Assuming you are going after Merriams in Nebraska, or even if you aren't, Kansas is a logical choice from a logistic standpoint. The northwestern part of the state has Rios. Not a terribly large amount of public land, but lots of walk-in hunting areas (WIHA's). Missouri, is, of course, great, but out turkey population is down somewhat from a few years ago due to some bad hatches. Northern MO, logistically speaking, would be better for you, but has less public land than central or southern MO.
If your friend can accompany you, great, if not, just drive separate vehicles and hunt your way back through Kansas and MO. Tags are over-the-counter in both states. Good luck.
I've had the same kind of dream as you, retiring in 2010, but I have a mowing business which makes it tough to get away after the end of March. I go to Alabama early, but wasn't even able to make it to Kansas last spring, something I've pretty much done every year since the mid-1990's. My Dad used to say that it is no disgrace to be poor, but it is awfully inconvenient.
Neill
