The Ultimate Route 66 Road Trip: St. Louis to Tulsa

• Ted Drewes Frozen Yogurt
• Gateway Arch
• National Museum of Transportation
• Route 66 Neon Park
• Pulaski County Guided Tour
• Old Stagecoach Stop
• Uranus Fudge Factory and General Store
• Route 66 Museum
• History Museum on the Square
• Route 66 Car Museum
• Red’s Giant Hamburg
• Bass Pro, Wonders of Wildlife, National Wildlife Museum and Aquarium
• Fantastic Caverns Tour
• Gary’s Gay Parita
• Red Oak II
• Baxter Springs Heritage Center
• Bonnie & Clyde Hideout in Joplin, MO
• Marsh Arch Rainbow Bridge
• Coleman Theatre
• Cherokee Nation Tour

6 Nights / 7 Days

Sample Itinerary Inclusions: 6 nights’ accommodation, 6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 4 Dinners, 1 Kickback Reception, admissions, entrance, and guide fees as stated in the itinerary, including taxes, and gratuity. Except gratuity for guide fees is not included on adult tours unless otherwise requested.

• Arrive in St. Louis, MO. Guests should plan to arrive throughout the day and transfer to the hotel for an arrival time by 3pm.
• Check-in to your local St. Louis, MO, area hotel.
• Meet in the hotel lobby and depart for a Welcome Dinner included followed by a visit to Ted Drewes Frozen Yogurt for dessert.  Ted Drewes is a family-owned frozen custard company in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. The business was founded by Ted Drewes, Sr. in 1929. There are two locations, one on Chippewa Street -part of U.S. Route 66 -) with the other on South Grand Boulevard. Its signature item is the “concrete,” a serving of frozen custard so thick that it is customarily presented to the customer upside down.

• After breakfast at your hotel, check-out and depart.
• Tour the iconic Gateway Arch. Discover amazing views from the top – at 630 feet. Explore more throughout the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
• Around noon, board coach and enjoy a delicious box lunch included on your way to the next famous St Louis attraction.
• Discover something amazing at the National Museum of Transportation. The Museum's rail and transit collections have grown to encompass more than 190 major exhibits. The collection is recognized as the largest collection of transportation vehicles in the world and features an entire section on Route 66 and traveling the “Mother Road” during the peak of its popularity.
• Depart Cuba, MO, for St. Robert, MO. Tour the Route 66 Neon Park, featuring original neon signs that were along Missouri’s Route 66 in its heyday.
• Check-in to your local area hotel for the evening and overnight in St Robert.
• Enjoy a free evening to explore and have dinner on own.  Retire to your room at your leisure.

• Enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning before checking out and meeting your Pulaski County Step-on Tour Guide meets the group in the lobby and everyone departs on guided tour, including 26 of the original miles on Route 66.
• Drop off the tour guide at the Waynesville, MO, Square and see the Old Stagecoach Stop and the Pulaski County Museum, then lunch on your own on the square.
• Board motor coach and continue on Route 66 and a fun stop at Uranus Fudge Factory and General Store.
• Tour the Route 66 Museum.
• Depart for Springfield, MO, birthplace of route 66.
• Upon arrival in Springfield, drive downtown on the original Rt 66, enjoy dinner on your own at a variety of restaurants, and delight with free time to explore in Downtown Springfield. When it comes to unique dining experiences, restaurants in downtown Springfield will have you coming back for more! With dozens of chef-owned, one-of-a-kind restaurants, you’re sure to find something that will please your palate at a variety of price points in high-end to casual atmospheres. You’ll also find nearly every type of cuisine imaginable from amazing burgers to a unique menu at The Order, a fine-dining establishment inside Hotel Vandivort. Looking for Italian, Mexican, Asian? Downtown has it! How about a coffee shop, sweets, or steaks? You’ll find all that and more downtown.
• Check-in for one night at the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven. Experience an award-winning Springfield, MO, hotel on America's most legendary highway – Route 66. Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven features updated accommodations that honor the past while pampering travelers with modern amenities. Our pet-friendly guest rooms are smoke-free and have everything you need to feel at home including free high-speed Internet, cable TVs, coffee makers, refrigerators, and microwaves. Wake up to a complimentary breakfast and enjoy beautifully landscaped grounds.

