Katy Trail Forum

Anyone have any suggestions for shuttle service from St Charles to Clinton?

We went with Katy Bike Rental, http://www.bikekatytrail.com/katy-bike-rental.aspx.

If you stay at Lococo Houses B&B, you can make shuttle arrangements. The folks are great!

Good burger.

you gotta stay at the caboose!!

Great lunch at the riverside. Right across from the trail.

Great stay at the bothwell. Comfy room, they stored our bikes in the basement and let us leave the car there while on the trail.

How far along are they with connecting Pleasant Hill and Windsor on the KATY? Any idea when or if it might open?

Go to the marc.org/metrogreen and it will show you the green trails close to being connected to the Katy. I also hope this will be sooner than later as it would be great to be able to ride from this side of the state to St. Louis. Also, google www.kansascity.com/2011/06/19/2961795/katy-trail-getting-closer-to-kc.html

Great place. Dolores is a wonderful hostess and meeting her husband was fun. She cooked an excellent breakfast to order; just what we needed for another long day's ride. Highly recommended.

Rhona, Leo, and Delores were great. Leo shuttled us to Clinton and picked up a few of us on the way back to St Charles. It was great knowing there was an option to get back. The food was delicious and they adjusted the breakfast time to meet our needs. Thanks.

Mike and Lisa were extremely accommodating. Lisa fixed us pizza and let us use the lower level to hang out. Mike sold us a loaf of bread to make sandwiches for the next day. They went out of their way to be helpful. The inn is also gorgeous and breakfast delicious.

Meyer's Hilltop was our favorite B&B on our trip. Eldon and Maggie are wonderful hosts and have great personalities. Our breakfast was fantastic and their guests feel exactly like family.

My great-great-grandfather, Alonzo Aloysius Edelen, was crossing a train trestle and met the Katy Flyer before he could make it across. He died on 3 October 1882 near Missouri Point, Saint Charles County, Missouri. I would like to get some info regarding this wreck. There was no auto bridge across the rivers (Mississippi or Missouri Rivers)at that time. Is there any way of receiving info from the railroad company regarding this wreck?

You might try contacting the katy Railroad Historical Society(just google them on line), but

when they moved the RR Headquarters from Sedalia to Parson's Kansas the Depot there had a

fire and lost all records of employees, accidents, etc. There may be something in print they

might have. the other option is to try the Union Pacific Historical Society as they bought out

the rights of the Katy. Hope this helps.

Since you live in the St Charles area, you might inquire if there is a railfan organization

nearby. I would think the St Louis area should have one or more. You might inquire of the St

Louis Railroad Museum or check with a model train shop. They usually know people that are

knowledgeable about finding information.

As a historian I should point out (albeit a couple of years late) that either your year is wrong or it was a different train, as the Katy Flyer was not in service until 1896. It may have been an early MKT train just the same, so they may still have some record of it. There are also some sites that have transcripts of train wreck reports dating back to the 1880s, with a little effort. If you try to find this based on Katy Flyer, however, and it DID happen in 1882, you will not find your answer.

The food was average and the service was poor. We felt like we were inconveniencing the employees by being there. I had to get up and ask for most things like coffee refill and the rest of our meal that we ordered. We got there at 11:50am on a Saturday and were one of a few tables. They stop serving breakfast at Noon.

I had been there one other time a few years ago. They were very crowded and the service was slow but very friendly. They just weren't prepared for the biking event that rolled thru town. Maybe there's been a change in ownership recently (?) because I didn't feel welcomed at all this time.

Are dogs allowed on the KTY trail, in and around Rocheport----as long as the dogs are on a leash?

I need help finding pet friendly accommodations for two adults and their two very friendly, socialized dogs. Both dogs weigh less them 7 lbs each. We perfer a B&B but a Hotel will do. Travel plans are Oct. 13 thru Oct 16 and have not decided which stretch of trail yet. Please help.

you can stay at the Tebbetts hostel with them--no problem. btw, just wondering --how do you carry them? in a trailer or on the bike somehow? do you strap them in?

Thanks for the info. We have a trailer that we pull behind. They love it!!

