Springfield

Fried chicken pieces in a brown sauce with cashews and scallions: Springfield-style cashew chicken was invented by a Chinese-born chef in the 1960s and became the local signature dish. A trip to Springfield, Missouri, takes you to the "Queen City of the Ozarks," the birthplace of Route 66 and a gateway to lakes, caves, and rolling hills.

Wild Bill, Route 66, and the Ozarks

Springfield was founded in the 1830s on the Ozark Plateau. In 1865, Wild Bill Hickok shot Davis Tutt on the town square in the first documented Western-style quick-draw duel; a commemorative plaque marks the spot. In 1926, the name "Route 66" was first proposed in a telegram here for the new highway from Chicago to Los Angeles, which is why the city calls itself the "Birthplace of Route 66." Today Springfield is Missouri's third-largest city and home to Missouri State University. It is also where the outdoor retailer Bass Pro Shops got its start, and its founder still shapes the city today.

Sights in Springfield

The Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, next to the Bass Pro Shops flagship store, showcases the wildlife of North America and the oceans with a huge aquarium and lifelike dioramas. Park Central Square in downtown is the starting point for a stroll along historic Route 66, with neon signs, motels, and a festival every August. Wilson's Creek Battlefield, the site of an early Civil War battle, lies southwest of the city. Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park has a botanical garden with a Japanese stroll garden, and the Dickerson Park Zoo shows animals from around the world. Fantastic Caverns is a limestone cave that you tour by jeep-drawn tram.

Eating and going out in Springfield

Besides the ever-present cashew chicken, you'll find barbecue, fried catfish, and biscuits and gravy, as they're loved in the Ozarks. Breweries, cafés, and live-music bars have settled in downtown and in the Commercial Street (C-Street) district, a historic shopping street north of the center. The area around the university in West Central has a lively student scene. On Saturdays, the Farmers Market of the Ozarks sells regional produce.

Experiencing Route 66

If you want to follow Route 66, start at Park Central Square, where plaques commemorate the road's birth. The Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven, a motel from the 1930s, and the Route 66 Car Museum with its classic cars are worth a stop. At the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in August, cars are on display, bands play, and neon signs glow. West of the city, the old road runs through small towns and farmland toward Joplin and Kansas, past abandoned gas stations and lovingly restored diners.

Getting around Springfield and the best time to visit

Springfield-Branson National Airport lies northwest of the city and has connections to major hubs. Buses serve the city area, but you'll need a car for the Ozarks. The best times to visit are spring and fall, when the forests are green or colorful; summer is hot and humid. Day trips lead to Branson with its theaters and shows, to Table Rock Lake, to Mark Twain National Forest, and to the Buffalo National River in Arkansas for canoe trips.