Denver- Kansas City routes

[Green1000S]

Ok, this may sound like a stuuupid question, but what would be a good route from Denver area to Kansas City?
Or should we take southern route from Pueblo to Wichita?

No interest to follow I-70. Gravel or smaller roads would be great. Love small towns. Anything in-between to see will be added plus. Maybe even restaurants, rivers or camping spots?

I have Los Angeles-Denver is already mapped out, but Denver to Pennsylvania is open for suggestions. So, I'll ask one segment at time. This time, its Denver to BBQ capital Kansas City.
Looking for suggestions. First week of June we start from LA.

[cloudbase]

To get to the BBQ capital, you'll have to detour south to Lockhart, TX.  It'll be worth it.

Give U.S. 50 a go.  There was a write-up in a recent issue of Rider.

[Green1000S]

To get to the BBQ capital, you'll have to detour south to Lockhart, TX.  It'll be worth it.

Give U.S. 50 a go.  There was a write-up in a recent issue of Rider.

Lived in Victoria TX, Lockhart is well known for me, passed it on my way to Austin many times.
Shhhh.... I'm trying to get brownie points from CO-Kansas guys... We all know that TX  BBQ is the best.

[Guzzistajohn]

Pueblo to Wichita ain't bad, You go along the ArKANsas river. The river was the Mexican border back in the day. Bent's old Fort is a nice stop if you're interested in History.

36 to the north is nice too, ends up in St. Joe, Mo.

[oldbike54]

 Take the Southern route from Pueblo to Wichita , lots of Americana on US 400 . Stop in Greensburg.

 Dusty

[Guzzistajohn]

Take the Southern route from Pueblo to Wichita , lots of Americana on US 400 . Stop in Greensburg.

 Dusty

Greensburg? that the place with all those new buildings!!?? Don't forget Rocky Ford : )

[LowRyter]

I-70  <shrug>

[Guzzistajohn]

I-70  <shrug>

No interest to follow I-70.  <doubleshrug>

[LowRyter]

No interest to follow I-70.  <doubleshrug>

the same thing but slower <triple shrug>

[oldbike54]

Greensburg? that the place with all those new buildings!!?? Don't forget Rocky Ford : )

 Yeah , Greensburg was wiped out by a MONSTER TORNADO , 95% of the town was destroyed , but they have rebuilt using green technology . Which of course seems fitting for a town named Greensburg . A tough little town .

 Dusty

[Green1000S]

the same thing but slower <triple shrug>

Shrug?  Double, triple? I assume because it’s that boring?
Just trying to avoid endless concrete slab, where you see nothing other than truck bumpers...for the next 500 miles.

[Gliderjohn]

If you go the Denver to KC route try either highways 36 or 24. They are nice quiet two lanes that will give you a good taste of KS. If you have the time for a break I live about 35 miles north of Wichita. Would be glad to meet over coffee of lunch.
GliderJohn

[Chuck in Indiana]

36 beats the crap out of 70. Almost as fast, if you are trying to make time. The only place 70 is ok is through Colorado, IMHO.

[Daniel Kalal]

...what would be a good route from Denver area to Kansas City?

36 to Smith Center, then drop down to 24 to KC.  Normally, I'd recommend steering well clear of Kansas City (and Denver, too, for that matter), but it looks like that's a destination for you.  Plenty of nice little towns along the way.

This is the 100 year anniversary of the WW1 armistice.  The National WW1 museum is in Kansas City and is worth the stop.  You can't miss it; it's the tallest hill in the city and there's an even taller monument on it.  It's the best and largest all-inclusive WW1 museum in the world.  France and the UK and ANZAC have outstanding national museums devoted to their contributions, of course, but this one covers everybody (but still with an understandable emphasis on the US).

[Green1000S]

36 to Smith Center, then drop down to 24 to KC.  Normally, I'd recommend steering well clear of Kansas City (and Denver, too, for that matter), but it looks like that's a destination for you. 

Well... maybe just to eat BBQ, then again, we can do that in small towns.
I'll check the WW1 museum info. Thanks.

[Green1000S]

Pueblo to Wichita ain't bad, You go along the ArKANsas river. The river was the Mexican border back in the day. Bent's old Fort is a nice stop if you're interested in History.

36 to the north is nice too, ends up in St. Joe, Mo.

Take the Southern route from Pueblo to Wichita , lots of Americana on US 400 . Stop in Greensburg.

 Dusty

Thanks, will check those routes!

[inditx]

What Daniel and oldbike54 say  :1:

Also, the Steamboat Arabia is a great museum and if you’re into art, the Nelson-Adkins Art museum.

Of course if you swing by Marquette they have the Kansas Motorcycle Museum, home of Stan “The Man” Engdahl . "The museum was started in 2003 as a local tribute to Marquette's own motorcycle racing legend and FIVE TIME National Racing Champion, "Stan the Man" Engdahl. On display are over 600 trophies Stan won and his legendary Harley Davidson custom-built racing motorcycle he rode during his motorcycle racing career which spanned six decades from the 1940's to the 1990's. While Stan unfortunately passed away on November 12, 2007, Museum volunteers continue to the museum open seven days a week.”

If you’re by KCK the Kansas Speedway or Sporting KC if you’re into soccer. In this area, drop me a note and I’ll break bread with ya.

Finally having lived in both states, my monies on KC BBQ, sorry Texas brothers and sisters. But I will, say that the best brides are from Texas imho! 