Paula, We also have a small dog, Zoey who LOVES to bike (also hiking & kayaking)! We have done many sections (planning the whole way in the next couple of weeks) of the Katy trail and have stayed different places along the way. These are the dog-friendly place I know of:
Sedalia - Bothwell hotel
Boonville - Hotel Fredrick
Jefferson City - Capitol Plaza Hotel
Hermann - Alpenhorn Gasthaus(farm cottage & little house)
Defiance-Elysian Fields Inn (ask for the old bank building!)
We also have a pull behind cart but she prefers the basket on the front. Watch out for the little gravel pieces that get kicked back from your bike tires. It helps to keep the front plastic cover zipped. Have Fun!!

what breed of dog? I tried to put my miniature rat terrier in a basket and he would have none of it! He jumped right out!

I have a smaller, 7 yr old pomeranian. She has been a part of my travels since she was 5 1/2 weeks old. She even goes with me when I have to fly (in an airplane, in a zipped bag and under the seat). She is a very calm, easy-going, obedient dog so it has always been easy. I would start with carrying them around in a bag. (I know, you risk being one of those crazy dog people who will then start dressing them in clothes! OK,I've been known to do that also : ) Work your way up from there. Make sure you ALWAY clip them in with a harness on the bike, just in case. You might want to go the trailer route, especially starting out. You can zip them in completely. Zoey just loves to go, as I'm sure your dog does too. It's well worth the trouble. Good Luck!!

Stopped by the Twin Gables for lunch this past week. The food was GOOD bar food and the staff was super friendly and nice. She (our waitress/barkeeper) even volunteered (unsolicited) to re-fill our water bottles. They serve food the entire time they are open (unlike some places that close their grill on off-peak hours), and they are now open 7 days a week. Definite thumbs up on this place. (Yes, a little smoke, but it wasn't bad when we were there.)

We stayed at the little cabin this past Thursday night and it was perfect! It would make a great get-away for a couple - it was so cute and cozy. And a wonderful variety of food was provided: Home made brownies, bananna nut bread, milk and several different types of cereal (in single serving size boxes), cracker jacks, fresh fruit, sausage, cheese, crackers, etc.. After a long day on the trail, having things available to snack on as we got hungry again later in the evening after dinner was GREAT. Don't change a thing - it's perfect!

"I wish there was some way Ray could filter comments that have nothing to do with the Katy before these peabrains got them online."


I agree, and actually you'd be amazed (and disgusted) by the amount of junk that does get filtered out without ever getting to the forum - on most days, anywhere from 5 to 20 spam messages never get there. Porn, gambling, mail order drugs, messages written in Russian or Chinese - the usual stuff.


If the current filtering system proves inadequate, the alternatives are (1) to start making people sign up for accounts with passwords before they can post, (2) start using "capcha" - where you have to decipher and type in a hard-to-read string of letters to submit a post, or (3) having me review every message before it gets posted, which would result in long delays during the times when I am not online.


I really dislike all of those options, since they discourage people from posting and would cut down on the important and useful conversations, besides filtering out the spam.


So for now there will be some that get through the filter, but I will keep an eye on the forum and try not to let them sit out there for too long.


Thank you to all the "real people" who do post useful messages - you make this forum valuable and informative.

Ray, thanks for all the tremendous work you do on this website!!! I know it must be a pain dealing with the spam. If it comes to it, option (2) you mentioned -- the "capcha" -- would be my choice. I don't think it would discourage postings much at all -- people should be used to dealing with capcha on lots of other sites. Thanks again for everything!

By all means, please keep the forum. It is a valuable resource. To help assure the comments posted are human, humane, and valid, I vote for implementing both (1) and (2).

Thanks for all you do Ray, I would have no problem with option 1 or 2. This forum has helped my friends and I with numerous weekend outings and also planning our trip next year.

This place was just amazing! We stayed in the King's Room in the main house earlier this week and it was wonderful. Adrian was so welcoming, and the house and grounds were so relaxing. This place is the epitome of what a good B&B should be - great food, relaxing, and elegant without being arrogant or stuffy. Thank you for a wonderful stay Adrain!

Sounds like the KATY will be extended from Windsor to KC via the Rock Island RR.

See article :
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/19/2961795/katy-trail-getting-closer-to-kc.html#disqus_thread

Great place to stay when riding the trail! The food was fabulous. We took the dinner option as well as breakfast, telling Joey ahead of time that we're vegetarians. One then hopes for the best, but I didn't expect the gourmet dinner Joey prepared for us, with fresh local vegetables, complete with dessert. We stuffed ourselves. Breakfast was amazing too, with plenty of extras, plus fresh fruit and handy packaged treats to take on the trail. The space is beautiful, with original art, not kitschy or cute or cluttered, and she clearly thought out the details in planning the space. I'd stay there again.

