Top Five Travel Stops in 2025!

It is hard to narrow down favorites, this year was a whirlwind of travel stops and fun, but some of the stops were just the best! They are in alphabetical order rather than in order of what I enjoyed the most. Out of these top ten stops, I don’t have a decided favorite, they were all great for different reasons!

Abilene, Kansas

Western history buffs by True West Magazine, voted Abilene the #7 spot as one of the Top 10 True Western Towns of the Year. My husband Keith and I loved the historic buildings, murals, and stops like the Big Spur and the World’s Largest Belt Buckle.

History in Abilene

It was the cattle drives that put Abilene on the map and turned it into a Wild West town. The first cattle drive from Texas to Abilene took place in 1867. Visit Abilene’s website shares, “In 1867 when Joseph McCoy came to Kansas looking for a suitable place to construct a stockyard…”

Abilene is also the boyhood home of Dwight Eisenhower, and the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum!

Clarksdale, Mississippi

In February of 2024 we visited Clarksdale, Mississippi, the home of the blues. Seeking ag history and music, we also found art everywhere. Before stopping in Clarksdale, we visited the Gateway to the Blues in Tunica, Mississippi.

Hosted by Visit Clarksdale I learned about the blues musicians connected with this musical town at the Delta Blues Museum. Robert Johnson, Son House, John Lee Hooker, Junior Parker, Ike Turner, Eddie Boyd, Sam Cooke, Muddy Waters, Pinetop Perkins, Earl Hooker, Lil Green, Big Jack Johnson are some of the famous musicians. Through murals you can see history of the musicians that called Clarksdale home. Their story is shared through art like this mural of Sam Cooke.

Sam Cooke was the son of a Baptist minister. He was the 5th of 8 children born in Clarksdale in 1931. He is famous for hits like “You Send Me,” “Wonderful World,” “Chain Gang” and “Twistin’ the Night Away.”

Blues up close and personal.

While there I had the honor to meet a few living legends like William Homans, known as Watermelon Slim. I heard music by Sean “Bad” Apple, and Howard Stovall of the Stone Gas Band.

The blues connection to agriculture is clear in the art, the history and the music. The blues began in the cotton fields and field hollers.

During our stay, we lodged at the Shack Up Inn, located on the former Hopson Plantation.  Music is live most nights in the former Cotton Gin. But the location is famous for an agricultural first. At the Hopson Plantation on October 2, 1944, an International Harvester mechanical harvester harvested the first cotton crop. the crop was harvested for the first time, totally without the use of hand labor.

Tour of the Delta

Chilly Billy Howell of Delta Bohemian Tours lead our tour of this Mississippi Delta. During our tour, Billy shared information about Tennesse Williams. Between 1917 and 1932, he lived with and visited his grandparents.  Williams is said to have featured Clarksdale people, places, and stories in some of his most famous plays.

Billy took us to see the Sunflower River. The river runs right through town. On the riverbank we saw these beautiful bald knob cypress trees. We loved our visit to this amazing town that is a combination of ag history, art and blues!

Clarksville, Tennessee

Remember the song by the Monkee’s Last Train To Clarksville? Well, this summer, we took a trip to this iconic town. Hosted by Visit Clarksville, Tennessee, Clarksville is a vibrant river city is filled with history, architecture, a foodie scene, artists and more! During our stay, we visited the busy farmer’s market and took in local murals.

Dining!

Our stops were many, they included a stop at the Old Glory Restaurant & Silo Park. “This new distillery restaurant opened in February,” Michelle Dickerson of Visit Clarksville shared. The decor includes lights made from barrels, signs reading “Crafted in Clarksville Tennessee” and more.

During our trip, we returned to Strawberry Alley Ale Works, which Michelle shared, “This young family that owns Old Glory Distillery bought this abandoned building and opened the restaurant and brewery downtown in April 2018.”

Farming history in Clarksville

We returned to Historic Collinsville where Director, Kristy Proctor took us on a tour sharing the town was settled in the 1870’s. We met Kristy at the Visitor’s Center. This cabin belonged to the founder Glen Weakly’s grandmother, Savannah Tennessee Jones. “Savannah had four children. Glen’s dad (her son) was a minister. He baptized JoAnn (Glen’s wife),” Kristy shared.

Our favorite outbuilding was the tobacco barn. “Clarksville was world renown for tobacco,” Kristy said.

A new feature since our last visit was the Weakly Museum. Many years ago, we toured Historic Collinsville and met JoAnn and Glenn Weakly. The Weaklys passed in 2021. Today their house is a museum. Another farm stop during our stay was Erin’s Farm. Operated by Linda and Gary Hamm at Erin’s Farm they grow blueberries and Christmas trees.

In the heart of downtown Clarksville, we enjoyed a stay at the Airbnb, Memories on Main. We loved the roomy renovated art inspired townhouse, it is great for families, couples, or a group of friends.

Shopping in Clarksville

Anyone that knows my husband knows he is an antique enthusiast. Antiquing started early at Angi’s Treasures, then onto the wonderful Miss Lucille’s Marketplace.  On to Radical Relic Antiques, Keith found some cool tools, then at &Vinyl, Keith spied a blast from the past, a ZZ Top record. There are lots of cool records to enjoy perusing. This made us think we need to add a record player to our entertainment line up! Shopping after Christmas, my grandson Cade just got a new record player, so I need to start looking for vinyl!

