Biking: 81 miles.
A thunderstorm delayed us by about 30 minutes this morning, but we still managed to get on the Katy Trail by 8:30 am. It’s our second day of riding the trail, and we’re really loving it.
Despite the rain, the trail was in pretty good shape. There were a few branches and leaves down, but nothing that interfered with our ride too much.
The trail runs along the Missouri River for about 170 of the 240 miles, end to end. Throughout the day we would see the river for a bit and then weave back into the trees or ride along a stretch of farmland.
We planned to stop for lunch in Jefferson City, but when we arrived at the trailhead at mile 35, we realized the restaurants were across the river. Riding there would add between three and six miles to our 80-mile day.
So, we chose to push on another 12 miles to Mokane where there is a Phillips 66 gas station. At least we could grab something quick to eat and refill our nearly-empty water bottles. But, turns out, the gas station didn’t have a store. Gas only. And, everything else in the town appeared to be close. Our next option was another 15 miles down the road, and it was getting hot.
But, behind the gas station was a building with a sign for AMVETS that said “Open Sundays.” I assumed it was something like an American Legion. I didn’t know if they welcomed non-veterans, but I assumed they wouldn’t turn away a few hot, tired, thirsty cyclists who just needed to fill their water bottles.
To our relief, it was a venue open to anyone. They didn’t serve food today (the kitchen is closed on Sundays), but they had a bar where we could buy sodas and bags of chips…and sit in the air conditioning. The woman working the bar filled my bottle with ice and gave us all the water we needed. We sat at the bar and drank our cokes and ate potato chips, and frankly, that’s all we needed to get back on the road.
Near the end of our ride, we ducked into a market to grab some gatorade, and a gentleman at the checkout insisted on buying them for us. He was particularly impressed when he heard about our trip. I find people are curious about our adventure, and especially in the midwest, they like to be helpful along the way.
We arrived in Hermann, after nearly six hours of biking (plus some time off the bike trying to find a place to eat). It’s a historic town with ties to German immigrants. And, it seems most of the folks staying here are riding the trail. Our campground is full of campers with bike racks on the back. It feels like being among our people.
Tomorrow is our last day on the Katy Trail – 64 miles. This section has some climbing, according to RWGPS. But, nothing like earlier this week on the road. We’re looking forward to another day on the trail.
RWGPS for today:
Keep the Wheels Turning 
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