First, there are not enough superlatives to describe the sheer exhilaration and excitement I experienced on the trip (Kay’s Take follows in an immediate blog entry).  It far exceeded any and all expectations I had for the trip.  And, despite my obesity, I fared much better than imagined. 
There were too many good things about the trip to mention, but here are a few.  First, Road Scholar knows how to do senior travel; it is fun, busy, and not terribly expensive—experiences on both our trips were overwhelmingly good—and we plan to do a Road Scholar trip annually hereafter.  The trip coordinator, Pam Ronkoski, working for and through St. Charles Community College, was fabulous and seemingly had thought of everything; her attention to detail was magnificent.The “support” staff—Rochelle, Don, Terry, Bob, Tim, and Steve—were amazing and took care of the actual ride, transportation, SAG stops, and our bikes and luggage.

The SAG stops were spaced perfectly, and snacks and lunches provided at these stops were very good and timely, meeting energy and hydration needs.  The trail was in very good condition with few ruts and soft spots, and despite the dry conditions proved not too dusty.  The weather was good, though the steady 12 mph headwind and drizzle on the 54 mile ride was daunting.  The side trips and lecture—Bothwell Lodge, Sedalia Depot, Missouri State Capitol Building, Stone Hill Winery, and lecture by Dr. Anita Mallinkrodkt—were interesting and provided good diversions, though most of us were there to just to ride; but we probably desperately needed the breaks!  Lodging ranged from great (Country Inn and Suites in St. Charles, Hotel Bothwell in Sedalia, Isle of Capri Casino Hotel in Boonville, Capital Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City) to adequate (Harbor Haus Inn & Suites in Hermann and Super 8 in Washington)—all were the best available given the location and setting of the KATY Trail.  The food was good to adequate, though nothing to write home about; however, The Mother In Law House in St. Charles was quite good—again, all were the best available give the location and setting.

Our equipment performed well.  The bicycles (TREK DS 8.3 for me, and DAWES for Kay) met the demands of the trip, though many adjustments in handlebars and seats were made.  Kay’s new DAWES bicycle required a pedal about midway through the trip due to a “frozen” bearing in the bike’s existing left pedal.  Kay complained that her seat was uncomfortable, and that she wants gloves with more gel cushioning.  Given prior knowledge, I would have taken the TREK FX 7.6, outfitted with wider tires, as it has better components; I took the TREK DS 8.3 because of wider tires and suspension, but the suspension considerably slowed the bike, and I turned it off for most of the ride.   We did not need or use front or rear lights, and the support staff had all the necessary tools and parts for repairs; thus, we left ours in the car at the hotel in St. Charles.  Biking helmets were required and ours were adequate; I wore a cycling skull cap under mine for perspiration, sun protection, and warmth as needed.  I used toe clips on the pedals, and wouldn’t go again without them.  My old Keen hiking shoes worked well, but developed a horrible stink.  Using unflattering, but useful, cycling jerseys we also wore mock Ts under the jerseys much of the time; cycling jerseys have rear pockets for holding various items.  We had both chamois cycling shorts and chamois cycling underwear; I much prefer the  shorts.  We began using Chamois Butt’r a couple days too late; it proved to be a life saver for our butts!  Our Marmot breathable jackets worked, particularly for wind, but moisture still developed inside; good breathable cycling jackets would have been great.  We both carried cycle bags on rear racks, and they were needed.  We both also used Camel Bak hydration systems, excellent for drinking on the go.

To be honest, I’m a mediocre cyclist. I like riding my bike but at my leisurely pace. 

More about this later.

Recently we participated in a Road Scholar cycling trip to Missouri. I would say the vast majority of participants were bicycle enthusiasts.  Many tolerated the extra activities not related to cycling but, for the most part, they wanted to be on the trail and wanted to be riding. I welcomed the extra activities and enjoyed them.  We met interesting people from all over the country.  

There was one lady from Canada, one from California, one from Maryland, one from New York , and even one lady from Alaska.  All in all, there were 36 participants. I enjoyed meeting all of them and many of them had cycled in the United States on lots of different trails and in Europe and other countries.  The couple that I thought were amazing was a retired Methodist Chaplain and his wife.  They had been cycling for over 50 years; had taken over 30 cycling vacations all over the world – Ireland, Great Britain, China, Europe, and all over the U.S.  He was 82 and she was 78 and they could leave me ‘in their dust’ without any trouble!  LOL.  My heroes!

