ROUTES

Wine Country . . . Fine Country!

An easy day trip along I-70 and Hwy 24 • Good things to eat and drink await you as you visit four wineries, two produce markets and a country store.

Start your taste buds tickling by getting off I-70 at Odessa, Exit 37. Go north on Hwy 131 to the first intersection with Outer Rd. Go east ¾ of a mile on Outer Rd. to One Good Taste Country Store (7089 Outer Rd., Odessa, 816-633-8720 onegoodtaste.com). You’ll find more than 140 varieties of cheese (free samples!) plus sausage, Amish-style goods, snacks, candies, jarred goods, spices and rubs. With snacks in hand, get back on Hwy 131. Follow 131 south through Odessa. On the south edge of Odessa, turn west on Hwy OO and follow it for 4 miles (through twists and turns) to Newton Rd. Turn west again on Newton Rd. and go 1 mile to McNeel Rd. Turn south on McNeel Rd. and go ½ mile to Odessa Country Winery (2466 McNeel Rd., Odessa, 816-633-7843, odessacountrywinery.com) This small, artisan winery specializes in semi-sweet country wines, a perfect complement to your snacks! The vineyard is on-site and has received first place ribbons in state competition. Open Sat-Sun, 12-6.

Now retrace your route to Exit 37, get back on I-70, and go east to Exit 49. Turn south on Hwy 13. Just south of the interchange, go back west on Old Highway 40 for about ½ mile to Arcadian Moon Vineyards & Winery (19203 Old U.S. 40, Higginsville, 660-584-6661, arcadianmoon.com). Situated among four lakes on 75 acres, Arcadian Moon is truly a rustic paradise. Sitting on the deck overlooking the large lake is the perfect place to discover Missouri wines and midwestern varietals.

Arcadian Moon also serves wood-fired pizzas Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Now return to Hwy 13 and go north through Higginsville to Hwy FF. Turn west on Hwy FF and go about 11 miles to Flournoy School Rd. Just north off FF is La Bella Vineyards & Winery (11644 Flournoy School Rd., Wellington, 816-240-2404 labellawinery.com). Enjoy complimentary tastings of dry to sweet red and white wines, as well as fruit and dessert-style wines. There’s a gift shop filled with wine-related gifts and specialty foods, and you can relax on the patio with wine and wood-fired pizza, overlooking a 10-acre lake.

Continue west on Hwy FF about two miles to Hwy 131. Go north to the intersection with Hwy 24, then east about 2 ½ miles to Howe Rd. Turn right on Howe Rd. and follow the signs to Fahrmeier Family Vineyards & Winery (9300 Mitchell Trail, Lexington, 816-888-9490, fahrmeierfamilyvineyards.com). An old barn with an amazing 360-degree view of the rolling countryside has been converted into a charming tasting room where you can sample a selection of wines and stroll the premises where the Farhmeier family grows produce with a backyard flavor. A couple of miles east of the vineyard, just off Hwy 24 on County Farm Rd., is Fahrmeier’s U-Pick & Produce Market (9133 County Farm Rd., Lexington, 816-289-2496). Look for the little red barn where you can pick your own berries in season and find homegrown produce, pumpkins and other tasty treats.

Now go back west on Hwy 24 to Buckner. Turn north on Buckner Tarsney Rd. and go 1½ miles north to Sibley Orchards & Cider Mill (3717 N. Buckner Tarsney Rd., Sibley, 816-650-5535, sibleyorchards.com) In season, you can find blackberries, peaches, sweet corn, tomatoes, apples and fresh-pressed cider. On weekends in October, there are free hayrides to the pumpkin patch.

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famous cannonball in the courthouse column!)  Find fashion at Gigi’s and Limrick’s, unique artisan creations at The Purple Turnip, local history and children’s books at River Reader, lunch at Papa Jack’s Pizza and sweet treats at Big Muddy Ice Cream Company. The Battle of Lexington State Historic Site and Lexington Historical Museum offer fascinating insights into Civil War and Santa Fe Trail history, and the 1853 Saluda steamboat explosion that killed nearly 100 Mormons on their way to Utah.Stop in Waverly to see the equestrian statue of General Jo Shelby, famous Confederate cavalry commander.

Around the Courthouse Square in Carrollton are shops including Shirley’s Shoes & Boots, where you’ll find an amazing array of clothing and accessories and sales clerks who smile! Stop by the Carroll County Historical Society Museum to sample this area’s history.

Marshall was home to “Jim, the Wonder Dog,” whose amazing powers of prediction are commemorated in a beautiful, relaxing Memorial Park with water garden on the Courthouse Square, adjacent to shops and restaurants. The Nicholas Beazley Aviation Museum has a remarkable collection of vintage aircraft and memorabilia.  Nearby is the Pennytown Historic Site, a black hamlet dating to 1871.

