Stanton, MO

Meremec Caverns advertised on billboards and with ingenious paintings on the sides of barns and the like. Some of these signs survive. The Caverns are about three miles out of town off of Exit 230. The ride to the Caverns follows a beautiful tree-lined path along the Meremec River. It is a large privately-owned facility with plenty of parking, even for RV's. There is a restaurant and a gift shop with all the tacky stuff you could want. Also, it's 60 degrees in there all year round, which is especially nice on hot summer days.

To view the Caverns you must take a guided tour that lasts about an hour and twenty minutes. Tours leave about every twenty minutes, so you don't need to worry about waiting around. The tour guides are entertaining and informative.

There is spot in the Caverns that the James Gang used to divide loot then sneak out through an underground river. The authenticity of this spot is based on recovered artifacts from known James Gang robberies.

I bypassed this stop off for years but I shouldn't have.

The Jesse James Wax Museum off Exit 230 claims Jesse died in 1952 under the name J. Frank Dalton. There is a movie in which Mr. Dalton claims to be Jesse James, along with interviews and affidavits from folks who claim Mr. Dalton was Jesse James.

DNA evidence appears to have discredited this story. Nonetheless, the movie presents a fairly compelling argument, and whether J. Frank Dalton was Jesse James or not, the Jesse James Wax Museum is an entertaining half hour. It's not always open.