Enough about the interesting people.  Back to the cycling.  On day one, I rode 20 miles and stopped at a SAG rest and rode the Sag Wagon to our evening stop.  There were 3 or 4 of us – so I wasn’t the only one who was not intent on riding every mile.  My butt was tired and I battle with my hands going so numb I can’t shift my gears.  If I get off my bike and exercise my fingers and take the pressure off my tail bone every 5 miles or so, I do much better.  Most of the other riders just ride – they seldom stop.  I guess it’s kind of a ‘race’ to see who can finish in the first group.  Not me!  Usually I finished in the last group.  On day two I road 24 miles with a Sag break after the first 10 miles.  That is the longest I’ve ever ridden in one day!  On day three I rode 20 miles in a cool drizzling rain.  I was pretty miserable and the Sweeper rode with me the last 5 miles.  He’s the last person to come in so he can help anyone who has trouble and so no one gets lost.   I didn’t like being the last one to finish a segment.  My tailbone was so sore on the 4th day, I only road a 7 mile stretch.  I rode the Sag wagon before and after and just rested up.  The 5th day I rode a total of 14 miles, taking advantage of the Sag wagon in the middle.  So my grand total was 85 miles for the week.  I was disappointed because I had set a secret goal for myself of 100 miles.  I just hadn’t ridden so many back to back days before and my sore tailbone was an unexpected hindrance.  I was really proud that Donald rode his own pace and he completed every mile, 182 of them.  He’s got that competitive spirit and he truly loves cycling.  I like it – but not like he does!  I don’t like hills; I like flat roads.  I like paved trails – those  crushed limestone trails (chatt) are much harder riding.  I averaged about 7 miles an hour on those.  

My saving grace was the SAG Wagon.  There were usually 3-5 of us riding it for one segment or more each day.  The drivers Terry or Don were really great and we learned a lot about the area we were in and Missouri history.  

The planning and coordination of this program was outstanding.  On a side note, Donald ordered me new pedals and a new gel bike seat.  I’m also going to try some compression gloves.  I would go again on another trip as long as I had Sag support and the riding segments weren’t over 25 miles.

Today marks our final ride, creating both excitement and sadness.
After overnighting in Washington, Missouri, we shuttled back to Augusta for a lecture by Dr. Anita Mallinkrodkt, and expert in German culture in Missouri.  Her lecture today focused on the relationship between German settlements in this region and the Missouri River.  She was an excellent speaker and quite entertaining, though I have different views that those she expressed regarding water resources work by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

We walked to the Augusta trailhead for our final leg of this fantastic bicycle trip.  This portion of the trail featured many beautiful old buildings and trailside rock formations.





Trail traffic was much heavier than on any other day of the ride with young, old, and in between enjoying being outside on a nice fall day.  We enjoyed a good lunch at Wine Country Gardens in Defiance, Missouri, where we also had a group photo taken—what a motley crew!

The last segment of the day’s ride took us through Daniel Boone country—spending much of the last 15 years of his life here, he formed a town at the location shown in the photo, and his house (built by his son), still standing, is not far away.


The day’s ride, 33.8 miles in unseasonably warm weather, ended in St. Charles, Missouri.  This also marked the end of the KATY Trail ride.


After stowing the bicycles in the car, enjoying the hot tub, and relaxing for an hour or two, we met the rest of the group for dinner at The Mother In Law House in historic St. Charles.  The food was very good, but saying goodbye was not so much fun; we spent the last several days with 36 participants and 6 support team members in relatively close quarters, and enjoyed may great conversations. 









The Road Scholar KATY Trail trip was a blast, and one of my favorite all time things to have done—I’d do it again in a heartbeat.  Tomorrow’s blog will be a wrap-up of this fantastic experience—the good, the bad, and the ugly if you will.

A light breakfast buffet was served in a crowded, makeshift dining room at Harbor Haus.

Today’s ride is my favorite thus far—the cycling experience and trail were peaceful and serene as we rode through a tree tunnel much of the day.  There was practically no wind today, it was cool and overcast, and there was only 128 feet of elevation change over the 37.5 miles, making for near perfect riding conditions.  The sights along and on the trail were equally great.

There were two SAG stops, including lunch, before riding into charming Augusta—we’re still in the heart of Missouri’s German region.  Dinner was on our own, and we opted to eat at a Chinese buffet across the highway, before calling it an early night.

We awoke to a cool, windy, and drizzly day.  After breakfast, all but two cyclists opted to forego the ride from Jefferson City to Mokane in lieu of touring the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson.  The Capitol is a small replica of the US capitol building.  Statues are common on the grounds, but the real treat is the artwork inside.  We toured public areas on the first, second, and third floors. The Capitol’s first floor features the State Museum.  Paintings, pediments, and friezes decorate the Capitol’s interior.  A prime attraction is a series of murals painted by Thomas Hart Benton in n the House Lounge (we were not allowed to sit in the leather chairs per the Speaker of the House). The grand staircase is flanked by large heroic bronze statues of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and the third-floor rotunda is the site of the Hall of Famous Missourians, a group of bronze busts of many prominent Missourians honored for their achievements and contributions to the state.  Following the tour, we loaded the vans outside the capitol for the short ride to the Mokane Trailhead.

