Cleveland to Southern California

We're picking up a new Mini in Cleveland and roadtripping back home to California. I've done the southern route a few times, and will be staying more central this time near I 80 or 70. Honestly, I've never seen the midwest- small towns, etc.

I used to ride motorcycles a lot, and could pick the small gray roads off the map that seem to offer more interest than the freeways. For this trip, hwy 36 across Missouri and Kansas seems to be calling. Anyone know this road?

I'm especially looking for routes from Cleveland south to the "middle" of the country.

We'll be taking about 5 days, and I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks!

fn

I drove US36 across MO once, but do not remember it as I was pretty young. There are some interesting things to see along that route though -- Hannibal, General Pershing's boyhood home, and I'd drop south to Independence and visit the Harry Truman home and library as well. I've never driven 36 across Kansas, but again, I see things along that route I'd LIKE to visit -- like the Pony Express station near Marysville. You might also drop down diagonally across the state -- there's lots of points of interest from frontier days all over the middle parts of the state. One route I have driven is US54 -- like most of Kansas it is greener to the east, dryer to the west, and there is a definite "treeline" west of which you find yourself on the seemingly limitless expanses of the Great Plains. I have also followed the tracks of the Santa Fe Trail in the SW part of the state -- you'll feel VERY alone there. Oh, in the western part of the state, US54 follows the path of the old ATS&F mainline -- route of the El Capitan and the Super Chief -- for quite a distance, before the road cuts off to the SW. If you like railroading, that's a worthy "destination" as well. Bob