Off the beaten path along I 70 Day 2

Day 2: Enon, Ohio to Independence, Missouri
















Stop #1: Hard Rock Cafe, Indianapolis, Indiana

Okay, so maybe this isn't "off the beaten path" or "unusual" but it is super easy to get to off of I 70. I've been to a lot of Hard Rock Cafe's as my husband collects the City shirts. This Hard Rock is one of my favorite so far. From the outside and when you first enter it's nothing special. But they have some of the best memorabilia that I've seen. They try to keep it local I was told by the gal that worked there. She says nonchalantly that they have stuff from the locals like the Jacksons, John Cougar Mellencamp and Waylon Jennings. " The Jacksons?" I ask. "Yeah, you can go in that room over there if you'd like. It has all the Jackson stuff" she says as she points to a closed door that is black beyond it's windows. My curiosity got the best of me so after our order of Nachos (which are fantastic) I drag my daughter and sister to see what is beyond the closed door. We open the door and try to find a light switch. My sister has success and we stand there gaping at what is in front of us. Original hand written lyrics to Michael Jackson's "Bad", the infamous black leather jacket worn by Michael on the "Bad World Tour", pictures of the Jackson 5 and several of Janet's memorabilia as well. You just can't help but get a little thrill to see a signed cover of the Thriller album. It was one of the first albums I owned.

Stop #2: World's Largest Cross, Effingham, Illinois



You can't miss this one. It's visible from the freeway. In our case we were just looking for a good place to take a break after Indianapolis. I picked Effingham off the map and then googled it on my Blackberry. "World's Largest Cross" came up. Well, that would be something to see wouldn't it? So we stopped. This is a great place to stop. Easy to get to and a very nice visitor center with super clean restrooms. Free coffee for those that care about that (we didn't), 50 cent soda from the machines, couch to rest on and a map to put a pin on where you are from. Fun little place.

Stop #3: Nostalgiaville Kingdom City, Missouri



There were signs for this place all along I 70. We were ready for a break so we decided to check it out. It is full of 50's and 60's stuff and the people that work there are very nice. We were blessed with the sign of the cross when we left. Now that makes you feel special.

Stop # 4: Emma, Missouri pop 237



We had to stop here because I have a daughter named Emma. This was not really a stop but a drive thru because it was raining hard and there was nothing open in this tiny town.

Stop # 5: Liberty Jail, Liberty, Missouri



This is the sight where the Prophet Joseph Smith was incarcerated for 4 months in 1839. For more information on this very interesting site please go here. It is about 20 minutes north of I 70 and well worth a visit.