Still sore from yesterday’s 54-mile ride, we gingerly mounted bicycles for the day’s short ride (26.6 miles with an elevation change of 515 feet, average speed of 9.1 mph).

The trail generally followed the Missouri River downstream.  A large rock trailside showed markings of various historic Missouri River floods, several feet above our heads in the photos below.

Because of the short mileage today, we had only one SAG stop at Portland, Missouri, where we enjoyed sandwiches, etc.

Following lunch and back on the trail, these teddy bears were placed on a ledge trailside.

We crossed the Missouri River at Hermann, a town whose residents were largely of German heritage.  Our overnight accommodations were at Harbor Haus Inn and Suites, and eclectic array of houses, apartments, and rooms. 

Dinner followed an excellent tour of Stone Hill Winery.  Both the wine and the dinner were “just okay” but the tour was really good, largely due to the knowledge and friendly personality of the tour guide.

Up early again, we dressed in our “flattering” cycle kit (jersey and padded, chamois lined shorts), and ate at the Isle of Capri breakfast buffet, carb loading for the day’s ride.  After breakfast, we met in the lobby and Rochelle gave us the itinerary for the day.  We followed her through the casino parking lot, down a Boonville street, and onto the trail.  Today’s weather was cool, with misting rain and a steady 12 mph headwind.  And, to make matters worse, a good portion of the ride was up a 3% uphill grade—doesn’t sound like much but when combined with the wind and a sore butt and knees, it was overwhelming.

The first part of the trail was similar to that ridden yesterday with similar terrain and sights.  An old turntable was visible on the south side of the trail soon after the day’s ride began.  Passing an old grain elevator and caboose, we began approaching the bluff line east of New Franklin, Missouri.  Caves and interesting rock formations were present on the north side of the trail at almost every turn, while the south side was flat reflecting old meanders of the Missouri River.





Near Rocheport, the trail passed through an old railroad tunnel.  Interestingly, the west side reflected beautiful stone work on both the outside and inside, but about 3/4 of the way through the tunnel, it became chiseled rock, with no facade—they ran out of money!  The last two photos below show this.




After a SAG break at Rocheport, evidence of the Lewis and Clark Expedition began appearing.  A cave occupied by rattlesnakes when they stopped was only a few feet from the trail.  Many other caves were evident.



Near our lunch stop at McBaine, we saw the state record Burr oak tree just off the trail.

Past Hindman Junction, we passed “Boathinge” and saw the Missouri River for the first time.  We approached and road along the Missouri River.


We enjoyed another SAG stop at Hartsburg where cold bottled water and lots of snacks were available, and finally reached the end of the day’s ride at the North Jefferson trailhead.


Several of us opted to ride into Jefferson City, experiencing the square “spiral” cycling and pedestrian ramp.  The ride today is the longest on the trip.  Taking almost 6 hours in the saddle, I averaged 9.1 mph on the 53.0 mile ride, while Kay rode more miles today than any other day in her life—way to go girl—not too shabby when faced with drizzle,12 mph headwind, and an uphill grade all day.  Knees are like jelly and butts are really sore.

We were up early, dressed in close-fitting cycling clothes, with extra layers for warmth; there’s no way that cycling clothes make a pudgy man like me look flattering, in fact, just the opposite.  However the clothes are designed with a purpose in mind…  After a continental breakfast at the hotel, we loaded luggage in the trailer, and shuttled to the historic KATY Depot in Sedalia, also our trailhead for the start of the ride.  After an overly long lecture on the history of Sedalia and restoration of the depot, we anxiously checked our now unloaded bicycles, attached bike bags, water bottles, etc., inflated tires, and awaited the start of the first leg of the trip.

We followed the lead cycling support staff member, Rochelle, along the streets of Sedalia for a few blocks until we reached the actual KATY Trail.  (There were always three support cyclists riding with us:  one in or near the lead, one somewhere in the middle, and one at the end called the sweeper.  And, there was always a SAG—support and gear—van and trailer nearby.)  This first day’s ride was 36.8 miles with 912 feet of elevation change; my average speed was 9.4 mph.  Riding on crushed limestone is fine, but doesn’t allow for coasting, thus one is pedaling the entire time.  While I rode the entire leg, Kay “SAGGED” or rode the SAG wagon the middle leg; one of the great things about Road Scholar cycling trips is that you may catch and ride the SAG van at any of its stops along the way, usually about every 10 to 16 miles.  This first day’s ride did not follow the Missouri River, but took us through agricultural fields, forests, and several small towns.  The weather was cooperative, cool in the morning, and little wind. 







