When traveling along Route 66, it’s fun to stop at the various roadside attractions you’ll encounter, both original to when Route 66 was in its prime and the newer stops that have resulted in renewed interest in Route 66. Henry’s Rabbit Ranch is one of those newer attractions. Located about 50 miles south of Springfield, Illinois, in Staunton, we found the ranch to be a well-timed stop when we made our trip home from Springfield to Joplin. And it’s a lot of fun! Henry’s Rabbit Ranch: A Little Background Rich Henry, the owner of Henry’s Rabbit Ranch, launched the attraction in 1999 after he came to the rescue of his daughter who needed help with her rabbits that had multiplied. Rich was glad to help, and eventually, the rabbits made their home at the ranch. Over the years, rabbits have come and gone. You can even pay your respects in…
At Halloween, some families go trick-or-treating. Some have parties or scary movie marathons. This year, our family decided to do a ghost tour in a nearby city–Springfield, Missouri. And where do you go for a ghost tour in Springfield? Why, the Pythian Castle, of course! This wasn’t our family’s first ghost tour. The ghost tour at the Pythian Castle made number 7 for us. What can I say? We like our history tours with a dash of the supernatural. To read about other ghost tours we’ve taken, click the links below. Lincoln’s Ghost Walk Ghosts and Gravestones: Savanah–The Andrew Low House Ghosts and Gravestones: San Diego–The Whaley House The Crescent Hotel Gettysburg (post has a section on the Jennie Wade House) What is the Pythian Castle? A Brief History The Pythian Castle has a surprising history. In 1913, the fraternal order, The Knights of Pythias, built the castle as a…
If you’re planning a trip to Southwest Missouri, be sure to include a visit to Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield. This Civil War battlefield is located near Springfield and just about a half-hour from Branson. It’s a great experience for history lovers and those who love the great outdoors; it’s a great addition to your trip to the Ozarks. We’ve been a couple of times now, both in the summer, though not this summer. My summer advice is to always go early, if you can, to beat the heat. Begin Your Adventure at the Wilson’s Creek Visitor Center Like most places that are part of the National Park Service, the visitor center is a great place to learn a little background and orient yourself to the park. I love the park vehicles parked out front. You can also pay your visitor fees and purchase any souvenirs. My family always gets a…
If you’re exploring the Lincoln attractions in Springfield, Illinois, with your family, you may want to build in some experiences for the little ones where they can explore and burn off some energy. Kidzeum of Health and Science, the children’s museum in Springfield, is the perfect place for just that. We’d like to thank Visit Springfield for sponsoring our visit! Arriving at Kidzeum 412 Adams Street Since Kidzeum is located downtown and we were planning to visit several locations there from morning until at least early afternoon, we picked a place that was centrally located for our plans of the day. It was a warm morning in July. We decided to make Kidzeum our first visit of the day, so we arrived at opening, hoping to avoid any crowds. As we walked to the children’s museum, we noticed that a famers’ market was in full swing. Keep that in mind…