Old Buildings, New Attitudes

Archive for the ‘Transportation’ Category

This weekend my husband and I went on a ‘staycation.’  Ok – it’s kind of a silly term that’s been thrown around lately.  But it just means that instead of flying off somewhere, we stayed close to home.  We went into Kansas City and had a great time.  While we were at Union Station in Kansas City on Saturday, we watched passengers wait for the Amtrak and wished we had thought to take the train from our very own Lee’s Summit station.  I can remember only one time in my life that I took the train – in 4th grade.  So I decided to check out the fares and schedules, and thought I would share with all of you. 

Amtrak has a great website where you can look up fares and schedules to/from Lee’s Summit.  A quick search reveals that two trains service Lee’s Summit to Kansas City – the Ann Rutledge and the Kansas City Mule.  It looks like a round-trip ticket to/from Kansas City is about $16, but they offer special discounts such as AAA, students, and Seniors (62+).  Daily westbound departures (to KC) are at 1:19 pm and 8:50 pm; daily eastbound departures (to St. Louis) are at 8:06 am and 4:36 pm.  You can even stop in two other Main Street communities along the way - Warrensburg and Washington.   

Trails and Rails is a great program sponsored by both Amtrak and the National Parks Service.  Say you decide to take the Ann Rutledge train from Lee’s Summit all the way to St. Louis and beyond.  While traveling between St. Louis and Springfield, Illinois, you can learn about the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial which includes the Gateway Arch, the Museum of Westward Expansion, and St. Louis’ Old Courthouse.  A little history with your train ride!

The railroad is a huge part of our history here in Lee’s Summit.  Even the ‘summit’ part of our City’s name is tied to the railroad – Lee’s Summit is the highest point on the railroad between Kansas City and St. Louis!

The Amtrak is a great alternative to driving if you’re looking for a quick weekend trip nearby.  Plus, on street parking by the Amtrak Station on SW Main is FREE.  Want to get a fare schedule fast?  Both the Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street office and the Lee’s Summit Chamber office have schedules available.

Next time I decide to take a trip, I’m going to check out Amrak.  And if you just have to take a day trip - hop on the train in Downtown Lee’s Summit and enjoy the ride!