Dublin OH to Springfield MO

Here's a map of our route for the day!

This review is from October 2016.

​We left Dublin OH early in the morning but just had to make a quick stop before leaving town. How can you not stop at a field of concrete corn cobs!!! The giant cobs of corn are a reminder of the area's long history of agriculture. 

Our next stop for the day was an unplanned stop at the Warm Glow Candle Outlet Store in Centerville IN. We were thrilled to see that their store was pet friendly! Fred loves to be included in shopping trips! Inside we found unique candles, gifts, foodie finds, clean restrooms, and a cute cafe. We put our purchases into the car and headed to our next stop!

The 2nd stop of the day was to see the Kaskaskia Dragon in Vandalia IL. We went into the liquor store across from the metal dragon and purchased a couple of tokens. These tokens are the way to make the dragon breathe fire. Unfortunately, we were fighting the sun and the wind so pictures of the dragon don't show the fire but it was fun to see in person. For lunch we stopped at Five Guys for burgers and french fries. I know it's not a local spot but it's one of the safest options for me and my allergies. 

When I was younger my family always made road trips to Colorado. Each time we headed west we would stop in St Louis MO to see the Gateway Arch. We didn't get out of the car on this trip but it was nice to see the arch again. 

For the 3rd stop of the day we visiting the town of Cuba MO. Along route 66 in Cuba you will find the Murals of Cuba. The Murals are out doors and are truly unique and beautiful.

Our stopping point for the day was Springfield MO. We booked the DoubleTree Springfield hotel for the night. We were welcomed as Diamond members and given our two rooms we requested online. Thanks to our membership we were given access to the 10th floor lounge and breakfast vouchers. The lounge is 24 hours which we found nice (a few other Hilton properties no longer offer 24 hours). Our rooms were clean and offered the usually amenities that DoubleTree is known for. 

For dinner we opted for room service. We ordered Thai Chicken Wings, Char Crusted Ahi Tuna, and a Brentwood Chicken Sandwich. The staff also took note of my allergies. The service was quick and friendly and the food was fresh and flavorful. Breakfast the next morning was also good and the staff allowed my husband to take breakfast back to our room since we had Fred with us.