City Escape: Kansas City, Missouri

By the mid-19th century, the U.S. had expanded through the slavery-supporting state of Missouri to its border with the future state of Kansas, which wanted to come into the Union as a “free state.” During the years preceding the Civil War, armed citizens fought over Kansas’ future status during a period known as Bleeding Kansas.

This route takes you from modern Kansas City south along secondary roads on both sides of the Missouri and Kansas border. You’ll see a Civil War battlefield and several other historical sites to learn what life was like here in the mid-19th century. Being “Kansas,” the roads are mostly straight, but the topography makes up for the lack of curves. The terrain and prairie grass roll like swells on an ocean and bring a sense of tranquility and calmness.