OUTDOOR AWARENESS

Day 1: Boarded Amtrak in Joliet, IL with bicycle and gear for travel to Alton, IL. Using the Clark Bridge, crossed the Mississippi River on US-67. A lot of debris of glass and broken plastic in the bike lane. After crossing the river, the West Alton Trail doesn't take you too far, so I needed to ridge the shoulder of US-67 until it reached St. Charles St. From West Alton, I biked on Missouri 94 or ancillary roads to reach Portage Des Sioux. The farms along the way were very large. The roads had almost no traffic and the fields were empty, but the winds were pretty strong and were a large impediment to my objective. I reached Portage Des Sioux around 3-4pm and looked for Portage Paddle Camp to spend the night. Unfortunately, I didn't read the details about this location well enough, and discovered it was closed this day and time of year. Next, I considered the public park, but the bathrooms and water were locked. Finally, I decided to go another 5.5 miles to Machens.

Day 2: Early morning start from Machens. After ringing the bell on the Machens station, headed southwest on the Katy Trail to St. Charles. Temperature in the morning was 42' and the skies were overcast as first light was starting to shine on the open farms in this region. Late morning I reached St. Charles. Beautiful, historic city. As a slight drizzle began, I stopped in the Bikestop Cafe to eat a breakfast sandwich and drink a nice hot coffee. The recharge was excellent. After leaving St. Charles and passing I-70 and Missouri 364, started the leave the urban St. Louis area. As I reached Howell, I started to see limestone cliffs on my right, and the Missouri River on my left. It was a nice ride. The day started to warm-up, and I took off my gloves and jacket. By early afternoon, I reached Marthasville. I decided to stay at the city ballpark for $5. This would include bathroom and shower. While it is a nice bargain, that afternoon all the children arrived to practice baseball and softball. Practice was continuous on the fields from 4pm to 8pm, when the last coach turned off the field lights. Unfortunately, he also locked up the bathroom, making it unusable to me. However, the water fountain was still accessible outside.

Day 3: Another cold morning to start the day, but not as cold as the previous one. A few large open fields where the wind was blowing really strong. Other sections had excellent viewing of limestone cliffs and the Missouri river. Really glad to reach Portland where I had a bacon cheeseburger at Holzhauser's Bar & Grill. Another hour or two later, I arrived at Mokane. I wasn't happy with either camping option. Both the Mokane Lions Club Park and Amvets Post were a large gravel area. Both bathroom facilities were closed, but the water spigot was open. Not happy with either option, I went to the Katy Trail Trailhead in Mokane. This had a toilet and water. However, looking at the Katy Trail website, the rider shelter in Tebbetts was only a few miles away. That was a much better option, so I biked the 3-5 miles to reach it. After reaching the shelter, I met Dale from Cedar Rapids, IA. We both paid our reservation few and used the facilities. During the night, I was able to recharge batteries, have a nice hot shower, have a meal in the kitchen, and sleep in a comfortable bunk bed.

Day 4: It was a brilliant morning leaving Tebbetts. A little warmer, and the morning sun was wonderful against the open fields leaving town. Once again, the trail involved beautiful limestone bluffs on one side and the Missouri River on the other. I was anxious to reach Hartsburg for a bathroom break. While there, I met Jack and Kathy from Duluth. A nice, senior citizen couple who bike camp around the Central US. By lunchtime, I reached Rocheport. Dale recommended stopping at the Meriwether Cafe and Bike Shop. I had a wonderful barbecue pork sandwich outside in the warm sun. It was a magnificent lunch. I reached the Katy Roundhouse in New Franklin early afternoon. The office was closed. Although I registered, I couldn't obtain the restroom code. Around 6pm, I rode to the Casey's General Store and purchased some pizza which I ate when I returned to the campsite. Early evening, Jack and Kathy arrived. They obtained the code from another visitor. The three of us had a fire in the evening and heard the coyotes close to the camp. Before going to bed, I took a shower and retired. That night, a strong rainstorm came through.

Day 5: The rain relented for an hour while I was packing up my gear. That was very helpful. Then when I was leaving camp, the rain resumed. It was fairly strong and the air was slightly cool. Almost immediately, I crossed the Missouri River and entered Boonville. While in Boonville, I stopped Derailed Coffee Bar and Cafe. At Derailed, I had a sausage biscuit and more coffee than I could consume the nourishing meal and hot beverage was perfect to warm me and lift my spirits. In fact, once I left the rain stopped. Although the Katy Trail is railroad grade, there were multiple ascents and descents of the trail between Boonville and Pilot Grove. At points, the trail was cut directly into the limestone cliffs. The route was situated on mostly a plateau that overlooked many farms. I was no leaving the river topology and re-entering slightly wooded farmland. In addition to the distance, the wet limestone trail made travel much more difficult. The bike slightly sinks into the trail and the extra friction of the material requires greater effort to continue forward. I reached Sedalia around 12:30pm. McDonald's seemed the easiest option, and a calorie filled meal fit the bill. The historical train station was impressive, and was the most elaborate Katy Trail station along the trail. At this point, I was very anxious to reach Windsor. Today would involve a 60 mile ride. Before reaching Green Ridge, a slow rain started. This made an awkward situation where donning rain gear might make you more wet than if you didn't wear any rain protection, so I left it off. Right before Windsor, I passed the Rock Island Spur of the Katy Trail that leads to the outskirts of Kansas City. Finally, I reached Windsor. I saw the Katy-Rock Junction right next to the trail, I decided to use it. The bathhouse with a hot shower was outstanding, and the ability to store my bike and gear in a dry garage was outstanding. As a result, I was able to walk into town and enjoy a massive Mexican meal. Agree with trip reports that Charlie is an outstanding host, and along worth using this site.

Day 6: I walked across the street and purchased donuts and coffee from Casey's General Store. Afterward, I assembled the gear on the bike in the dry garage and resumed by southwest ride to Clinton. I felt like I reached Calhoun fairly quickly, but it felt like an eternity to reach Clinton. Finally, I reached the end terminus and rang the bell. After a short snack break, I returned on my previous route toward Calhoun and Windsor. As I was reaching Windsor, the weather changed and started warming up. In Windsor, I added suntan lotion and sunglasses and then continued toward Green Ridge. In Green Ridge, I had a taste for a BLT and Mona's Red Barn Cafe delivered. Along with a Dr. Pepper, I was energized for the return to Sedalia and the conclusion of my bike trip. Around 2pm, I reached the Sedalia Fairgrounds trailhead and got off the trail to head north to Hampton Inn. I cycled the roads north along the fairground complex and passed 16th St. Mid-afternoon, I reached the Hampton Inn along US-50. At the hotel, I had a shower, did my laundry, and walked down the street for a massive dinner at Bandanas Bar-BQ. I slept very well that night.

Day 7: A short 3.5 mile bike ride from the Hampton Inn to the Sedalia Amtrak Station. At 10:30am, I boarded the train that would take me back to Joliet, IL.