Itineraries

Freedom's Frontier Itinerary

Courtesy of AAA Allied Group

"All-American Adventures" Itinerary Series

AAA and the National Park Service have partnered to create a series of planned itineraries, each highlighting a handful of the Nation's spectacular park sites. Whether exploring our rich heritage or adventuring through our wild and scenic lands, these itineraries will help you find a park experience for you, your friends, and your family.

Continue reading to learn more about an itinerary that includes this site, and visit www.aaa.com to explore and download additional itineraries across the country.

 

Freedom's Frontier
Journey Through the Parks of Kansas and the Missouri Border

For generations Americans have set out to reach new frontiers. Whether driven by duty, opportunity, ideal or hope, these pioneers have forever changed our history and our prospects for the future.From the time when westward expansion meant a pursuit of happiness, to the struggle to attain liberty and equality that continues today, the stories that can be found on this land are a living testament to the resilience of the American spirit, a stark reminder of the turbulent relations of the peoples of the continent, and an enduring message that where we have gone is but a starting point for where we have yet to go.

Come share in and experience this history in a way that can only be found in Kansas.

• Walk among bison in the last remnants of a prairie landscape that once dominated vast stretches of North America.
• Explore how this landscape shaped America, and was forever reshaped by Americans. ·Visit forts that once marked the edge of expansion for an ambitious nation.
• Question the conflicts that arose when the progress of some threatened the tradition of others.
• Stand in the "promised land" built by people once enslaved and visit the buildings that represented not just freedom but hope for what the future held.
• Walk through the home of the American President who guided the country into the uncertainty of the atomic age.
• Come face to face with the realities of education in the Jim Crow era and learn how the courage of everyday people changed history.

 

The Itinerary
Four Days, 847 Miles, 14 Hours Total Drive Time, 6 National Park Service Sites, 1 National Heritage Area.

Starting and ending in Kansas City, you will visit:

• Harry S Truman National Historic Site
• Fort Scott National Historic Site
• Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
• Fort Larned National Historic Site
• Nicodemus National Historic Site
• Brown V Board of Education National Historic Site
• Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area

 

A Visit to Harry S Truman National Historic Site

President Harry S Truman took America from its traditional isolationism into the age of international involvement. Despite his power, he never forgot where he came from. Today, you can experience the surroundings Truman knew as a young man of modest ambition through his political career and final years as a former president.

Begin with a stop at the park's visitor center. Purchase your tickets to take a guided tour of the historic Truman Home. With thousands of artifacts on display, the home is an insightful glimpse into the personal lives of the Truman family. Watch the park's free film, At Home with Harry &Bess and explore the exhibits for an intimate introduction.

Want to know a little more? Take a stroll through Truman's neighborhood, historic downtown Independence, or explore the Truman farm grounds and Noland Home to learn more about Harry &Bess's courtship and life in the neighborhood. Ask Rangers about the audio tour, cell phone tour, and free self-guided exhibits.

Insider Tip - Visitors must purchase tickets at the Visitor Center before traveling five blocks west to the Truman Home for their tour.

Ranger Tip - Watch the park's free introductory film, "At Home with Harry &Bess." to begin your visit.

Fun Fact - Harry Truman was the last president not to have completed a college degree.