Wineries, Wetlands, and Domes: Escape from your busy day-to-day with a slow travel road trip from Kansas City
My secret to a relaxing getaway is a short road trip from Kansas City mid-week instead of heading out of town on a Friday. My friend and I took some PTO and enjoyed exploring the rolling prairie countryside, local wineries, and small-town charm with no crowds. Sneaking away on a Wednesday, we explored Adrian, Appleton City, Butler, and the wetlands just across the state line while being hosted in the most beautiful glamping domes.
Where to Stay
Our home base defined our area of exploration. We were so excited for Luxury Glamping at Return to Roots Resort. Read all about the most beautiful tiki-themed dome. Use discount code ADVENTURE for 5% off your stay! Return to Roots Resort booking page. King-size beds, climate control, private bathroom, kitchenette, private hot tub, fire pit, and grill were for sure the highlight of our trip.
Itinerary for your Road Trip from Kansas City
After recent terrible airplane travel, I was excited for a short road trip from Kansas City where we were in charge of the schedule. Once we booked our luxury accommodations, we planned out our itinerary around the nearby attractions.
Here is my recommended mid-week itinerary. You could also work remotely part of the time from the dome!
Wednesday Morning
Pack up and start your road trip from Kansas City by heading for brunch at Byrd’s Pecan Delights in Adrian. We ate delicious breakfast sandwiches and to-die-for Pecan Pie shakes. We bought some tasty souvenirs to take back with us. Take a photo with the mural and riding the tractor.
Wednesday Afternoon
Cross over the Kansas border for a beautiful stroll through prairie and wetland forest at Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge in aptly named Pleasanton, KS. There is the perfect 1-mile paved path to stretch your legs after being in the car.
Check in to your themed dome after 3pm. Options include: It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere, Pop Culture Camp, Wander Inn, and the newest Fur Seasons (dog-friendly). Grab your firewood and check out the self-serve Sand Ridge Meat Stand at the farm across the street for some local meat. Relax and enjoy your private paradise.
Head into Butler, MO for dinner at Steiner’s or cook on the grill or over your fire pit. Close out the night with stargazing at your dome.
Thursday
Wake up refreshed and head out for coffee and smoothies at 4th Street Fika in Appleton City, MO. Fika is “a cherished Swedish cultural tradition of taking a deliberate pause from work or daily activities to socialize, relax, and connect over a hot drink and a sweet treat.” Our whole trip felt like a wonderful Fika moment. We had a lovely chat with the owner from Sweden. He came as a foreign exchange student, went home, then eventually moved to Appleton City and rehabbed the building to open the shop. Be sure to plan your trip to make it while they are open. Hours Mon – Fri 7am-11am and Sat 8am-noon. For more Swedish culture check out my article on Lindsborg, KS.
If your road trip from Kansas City is between Memorial Day through Labor Day, ride the vintage carousel. Wander around the quaint downtown: check out MO’s 3rd oldest library, take a photo with the train, and grab a bite at the Rustic Duck restaurant and wedding venue. We had pork tenderloin sandwiches with a unique, crunchy cracker crust. See Gus the dog, not only on the porch but painted on the door.
Head back for some relaxing time at the dome then head into Butler, MO to walk around the historic square, grab ice cream or other desserts at Udderly Nuts (check out their extensive kids’ play area), go for a $5 wine tasting, wine slushies, and amazing cocktails at Luna Umbra Winery, and dinner at Tu Casa for Mexican food. We missed our chance to check out the museum. It’s on the list for next time.
Back to the dome for hot tub and fire pit time.
Friday
Friday morning, pack up and check out by 10am.
Our mid-week trip meant we had most things to ourselves except “Midwest Famous” Koehn Bakery which is popular with locals and visitors alike. Our high-school waitress at Steiner’s said we had to go to Koehn Bakery, but not early at 7:15am when all the high schoolers are there; we should go later like 7:45am. That still sounded way early to our vacation brains, so we went after checking out of our dome at 10am. There were still a few people ahead of us, but it wasn’t crazy.
We had the recommended sour cream cookies, doughnuts, and a really unique but delicious sausage roll (mild sausage with cheese inside a doughnut-type roll). We took some doughnuts home with us. They have an extensive coffee menu, but people aren’t coming here for their one hot tea. The monster cookies looked amazing, too, but we were all full of sugar.
We had also been recommended the Wine Journal, so on our way home from our road trip from Kansas City, when we saw the Adrian, MO sign, we postponed returning to everyday life a little longer and enjoyed a wine flight inside a historic newspaper building.
We could have extended our trip a little longer to take more time just to relax and read a book, use the grill, and soak longer in the hot tub. We also missed the Bates County Museum, That’s It The Coop diner, and Rich Hill to eat at Swope’s drive-in and the Boathouse. We’ll save those for our next road trip from Kansas City!
Tips
- If you are doing any activities around the area, check out when they are open, so you don’t miss something fun that closes early or isn’t open on a certain day or time of year.
- There are some gravel roads leading to the resort, follow the directions from your welcome text to reduce the amount of time on the gravel roads.
- It’s just a short road trip from Kansas City to Return to Roots and the surrounding towns, but it’s always smart to download the GPS map of the area in advance (although I didn’t have an issue with signal.)
- To make a fun travel game on a road trip from Kansas City or anywhere in the Midwest, everyone in the car should try to moo the loudest whenever you see cows.
- These domes are really taking off in popularity, so book early to get your pick of dates and domes.
- Try a mid-week stay for an extra relaxing experience and have most of the sights to yourself.
- Use discount code ADVENTURE for 5% off your stay at Return to Roots Resort.
Locations
Adrian, MO is located about an hour south of Kansas City past Harrisonville and about 13 minutes from Butler, MO.
Appleton City, MO is about 20 minutes East of Butler, MO.
Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge in aptly named Pleasanton, KS is about 25 minutes West of Butler, MO into Kansas.
Return to Roots glamping domes in Butler, MO: 1-1.5 hours south of Kansas City (depending on where you are coming from in KC). 15 minutes south of Butler, MO.
Read More
If you enjoyed this article, check out Hermann, MO, Lindsborg, KS, and Historic Weston, MO.
Helpful Links
Glamping Details
Return to Roots Resort booking page If you are ready to book luxury glamping near Kansas City, use discount code ADVENTURE for 5% off your stay!
Luxury Glamping at Return to Roots Resort my article on our amazing stay.
Return to Roots Facebook, Return to Roots Instagram, Return to Roots TikTok, Return to Roots YouTube
Local Attractions and Dining
Byrd’s Pecan Delights, Koehn Bakery, 4th Street Fika, Luna Umbra Winery, The Wine Journal, Rustic Duck Restaurant at LakeView by Sue Barn Venue, Steiner’s Restaurant and Bar, Tu Casa Mexican Bar & Grill, Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge
Area Tourism
Visit MO, Butler, MO, City of Adrian, MO, Appleton City, MO
