtown. At the center sits a new entertainment hub called Kansas City Power & Light District, where you’ll find anything you want to eat and everything you want to do.

We found the ideal hotel right between the Plaza and downtown with free shuttle service to both and free parking, plus, it was pet friendly. The Best Western Seville Plaza on Main Street was a gem: beautiful, bounteous buffet breakfast included and reasonably priced.

After our St. Louis barbecue lunch, we opted for a Kansas City steak dinner – splitting one steak. Cleaver & Cork Gastropub has fancy steakhouse food but a cozier atmosphere. Our waiter had wonderful tidbits about steak styles and local whiskey and wine to pair with them. We also heard fun stories about why Kansans and Missourians have such a huge rivalry. After all, we were still in Missouri.

We’re not in Kansas anymore

Before we left Kansas City, we grabbed a takeout order from one of the city’s most famous barbecue joints, Gates Bar-B-Q. George Gates opened his original restaurant in 1946 and has ties to the creator of Kansas City barbecue, Henry Perry.

We packed a platter of ribs and assorted slow-smoked meats in our insulated cooler and hit the road. Once we crossed the bridge on our final day, we were finally in Kansas.

The Kansas scenery was more rolling than I remembered at first, but gradually gave way to flatlands. We saw plenty of cattle, plus sheep, goats and even a herd of buffalo.

What you don’t realize is that you’re slowly climbing in elevation the entire trip across the state. By the time we reached the Colorado border, we were at 5,377-feet elevation. We ventured through Topeka and past Lawrence on our way to the final border crossing into Colorado just after dark.

When we finally arrived in Denver, we were happy the driving was done and ready to dig into our dinner of Kansas City barbecue.

Foyt Wine Vault

1182 Main Street, Speedway, Ind.

www.foytwinevault.com

Part wine bar, part racing museum, the Foyt Wine Vault has a little of everything, with award-winning wines from Napa and Sonoma plus racing memorabilia from the owner and Indy 500 winning legend, A.J. Foyt.

Bogart’s Smokehouse

1627 South 9th Street, St. Louis, Missouri

www.bogartssmokehouse.com

Down-home barbecue joint serving up Memphis and St. Louis specialties. Be prepared to stand in line and know that the ribs are worth the wait.

Cleaver & Cork

1333 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri

www.cleaverandcork.com

Upscale but warm, cozy atmosphere with a farm-to-table menu. Specializing in meat and seafood paired with whiskey and cocktails.

Gates Bar-B-Q

3205 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri

www.gatesbbq.com

Gates is one of two Kansas City restaurants, along with Arthur Bryant’s, that trace their roots back to Henry Perry, founder of Kansas City barbecue. It does not disappoint.

Kansas City Power & Light District

60 E 13th St, Kansas City, Missouri

Vibrant, new eight-block neighborhood in the heart of downtown Kansas City