McDonald's Along I-44 in Missouri - November 30, 2007

When we make our treks to and from Oklahoma, we tend to stop at McD's to eat and let the kids play. This is pretty much the only time my kids eat at 'The Evil Empire' (thank goodness). In fact Hannah still doesn't really connect the name with the place. She's heard the name "McDonald'" mentioned all the time on PBS, but will refer to it as "the place where I got the Shrek toy".
Unfortunately, on our road trips we can never remember where the GOOD McDonald's are... so I've decided to keep track from now on.
Here's where we stopped on our Thanksgiving trip.
- Six Flags exit near St Louis - It was small and connected to a convienence store. There was no playground, and the employees were totally unprepared for breakfast (no coffee, etc).
- Springfield - NASCAR theme (see pic above) - nice, but no playground
-Vinita, OK - so not in MO, but we often stop here. The world's largest McDonald's (no joke), it spans the interstate and you can watch the cars pass under you while you eat. No playground, though lots of walking around room, gift shops, and 2 sets of bathrooms.
- Joplin - Jungle theme. We've stopped here for breakfast on our way home MANY times... possibly every trip. Nice, but no playground.
-Rolla - Had a playground, but not one that was toddler friendly. The heat wasn't turned on in the playground and it was COLD. This restaurant had some couches in front of a TV which we found kind of weird. It was probably last remodled in the 80's, and didn't seem terribly clean.
I will add to the list in a few weeks when we go back to OK for Christmas.