Despite the late start, 10 AM, we arrived at the Isle of Capri Casino in Boonville about 3 PM.  Most of the rooms were not ready, so we just hung around the lobby with luggage and bicycles in tow (Isle of Capri did not have a place for bicycle storage).  After checking into the room, again with bicycles in tow, we relaxed a couple of hours then had dinner was at the casino’s somewhat average buffet—one great thing about riding 38+ miles is that one burns a lot of calories (2,000+) and can eat just about anything!   Tiredness finally overcame us and we called it an early night.

After breakfast at the hotel “buffet”, we moved our luggage to the front entrance to be loaded in the trailers, and visited with other Road Scholar tour members.  The vans carrying us, and the trailers carrying the bicycles and luggage, departed at 8:30 AM, going west towards Sedalia, our bicycle trip starting point. 

We stopped about halfway for a brief break,then continued to a relaxing lunch at Canterbury Hill Winery in Holt Summit.


From there, the vans and trailers continued to the Bothwell Lodge State Historic Site for a tour. 

The 12,000 square foot, 31 room lodge was the summer home of Sedalia attorney John Bothwell, a utilities financier and investor.  It’s eclectic architecture was interesting, but not over the top.
Following the tour of the state historic site, we traveled the short distance to Hotel Bothwell for dinner and overnight accommodations. 

Hotel Bothwell was built by John Bothwell and opened in 1927 to provide luxury hotel accommodations and amenities to it customers, similar to those found in New York and Chicago.
It was the social and business center of Sedalia.


After checking in, we adjourned to the bar for a meet and greet of the Road Scholar participants and support team.  Participants were from every corner of the US, including Alaska, California, Florida, and many from the east coast, as well as one lady from Winnipeg, Canada.

A good dinner followed in the hotel dining room.  We adjourned to our room for an early night—tomorrow, we ride.

The Katy Trail is a Missouri state park, a recreational Rails-to-Trails trail that runs 240 miles in the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad right-of-way.  The trail largely follows the northern bank of the Missouri River along a spectacular bluff line; it is the longest Rails-to-Trails trail in the US.  It is open to cyclists, hikers, and joggers year round, from sunrise to sunset.  Its surface is crushed limestone, also known as chatt or limestone pug.  The nickname “KATY” comes from the phonetic pronunciation of “KT’ in the railroad’s abbreviated name, MKT.  Sections of the Katy Trail are also part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and the American Discovery Trail.

While Sedalia, Missouri, has a rich history, several things were most impressive.  First, Sedalia served as the end of the trail for cattle drives from Texas, and was depicted in the television show, Rawhide.   Of course, along with cowboys and railroad workers came brothels, lots of them.  Second, Sedalia was home to Scott Joplin and his ragtime music.  Sedalia is also home to the Missouri State Fair, and as such, the large fairgrounds provide ample parking for regional and national RV rallies.  We have many friends who were born and/or raised in Sedalia and it was good to visit their hometown.

Packed and ready to travel, we left Hot Springs Village before 9 AM, calling and singing Happy Birthday to Ridge on his 5th birthday. We stopped near Searcy and briefly visited my sister and her husband.  From there, we drove to St. Charles, Missouri, arriving about 4 PM and checking in at the Country Inn and Suites (a very nice hotel).  NOTE:  I received a call enroute regarding my possible exposure to a hazardous substance while serving in Iraq in 2003.  Arrangements are being made for me to be tested in San Antonio, Texas.)  After unpacking and resting, we walked the few blocks to historic Main Street for dinner at the Trailhead Brewing Company.  St. Charles is near St. Louis, lying just a few miles northwest.  Founded in the mid-1700s, St. Charles was considered the last “civilized” stop by Lewis and Clark.  The famous expedition began here in 1804 as Lewis met up with Clark on May 20, departing together the next day on the more than two and a half year expedition.  

We enjoyed seeing the evening sights and sounds of the old city as the merchants prepared for a Halloween festival the following day.

After a decent breakfast in the hotel Saturday morning, Kay diverted to the Ameristar Casino just up the river, making a small donation, while I walked a few blocks up and down historic main street.  We joined together again for lunch and some window shopping along Main Street filled with costumed characters, and colorful decorations and storefronts.

The first gathering—informal—of the KATY Trail Road Scholar tour group was on Saturday evening for a light dinner buffet at the hotel.  After picking up our tour packet, we loaded our bicycles on the trailer; we brought our own while most chose to rent and were fitted that evening.  We looked forward to getting to know many of the 36 cyclists during the next week.