[Daniel Kalal]

160 across the bottom would also be a good route across the state, but doesn't leave you in KC so might not work for you.  Note that much of US-400 is now a multi-lane freeway, so I don't know that I'd suggest that one.  But, if you do go through Greensburg, do it 5mph below the posted limit (very aggressive patrol).  Greensburg to Wichita and beyond is mostly grind-it-out freeway.

Yes; you'll find plenty of both good and mediocre bbq in many of these smaller towns.  Same as in Kansas City.  24 will take you through the college town of Manhattan (home of K-state), so you can find lots of really good places to eat of the sort you're looking for without all the traffic and headache of Kansas City.

I'll note (as it may not be obvious on a map), 36 across Missouri is now 100% freeway even if it isn't called a freeway or shown as one on maps.

[alanp]

36 beats the crap out of 70. Almost as fast, if you are trying to make time. The only place 70 is ok is through Colorado, IMHO.

I will second that.  Eastern CO is as boring as western CO is interesting.  I-70 to 36 is a good route. 

[ridingron]

I don't know of any routes better or worse than I-70. If it wasn't for the curvature of the earth, I think you could see Denver from KC with a good telescope.



If you're looking for good BBQ, you need to skip Co., Kansas, Missouri, and Texas and go on to Tn. or NC. 

[Gliderjohn]

If you have a relaxed time table I could also meet you somewhere along route and guide you through some of the more interesting KS backroads that would still lead you east.
GliderJohn

[fubar guzzi]

I agree with Alanp,however while in Denver---its the only place for truly great Mexican food,bar none the best......

[LowRyter]

keep her pinned on I-70 at 83 mph and you'll be out of Kansas much quicker. 

OK, so if I wanted to see scenic Kansas, Rocker was telling us there are some castle rocks there west of Hayes.  Never been there.

[Moto]

I also recommend 36, and a particular point of interest too. Two miles north of 36 on Kansas 27 is a small, informal monument commemorating the Cherry Creek encampment of Indian survivors of the notorious Sand Creek massacre in November, 1864. Survivors and Indians from other tribes congregated there and then launched an attack on the settlement and fort at Julesburg, CO, in January. This was the beginning, it is claimed, of the 12 year Plains Indian war that culminated in the battle of the Little Big Horn.

The monument is just some sheet iron "sculptures" by a local artist, and a list of the names of Indians who survived Sand Creek and those who are thought to have gathered later at the monument site. It is a poignant place to stop and think along the way, and is the one thing I remember clearly from my trip from Kansas City to Denver via 36. I went north from 36 on Kansas 27 to go up to Interstate 76 as my approach to Denver that time, instead of heading due west to the junction with I 70. It's a little greener and more interesting that way.

So I recommend that route to you: Interstate 76 from Denver to Brush, CO; US 34 to Haigler KS; Kansas highway 27 south to St. Francis (with the monument on the right two miles before St. Francis); then east on US 36 toward Kansas City.

You can read about this little monument and the historical Indian activies here: http://www.kansastravel.org/cherrycreekencampment.htm.

If you don't take my whole route recommendation but find yourself on US 36 going through St. Francis, don't forget that the monument can be visited a short two miles north on Kansas 27.

Like most travel, travel in Kansas is best done with your mind and imagination fully engaged (because the scenery is not so good).

Moto

[LowRyter]

Kansas City is very nice town.  Lots to see and do.  I like Arthur Bryant's BBQ.

[Guzzistajohn]

Kansas City is very nice town.  Lots to see and do.  I like Arthur Bryant's BBQ.

Don't you mean Jack's Stack?

[LowRyter]

Don't you mean Jack's Stack?

definitely not.  .....unless you're buyin'.

[twowings]

US-36 is a nice alternative to the droning blandness of I-70 unless you just love wearing a center flat spot in your tires...

[severely]

36 Hiway and Bryant's Barbeque for me also. Have a good ride no matter which route you chose.

[Green1000S]

I also recommend 36, and a particular point of interest too. Two miles north of 36 on Kansas 27 is a small, informal monument commemorating the Cherry Creek encampment of Indian survivors of the notorious Sand Creek massacre in November, 1864. Survivors and Indians from other tribes congregated there and then launched an attack on the settlement and fort at Julesburg, CO, in January. This was the beginning, it is claimed, of the 12 year Plains Indian war that culminated in the battle of the Little Big Horn.

The monument is just some sheet iron "sculptures" by a local artist, and a list of the names of Indians who survived Sand Creek and those who are thought to have gathered later at the monument site. It is a poignant place to stop and think along the way, and is the one thing I remember clearly from my trip from Kansas City to Denver via 36. I went north from 36 on Kansas 27 to go up to Interstate 76 as my approach to Denver that time, instead of heading due west to the junction with I 70. It's a little greener and more interesting that way.

So I recommend that route to you: Interstate 76 from Denver to Brush, CO; US 34 to Haigler KS; Kansas highway 27 south to St. Francis (with the monument on the right two miles before St. Francis); then east on US 36 toward Kansas City.

You can read about this little monument and the historical Indian activies here: http://www.kansastravel.org/cherrycreekencampment.htm.

If you don't take my whole route recommendation but find yourself on US 36 going through St. Francis, don't forget that the monument can be visited a short two miles north on Kansas 27.

Like most travel, travel in Kansas is best done with your mind and imagination fully engaged (because the scenery is not so good).

Moto

Will check the above, THANKS!!!
Lauri