Along the way, there’s a lot to see and do. The road between Lexington and Carrollton leads you to Terre Beau Winery, Baltimore Bend Winery, Schreiman’s Orchard, and Peters Market. Just short distances off the main route are La Bella Vineyards & Winery, Fahrmeier Family Vineyards and Arcadian Moon Vineyards and Winery. Birders, bring your camera and binoculars for a stop at the Baltimore Bend Conservation Area. Be on the lookout for Barn Quilts and Missouri Century Farms.

Too much to sample in one day? Consider an overnight at The Trellis Bed & Breakfast or Rivertown Inn in Lexington, Shady Rest Bed & Breakfast in the countryside near Mayview, or the Comfort Inn in Marshall.

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Sips to Nuts!

On the trail of pecans (and the fruit of the vine) north of the River

Brunswick is home to the “World’s Largest Pecan” and a center for Missouri pecan growers. Missouri native pecans are unique—smaller in size, but packed with the best flavor of any pecan grown in the USA. The pecan harvest here starts in mid-October, but nuts area available year ‘round at King Hill Farms (22842 Hwy 24, 4½ miles east of Brunswick on Hwy 24, 660-548-3972, kinghillpecans.com). Pecans from their 3,000 trees are available cracked, shelled or ready for baking or snacking. You’ll also find garden produce and fall ornamentals in season, plus food items made in mid-Missouri. Other Brunswick area growers offering pecans in season include Harvey’s Pecans (23866 Hwy 24 Brunswick, 660-548-3308, 5½ miles east of Brunswick); Neidholdt Pecan Farm (28095 Hwy 11, Brunswick, 660-548-1025) and Miller Pecan Farms (25097 CR 381, ½ mile west of De Witt, north 1 mile on CR 381. Between CR 250 and Pecan Ave., 660-549-3389).

After a hard day of nutting, you may want to relax by sampling the wines at

Bushwhacker Bend Winery (515 First Street, Glasgow, 660-338-2100, bushwhackerbend.com). Bushwhacker Bend is in a restored building in quaint downtown Glasgow, with a deck offering a view over the wide Missouri. Enjoy delectable cheeses and snacks hand-picked to accompany their Norton, Chardonel, Chambourcin, Rivers Edge Red, Rivers Edge White, Wheelhouse White, and River Rat Rose’ wines.

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A Day of Wine...and Pumpkins

Along the road from Rayville to Liberty

Just south of Rayville on Hwy C is Van Till Family Farm Winery (13986 State Highway C, Rayville, 816- 776-2720, vantillfarms.com). The vineyard is planted with seven different French and American hybrid grapes ideally suited to make wonderful wines from the Missouri hills. The winery has a tasting room and four-season heated and enclosed patio, plus greenhouses and beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds. Friday and Saturday evenings the winery offers wood-fired oven pizzas paired with wines, salads and desserts.

Go west from Rayville to the center of Excelsior Springs. From Hwy 210, take Hwy N south to Seybold Rd. Go east on Seybold to Orrick Rd. Go one-half mile south on Orrick, then east again on 124th St. On the right you’ll see Fence Stile Vineyards & Winery (31010 W. 124th St., Excelsior Springs, 816-500-6465, fencestile.com.) This family-run vineyard offers wine tastings, wine and other beverages, custom-blended spices and oils, gift baskets, wine merchandise and accessories. Enjoy a glass of wine on the patio overlooking the vineyards or in the indoor tasting room. The outdoor fire pit is a great place to gather on cozy evenings.

Go west from Excelsior Springs to Hwy 291 in Liberty, south of Historic Downtown Liberty. Turn east on Claywoods Dr. at the stoplight. Take an immediate right on Odd Fellows Rd. where the road comes to a T. Follow Odd Fellows Rd. to the end to Belvoir Winery (1325 Odd Fellows Rd., Liberty 816-200-1811 belvoirwinery.com).

The winery is housed in the 1900 Jacobethan Revival Odd Fellows Home overlooking 170 landscaped acres. In addition to wine tastings, Belvoir offers special events such as Murder Mystery Dinners and Public Paranormal Investigations.

If you’re doing your wine tour from late September through Halloween, you can cap off the day with a visit to Carolyn’s Country Cousins (17607 NE 52nd St., Liberty, carolynscountrycousins.com). Take Liberty Bend Rd. south from Hwy 210 just east of the intersection with Hwy 291. More than a pumpkin patch, this seasonal attraction offers fall décor, hayrides, a mini-railroad, petting farm and other diversions, plus fruit and pumpkin butters, jams and jellies, flavored and unflavored honeys, pickles and preserves, teas, dips, fresh harvest produce, baked goods, pumpkin donuts, wine and fudge. The adjacent Liberty Corn Maze has seven distinct mazes of varying length and difficulty. Yes, you could get lost, but they have Corn Helpers and spotters to help those who get turned around.

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