Thank you Laurie, I love curry and never make it at home because Rich doesn't like it so I made plenty for myself as well. Stop in again some time. We have met so many nice people.

We enjoyed learning about the town on the rocheportmissouri.com website. Thanks for having it up.

I'm riding a self contained tour with a few friends and was wondering if anyone knows if the campsites are seasonal or open year round. Can't wait to get on this beautiful trail!

You can click on the towns, then the campground and see what their season is or give them a call or email. Example; Katy Roundhouse is open March to November, simimlar to others. Best to check with those where you may want to stay. Enjoy your ride.

DNR may shut water off at trailheads on Nov. 1.

Is it possible to BIKE to the Super 8 motel located on Jefferson Street from trailhead in town

yes

It is possible but in my opinion not a good idea. Jefferson is a 2 lane street with little if any shoulder. There is a hill or 2 or 3. People drive 45 mph and higher and will not expect to see someone on a bike.

I have been researching the Texas Centennial and have discovered that the T&P, Katy and ATSF each had a model train display at the Exposition. Does anybody have any information or photographs of any of these layout?

There are photographs of Katy Railroad promotions for statewide Texas Centennial Celebrations at the Dallas Historical Society. There is also a photo of the T&P model railroad (Box: Texas Company / Texaco - WPA Exhibits; "T&P RR Exhibit" folder)

We've just returned from another great KATY trail adventure. This website is a perfect model for all rail-trails. We used it to plan our shuttle, and stays in St. Charles, Washington, Hermann, Jeff City, Boonville, and Sedalia. Missouri folks, you have such a gem! Use it, love it, protect it, and thank you so much for sharing!

Hey Colorado Riders, glad you enjoyed your visit! The Katy is a fun hobby for many of us, and yes, Ray does an excellent job with this website as he does with his other trail websites. Happy Trails to you!

Takes 3 miles to get there from Katy trail, there is no shuttle as advertised. However, GREAT option if you need place to stay in Jeff. City...beautiful location, easy to find and GREAT service, Tom locked up our bikes and even filled our water bottles in the morning. Highly recommend it, just make sure you have 3 miles of riding left in you to get there!!!

I loved the stay at Rendleman home. It was my husband and I first time there and trust me we will be going back. The house was a simple farm house but we had more fun there and met more friends than we though possiable. The dinner was wonderful and doug catered to everyone's tastes perfectly. We had a nice bonfire and roasted smores. The beds were very comfy. The showers hot and the towels clean. Thw evening was perfect.. Thanks to doug and all those wonderful friendly people.
posted Oct 10 2011 12:15PM - Tiffany Schneller, Fulton

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I loved the stay at Rendleman home. It was my husband and I first time there and trust me we will be going back. The house was a simple farm house but we had more fun there and met more friends than we though possiable. The dinner was wonderful and doug catered to everyone's tastes perfectly. We had a nice bonfire and roasted smores. The beds were very comfy. The showers hot and the towels clean. Thw evening was perfect.. Thanks to doug and all those wonderful friendly people.

Great place to stay! The room was immaculate. The property and landscape was beautiful!

What a great B&B! The owners are a lot of fun to talk with and the town is so historic. You can see the trail from the back window and the town of Hermann, MO is only two miles over the bridge. Joey was nice enough to take me there and let me walk around for a while. Hermann has a really cool winery/deli and there's plenty of shopping, eating, etc... right along the river front. Great time. We'll be back.

nice place. I had the honor of being the first guest, even before they had hot water for the bathtub! They assured me they might put a cheap guitar in there sometime in the future.

Enjoyed our stay! Doug even came looking for us when we were later than expected. Meals were very tasty, especially the French Toast in the morning! Accomodations were comfortable, and we're glad we visited with him.

Great food and friendly staff! Definitely worth the stop!!

What town is it in?

Portland. I've camped at Portland twice and ate both times at the Riverfront Bar and Grill. Of course, with a population of 87 people, there's not much else. New Owners took over last year.

The hamburger wasn't a preformed patty...it was made by hand and I have to tell you it was the juiciest hamburger I've ever had!

Great burger! Hit the spot after riding the trail. Great bunch of locals in the place - lots of fun!

