Photobombed by Lewis and Clark at the start line
No, we did not decide to extend the trip and ride our bikes all the way home. Our first night’s stay on the ride is in Washington, a small town just off the trail, on the other side of the Missouri River, after a 35 mile ride.
We left the hotel early (for us) this morning and rode less than a mile to the breakfast stop before finally heading down the trail. It was weird to just pack up our bags, leave them on the bed, grab our bikes, and head down the road. Bubba and his crew take care of everything else. We got to talk to a few more fellow riders at breakfast and gather for a group photo, and then it was finally time to RIDE! It did feel so good to get on the bikes and start spinning those pedals.
Tami sometimes found her way blocked
The Katy Trail consists of very nice hard-packed limestone and it was quite smooth, although fairly dusty. We soon found ourselves pedaling through wooded areas right next to the river with a chorus of crickets accompanying us. We were surprised how wooded so many areas are, and the woods have much less undergrowth than in the Northwest. Interspersed are sections of farmland. We were also frequently riding just below a vertical rock bluff with the river on the other side of the trail. Very dramatic and beautiful.
Mike called Tami’s bluff
Some of the group came along to call Tami’s bluff as well
The trail runs through a fairly remote area so the towns along the way are mostly quite small. We did stop in one bike shop where Mike found his new favorite shirt with a map of the trail and neon green bikes on it. Tami found some Katy Trail socks, a must have for riding.
We were quite surprised to see how many wineries there are in the area, but apparently the early settlers planted vineyards back in the mid-1800’s and after a revival of local wineries in the 1960’s, it has been a growing industry. We are scheduled to visit one of the wineries tomorrow, which sounds very fun.
And corn, Tami was strangely fond of all the corn
and took way too many pictures of it
Our sag stop, which was complete with comfy chairs, drinks and snacks, including Cheetos (Tami is two orange thumbs up!), was also across the street from the replica of Daniel Boone’s Judgement Tree. The original tree was struck by lightning so they planted a new one in the same spot.
Replica Judgment Tree
Today’s ride ended in Dutzow, where many German immigrants settled in the 1800’s. That heritage was reflected in our lunch choices at the deli where we had lunch. Tami had the Knoblauchkase burger, which had cream cheese and garlic on it, and Mike had a grilled Braunschweiger sandwich. Both were delicious! After we stepped out of the Dutzow Deli, we noted some very dark clouds on the horizon- looked like we finished just in time! Bubba’s crew loaded us up in batches to take us across the river into town since the bridge was a hazard for cyclists, and it was so nice to come into our room and find our bags waiting for us, along with a nice hot shower. A very successful first day on the ride!
Bike needs a bath as well – it gets VERY dusty on the trail