07_13_08

Cycling Missouri

226 miles

My Location: St. Louis, Missouri

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Date: 07-17-08
Location: St. Louis, MO
06:00am-3:30pm Peers, MO - St. Louis, MO (64 miles)

The downtown area of St. Louis is pretty, especially the park where the arch is located. I rode north, west, and east St. Louis, and it all looked very rundown and neglected. Perhaps south St. Louis looks better. As a whole city, St. Louis is very disappointing. It's probably not nice to compare every city to Los Angeles and San Francisco, but 75% of those places are very nice. Of course, there's a lot of money in L.A. & S.F.

St. Louis, MO "Gateway to the West".

Elegant St. Louis arch

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Date: 07-16-08
Location: Peers, Missouri
08:30am-3:00pm Jefferson City, MO - Peers, MO (68 miles)

Stopped at a very small town general store/B&B. The store had been around since the 1890's, and had pictures of the store during various floods.

typical river along the Katy Trail, MO

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Date: 07-14-08
Location: Jefferson City, Missouri
8:00am-5:00pm Sedalia, MO - Jefferson City, MO (94 miles)

Rode the Katy Trail from Sedalia to Jefferson City. It's a very smooth, flat ex-railroad track converted to a trail. Shade covered from Sedalia to Boonville, with less shade thereafter. Katy was the name of the railroad. The gravel trail has fine gravel, so there's plenty of tire traction. With latrines, water fountains, and shaded benches at trail heads located in most towns, the Katy Trail is an excellent, well-kept trail running across most of Missouri.
Following the Katy Trail between a cliff and the Missouri River, I noticed an abandoned dwelling carved into a cliff. With no information posted, the abode seems very mysterious. Perhaps Injun Joe from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer lived in there.
The trail was flat, but Jefferson City had lots of hills. The capital building looks impressive on top of a hill and is protected from floods. My legs were dead tired, and riding up hills in Jefferson City was exhausting.

Jefferson City, MO capital building

Katy Trail shadded path

Boonville Katy Trail railroad depot

Katy Trail along Missouri River

mysterious dwelling in cliff along Katy Trail

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Date: 07-13-08
Location: Sedalia, Missouri
8:00am-3:30pm Olathe, KS - Sedalia, MO (91 miles)

Took Santa Fe Blvd. to Missouri, then Holmes rd. to Hwy 150, then 150 to Lone Jack, then connected to Hwy. 50. Basically east from Olathe, Kansas. Mild temperature and low humidity made today's ride easier. Missouri is beautifully green. Rode by large estates with lots of grass. Met a Missouri cyclist who rode with me 20 miles to Lone Jack. He suggested riding the Katy Trail to Jefferson City and St. Louis.

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