I see that the state of Missouri is having a Katy Trail meeting Saturday in Hartsburg. What is that about? The sparse info on the other Katy website says that it will be about the future of the trail from Boonville to Portland. In my opinion, there's only one thing that could make that section better: a little paving. Start with the section between McBaine and Rocheport. There were so many riders in that section last weekend that the dust was really bad and I overheard several complaining. Plus, the state paved a good chunk of the other rail-to-trail in the state and use has increased a thousand-fold since they paved it. Ok, so that was stimulus money from the federal government, but if there's another one I'd recommend paving the Katy Trail over the Frisco Highline.

NO TO PAVING. Dust comes from being outdoors. So what. If you pave, over time it will break down and be too rough a ride for some bike tires. Leave well enough alone. If you want paved paths their are plenty around, they are called streets.

If you like to ride paved, try the High Tressel Trail or the Raccoon River Valley Trail in central Iowa. They are both about 50 miles one way.

I did notice some dust Sunday when we were east of Rocheport. I never heard anyone complaining though. There were alot of comments about how nice the day was. Our bikes always get washed and lubed after riding on chat anyway so to me dust is part of the game.

I vote no too. If there's a million dollars to be spent on trails, I'd rather spend the money be used to make them longer (and straight) instead of paving what already exists. If I want to ride paved, I'll ride in the street.

totally agree, no to paving.

While on paper, paving may sound like a good idea, but I agree with all the previous posts.

From the Missouri DNR website.
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Informational meeting planned Oct. 8 for Katy Trail State Park

Volume 39-334 (For Immediate Release)
For more information: 573-751-1010

JEFFERSON CITY, MO., SEPT. 30, 2011 -- The public is invited to bring their ideas about Katy Trail State Park to an informational meeting Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Katy Trail depot in Hartsburg. The meeting, which is from 9 a.m. to noon, will be held in conjunction with the annual Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival.

The informational meeting will address issues related to Katy Trail State Park with an emphasis on the section from Portland to the Missouri River at Boonville. Recent accomplishments and future plans will be highlighted during the informational meeting.

The informational meeting is part of an ongoing effort to ensure the public has input on facilities and services in state parks and historic sites.

People requiring special services or accommodations to attend can make arrangements by calling Jim Gast, park superintendent at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park at 573-449-7402 or by calling the Missouri Department of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 (voice) or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf ). For more information about Missouri state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com.
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Guess we'll have to go see what the meeting is about. I can't imagine that paving would be a consideration. Hope not!

We were on the Katy Sunday and yes there was some dust but that IS the Katy! Wouldn't change a thing! I just let my hubby get further ahead of me and dust wasn't an issue anymore! If anything, make water more available at all trailheads.....that may be my only complaint about the Katy!

Asphalt makes a nice surface but the maintenance costs are very high, and the runners usually prefer chat. I think a great compromise would be to spray the trail with with the dust mitigator they sometimes use on rural roads. It does not change the texture, but it keeps binds up the dust and even resists water to a degree.

Send some money over from Illinois beings you probably ride the Katy free of charge and taxes and I'm sure your idea will hit the upper 10% on the list of good ideas.

I guess I'm outnumbered here and that's ok. The trail was as busy as Missouri Boulevard between Jeff and Hartsburg today and the dust from the trail wasn't bad. Maybe the problem is the heavy use between McBaine and Rocheport grinding the gravel into powder. I think I'll avoid that section in the future. Did anyone else stop by the sales tent at the Hartsburg trailhead? I didn't see any information posted, but i did get a cool Katy Trail tin sign for my cubicle at work!

Hey, Anonymous, no need to be snarky. We have plenty of Missourians using the 100 miles of paved trails in Madison County alone. They do not pay a dime for the privilege, but believe me, we do. It's share and share alike when it comes to biking.

Hey Biker Boy, you come over and ride anytime you want! Our State Parks receive funding from a small percentage of our state sales tax, so unless you are able to ride the trail and get home without buying anything you are helping to pay for the Katy Trail. I bet you know a whole lot more people that come to Missouri and buy things without visiting one of our parks than you know people that use the parks without buying anything that they are charged sales tax for.

The Hartsburg Inn is a great little B&B to stop and relax. From the gardens outside to the clean crisp sheets on the beds, it was a splendid stay. Breakfast was light, but filling and provided the fuel we needed for biking. I would definately stay here again as I can't find a thing to complain about! Thanks Cath for providing a great place to lay my head.