• After breakfast at your hotel, check out, board your coach, & depart.
• Tour of the History Museum on the Square downtown and enjoy a Route 66 guided tour through the city with a step-on guide provided by the History Museum. As a city at the crossroads of our nation, Springfield, Missouri, played a role in many significant events throughout American history. Step back in time and see these stories come to life through hands-on experiences, world-class exhibits, and activities for all ages. You’ll become part of the story as you ride on our passenger train, encounter a Wild Bill Hickok shootout, and immerse yourself in the Birthplace of Route 66.
• Explore the Route 66 Car Museum, dedicated to showcasing and preserving some of the most quintessential and beautiful vintage sports cars and classic automobiles in history.
• Enjoy lunch at Red’s Giant Hamburg.  Sheldon “Red” Chaney opened a small hamburger diner soon after World War II. He couldn’t fit the whole word “Hamburger” on the vertical sign because of nearby utility wires. So, he dropped the “E-R” and named his restaurant “Red’s Giant Hamburg.” The restaurant became a legend of Route 66 and the Springfield area until it closed in 1984. Area restauranteur, David Campbell, dreamed of re-opening Red’s someday. And in pursuit of that dream, he purchased the brand rights from Red’s widow, Julia Chaney, more than twenty years ago. David Campbell and Greg Iott partnered together and began re-creating Red’s menu and designing the new restaurant to reflect that historic Route 66 vibe. The new Red’s Giant Hamburg opened on August 5th, 2019. Stop by and experience a throwback to the sights, sounds, and tastes of historic Route 66.
• Be immersed in wildlife at the Bass Pro, Wonders of Wildlife, National Wildlife Museum and Aquarium.  Spanning 350,000 square feet with over 1.5 miles of trails, Wonders of Wildlife takes you on a journey through immersive habitats that entertain and educate while sharing the story of America's most significant conservationists throughout history and today. The experience celebrates those who hunt, fish and act as stewards of the land and water. Located next to Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, the campus is a centerpiece of America’s Conservation Capital in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains.
• Enjoy a delicious dinner included at Hemingway's Restaurant located at Bass Pro. where you'll enjoy great food and unique atmosphere inspired by an American saltwater fishing legend – Ernest Hemingway, an avid international sportsman and one of the pioneers of big game fishing.
• Depart for lodging at Rail Haven Motel for final night in Springfield.

• Enjoy breakfast at your hotel this morning prior to checking out.
• Experience a Fantastic Caverns Tour, America's Ride-Thru Cave. A 55-minute guided tour follows an ancient underground riverbed filled with massive formations. The cave stays a comfortable 60° year-round.
• Arrive at Gary’s Gay Parita in Ash Grove, a recreation of a 1930 Sinclair gas station, taking you for a journey in time. The site includes a replica station, along with original pumps and other memorabilia from the heyday of Route 66: The Mother Road. Put together by the late Gary & Lena Turner for all to enjoy .
• Enjoy lunch at the Hanger Kafé in Miller, MO.
• Depart for Carthage, where you will tour the Carthage Square on your own. If you haven't seen the Downtown Historic District in awhile, you are missing out! The charming Carthage Square has many boutiques, restaurants, antique stores, art galleries, and more.
• Tour Red Oak II, the brainchild of internationally known artist, Lowell Davis. Davis was born and raised in a town 20 miles north of Carthage, Missouri known as Red Oak, Missouri. After becoming an adult, Davis left Red Oak. After a number of years, Davis returned to his hometown to find that Red Oak had become a ghost town. After discovering this, he bought buildings from Red Oak and moved them to his family's land near Carthage and gave them new life. He called this creation, Red Oak II. Wandering through Red Oak II you will find a collection of early 20th century buildings like a general store, a Phillips 66 station, an old school house and even an old cemetery
• Depart for Carterville to tour Supertam on 66 where you can explore this unique Superman Museum and have some gourmet ice cream.
• Arrive in Joplin, MO, and check-in to the Drury Inn & Suites for a free evening of rest and relaxation. Dinner this evening will be the Drury Inn Kick Back Reception with a variety of hot and cold foods, soda, water, beer, and wine.

• Enjoy breakfast at the hotel at your leisure this morning before meeting your Guide and embarking on a 2- to 3-hour tour to include such fun sites as: Candy House Gourmet, Joplin City Hall, Bonnie and Clyde Hideout Apartment, Grand Falls, and the MO/KS/OK Tri-State Marker.
• Arrive in Baxter Springs, KS, for lunch at the Baxter Springs Heritage Center and Museum (catered by Red Onion Cafe) and a Museum Tour.
• Depart Museum for Galena, KS, with a stop at Marsh Arch Rainbow Bridge. Visit the one of the few remaining Marsh Arch Bridges. This bridge, commonly know as Rainbow Bridge, is the only drivable bridge of its kind along the historic Route
• Board coach for Galena, KS, and Gearhead Curios Route 66 gift shop.  Marsh Arch Bridge is found along Kansas’ Historic Route 66 Byway. This fun byway offers opportunities for visitors to enjoy a variety of experiences to "get their own kicks" while driving the original Kansas portion of Route 66, found in the "Ozark Plateau" or Southeast corner of the state.
• Walk to Cars on the Route. Director John Lasseter and animator Joe Ranft of Pixar “Cars” visited this Kan-O-Tex Service Station on old Route 66 in Galena and saw the rusty tow truck that inspired the character “Tow Mater.” Stop by for photo ops with Tow Mater, a fire engine, and the restored 1934 gas station.
• Board the coach for Miami, OK.  Upon arrival, check-in to your local area hotel.  Rest and freshen up for this evening's activity.
• Depart for the beautiful Coleman Theatre for an amazing dinner and Guided Tour. Musicals & plays are staged in this restored 1929 performing-arts venue with ornate architecture. Built in 1929 for George Coleman, a local mining magnate, it has a distinctive Spanish Colonial Revival exterior, and an elaborate Louis XV interior.

• After a hearty breakfast at your host hotel, your Step-on Guide(s) meet you in the lobby and depart with you on the coach.
• Embark on a Cherokee Nation Tour. From the natural splendor of lakes and landscapes to watching history and culture come to life before your eyes, Cherokee Nation offers year-round destinations, discoveries, and special events for the whole family.
• Depart for home.

Personalized itineraries with custom pricing and/or additional transportation can be created and added based on client needs and upon client’s request. MARS will customize quotes or personalize itineraries for FREE.