Downtown I met Jerica Watson of JAIJOU Co. Boutique, a women’s store named after her daughters. We shopped in Clarksville Collection, and Artlink. Melody and Ken Shipley’s Rivercity Clay Studio, had fine arts, and a favorite piece of public art I love is the Children’s Fountain. 

Keith and I met up with Michelle and her husband Dan to watch the Eagles Tribute Project, a band that plays Eagles music!

The concert was located at the Downtown Commons which is like a huge playground. We saw little ones enjoying the water element. Michelle said this summer they have been offering music by tribute bands, and it has been drawing a huge crowd!

Clarksville is a great place year-round with a fort, historical home, and lots of holiday fun!

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Kenosha is a beautiful town along Lake Michigan! This summer I visited with my friend Annie Jansen on a trip hosted by Meridith Jumisko of Visit Kenosha.

Do you love public art as much as I do? If so, then Kenosha is the town for you! Next door to a great breakfast spot, Anna’s on the Lake, we ran across the Remember Pearl Harbor Memorial.

Across the street, we spied the Veteran’s Memorial Fountain. Having been to Clear Lake, Iowa to the Surf Ballroom, the last place that Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the “Big Bopper” J.P. Richardson played before the airplane crash, I was interested in the Winter Dance Party Sculpture Kenosha. These musicians played on January 24, 1959, just a short ten days before the fatal crash that killed the musicians along with their pilot, Roger Peterson on February 3, 1959.

Supper clubs are usually family run and have a Midwest vibe. HobNob Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, was established in 1954. During our visit, it was our Tuesday evening dining event. Located along the shore of Lake Michigan, this is not just a restaurant, but a supper club. We also dined at the wonderful Italian American Supper Club!

Back in 2019, Annie and I saw many museums, during this visit, we returned to the Civil War Museum and had the chance to see the new Printmaking-Pop Culture of the Civil War Exhibit.

Active Adventures in Kenosha

A true adventure was Mission94 is a place where you can get a hands-on perspective of the history of firearms that shaped our nation. They will be offering history courses, training courses and more. This is a three-tier program incorporating safety, discovery, and history.

We sailed on Sail Away Charters with Captain Bart Mengo for a two-hour tour. Annie and I felt honored that just the two of us were able to see the lovely marina, beautiful Lake Michigan and visit with a fascinating sailor!

Heading to Boundless Adventures located in Bristol Woods Park, this beautiful area has several options, withs 200-acres and 4.28 miles of hiking trails. We headed to Boundless Adventures for our axe throwing adventure! Annie had done this a few times, I watched it in Kansas, but didn’t participate so I was a newbie! While there we also enjoyed Pringle Nature Center, and stopped at Hawthorn Hollow a beautiful wildlife refuge. They offer a Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum. Kenosha is full of fun!

Shipshewana, Indiana

I attended the Midwest Travel Networks conference along with Annie Jansen this past June following recent holiday visits. Shipshewana is a small Midwestern town filled with history, culture, and fun. In the last few years, the population of Shipshewana has almost doubled. Today there are a little over 800 residents. The Shipshewana area has the 3rd largest Amish community in the US. There is also a large Mennonite population.

Shipshewana brings over a million visitors a year! There are fun shopping and dining options. They offer outdoor activities. Plus, there are also cultural attractions I keep learning more about as well!

Shipshewana stops.

Whether you are looking for Amish shops, history, or entertainment. A stop on the trip was the Menno-Hof Amish-Mennonite Interpretive Museum provides religious history and a background of the Amish, Mennonite, and Hutterite people.

With the Blue Gate Theater, we have seen concerts, and at the smaller playhouse wonderful Amish plays. At the Blue Gate, they have it all. A hotel, restaurant, and entertainment venues. On a holiday visit, we got the rare opportunity to dine at the Blue Gate and meet the founders Mel and June Riegsecker. Their story of starting the Blue Gate was amazing. The Blue Gate history section shares, “A native of Northern Indiana Amish Country, Mel’s father was an Amish harness maker, who taught Mel every detail of this ethnic skill. In 1970, for his own enjoyment, Mel created the first of his miniature wagons and six horse hitches with everything from manes to bridles authentically detailed. Mel’s father displayed the handsome miniature in his shop for all to enjoy. To the surprise of father and son, the miniature was quickly purchased!”

Over time, they developed all of the Blue Gate operations which today are headed up by their son and son-in-law.

Wonder about the name of the town? Shipshewana is named after Chief Shipshewana, Chief of the Pottawattamie Indians There is so much to see and do in this beautiful, faith filled town and countryside. Shopping, unique tours of a buffalo, Amish women a more!

More, more, more!

We also went to beautiful Salina, Kansas, a town filled with art and architecture. I experienced the Total Eclipse in Wayne, County Indiana! This summer we played tourist in our own backyards and saw new Route 66 sites in Springfield. Macomb, Illinois has a new Monoply game on their square. Everywhere you look there is something special to see and do. We had a great year, and have more fun adventures planned in 2025.

Where did you go during 2024 that you loved?