As we travel around the country, we thought we would share some of the cooler, but lesser known places, that you might want to visit.
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The Garage in Downtown Salina Kansas is a beautiful automobile museum. The interesting thing about this auto museum is the rotating exhibits with several themes changing throughout the year.
When we were there in August 2022 one exhibit area was muscle cars and the other side was customs. There is also plenty of automobilia throughout.
Old school hot rodders would stick the biggest engine they could find in the smallest cars and then strip them down to make them lighter so they would go faster. For example, they might put a Lincoln engine in a Ford Model A and then take off the fenders and bumpers to lighten it.
In the early 1960’s U.S. automakers added smaller compact cars to their lines and saw the chance to build factory hot rods using the same formula. For example, they would put a big V8 from a Chevrolet Impala into their smallest compact Nova. Pontiac dropped the big 389 V8 from the Bonneville into the small Tempest and rebranded it as a GTO and the muscle car was born. Between 1964 and 1971, every U.S. auto brand had some sort of muscle car.
Emissions standards and high fuel costs ended the muscle car era. Many new cars today are faster than the 1960’s muscle cars, handle and stop better, have near zero emissions and use half as much gas, but the old muscle cars have an appeal and are highly collectible.
Custom cars are unique. Each one is created by an individual with an emphasis on style. Some are modified production cars, and some are built from the ground up. Almost all have very high-end paint schemes and are truly works of art.
The Garage changes the displays on a quarterly schedule so regular visits should bring new surprises.
We have traveled i-70 from Kansas City to the Colorado Rockies many times, but never taken the detour to see the Monument Rocks National Monument. The chalk formations were formed as the inland sea receded about 80 million years ago, so I guess there has been plenty of time to visit. They are about 30 miles south of I-70, about a third of that on gravel roads, so a visit adds about an hour and half to a Colorado trip.
Unlike, the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs which seem quite natural in their surroundings, the Gove County Rocks are startling in that they rise straight out of the prairie floor.
If you haven’t visited them yet, allow a few hours on your next trip across Kansas. If you are a Kansan, it is a required stop.
Colorado
The Flying W is a Chuck Wagon Supper with a Western Music show. Don’t confuse Western Music with Country Music. As described by the owner of the Flying W, “Country Music is usually one person singing about coveting his neighbor’s wife. Western Music is 4 or 5 people singing in harmony about coveting their neighbor’s horse.” Country music came out of churches and beer joints and met on the radio. Western music came out of 1930’s Hollywood “B” movies and landed in 1950’s television. Completely different.
The Flying W Wranglers are the second oldest Western singing group after the Sons of the Pioneers. They have been singing at the ranch since 1953. The whole placed burned down in a wildfire in 2012 but has been rebuilt better than ever. Whether or not you like cowboy music, The Flying W Ranch is a “kick”. Wear your boots and hat if you want to feel at home. We saw people with Hawaiian shirts and flip-flops, so they don’t have a dress code. The dinner provides generous servings and it is fun for the whole family.
The Angad Arts Hotel in St Louis, Missouri
Part art gallery and part hotel, this place is cool. This is a boutique hotel with a full-time arts curator. We arranged for a personal tour of the collection, some of which is changed out regularly. All of the public spaces have artwork made by artists who live within 200 miles of St Louis. The rooms are colorful and unique as well. Included in the price of the tour, the guest receives two free beverages from their rooftop bar and the overnight parking.
The hotel is in the Grand Center Arts District which means there are plenty of galleries, cafes, and shops nearby. We stayed there because it is directly across the street from the ornately decorated Fabulous Fox Theater. Yes, that’s the name, “The Fabulous Fox Theater.” It is a 5,000-seat theater built in 1928. The ballet and opera are nearby as well.
If you are ready for something different on your St Louis visit, this is it. You will know you are there when you see the silhouettes climbing the fire escape and the big stack of suitcases sculpture at the street level entrance.
Historic St Charles, Missouri
St Charles is the old river town just west of St Louis. If you haven’t done so yet, get off of I-70 and follow the signs to the Historic Main Street. There you will find blocks of pre-civil war buildings housing shops and restaurants of all kinds along the narrow brick streets along the Missouri River.
It is a step back in time to a beautifully preserved part of an old city. We had lunch at Salt and Smoke BBQ, but there are lots of good choices of places to eat and shop for unusual items.
Historic St Charles will be one of our primary stops on every trip to St Louis.
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Oklahoma
The Bob Dylan Center in the Tulsa Arts District
The Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa is a museum and archive dedicated to one of the most prolific and influential songwriters of the 29th century.In 2016 Bob Dylan sold his archive and collection to the Kaiser Foundation and the University of Tulsa. The museum opened in 2022. The foundation also operates the nearby Wood y Guthrie Center. Dylan considered Guthrie his mentor.
The Church Studio - Tulsa
The Church Studio is a hundred-year-old church that was converted to a recording studio by Leon Russell. It was later purchased by Steve Ripley of The Tractors. It is still a commercial recording studio which is open to the public for tours.
Tennessee
Awaken Old City Church & Coffee Shop- Knoxville, Tennessee
We were driving through Knoxville, Tennessee looking for a good cup of coffee and came across Awaken Coffee in the old part of downtown called “Old City.” Awaken is actually a church and coffeehouse founded by Adam and Sarah Lutts who are former youth pastors. They were concerned about the number of young people who were active in the church youth group but failed to make the transition to becoming members of an adult church community.
Awaken Old City Church was formed to address this issue and appeal to this demographic. This is a common concern among church leaders and is the reason that many older congregations are losing members. It is also the reason that churches that are designed to appeal to young adults are the fastest growing churches in the United States.
We weren’t there on a Sunday, so we can’t speak about the congregation, but the atmosphere was great, and the coffee was outstanding. If you are in Knoxville, Sunday morning or any other time, check out Awaken Old City Church and Coffee Shop at 125 W Jackson.
Texas
The Continental Club - Austin, Texas
Austin is the live music capital of the world with hundreds of clubs and theaters playing all genres of music, seemingly around the clock. But if you want a true taste of Texas music, head down South Congress to The Continental Club.
It doesn’t look like much from the street, but many nationally known bands call it home and play there whenever they are in town. You might pay $40 for a ticket to see a band in Kansas City or Tulsa on a Friday or Saturday, and then see that the same band is playing all afternoon on Sunday at The Continental with no cover charge and inexpensive beer.
An added bonus is the great swing dancers that regularly fill the dance floor.
When in Austin, don’t miss the Continental Club. And while you are at it, you might as well stay at the Austin Motel across the street. This is a funky throwback to the 1950’s motels. As the sign says, “So close in, yet so far out.”
