Katy Trail Forum

BAD BAR FOOD

Also the best bar food in town since it is the only place in open after 6PM. Ate there the other day, don't think I could have whipped any of the local gals. Gas mask also required to battle the smoking haze...

Deon's is a small town bar...nothing more....nothing less. Pilot Grove is at the end of our first leg when we ride the whole trail and we always eat there. Colorful would be my description.

We biked from Sedalia to Rocheport this past Saturday and went to Deon's for lunch. We thought the cheeseburgers and fries were great and certainly hit the spot after our ride. The people were friendly and the restrooms were clean.

I check this site sporadically, but I still remember a previous post on this forum in which someone representing the trail towns was asking, "What can we do to bring more people into our Katy Trail towns, so they'll spend a little money our way?" A couple of people suggested that the townspeople needed to be a little friendlier to the bikers in order to gain their business. Friends, based on the first 2 comments in this post, it's crystal clear why some townspeople might not be thrilled with any dismissive, condescending, patronizing, or high-maintenance/low-feedback attitudes that some (thankfully, not all) of the bikers seem to exhibit. Many of these towns are developing, and they have to start somewhere.

I couldn't agree with Biker from Farmington more. If you're not having ; lower your standards. If you take time to apreciate the locals they just might take time to apreciate you.

Amen to that, Deer

Fine dining it was not, but the place had a nice character. Plain hamburger, plain tater tots, plain beer, fun playing shuffleboard; just a simple diner among friendly people. Sometimes, a place like that is just where I want to be, and I liked it!

Last time visited, wanted to make nice with the locals. Took some flowers for the boys at the bar. Before I could get in, was jumped by 3 junk yard dogs. After a savage 4 hour battle, I staggered in with what was left of my body and flowers. Guys took one look at me asked about the dogs. One was beyond saving, so they decided to BBQ him. They were proud of me. Come to find out everyone in that bar hated those dogs. Bought me drinks. I love those guys, they are having a parade in my honor on the 4th of July. Biker dude saves town.

Just try to get that type of entertainment at your average snooty piano bar. By the way.....did the flowers work?

From reading the account of this event, it appears that it is immaterial whether the flowers worked or not. There was a BBQ, a pending parade in honor of biker dude, and he got free drinks and probably to the dismay of the local gents he fell in love with them.

Sad tail... Word was just received that biker dude past away. All signs point to his cause of demise as infected dog meat. Surly the parade on the 4th will be cancelled.

The bar is under new management, by my mother and I, i hope everyone does stop back in the try the place out and please give feedback. We have all new foods, and the beer is always cold. We have all domestics, and a few imported.

I've never been to Deon's, but I find anywhere with air conditioning, clean bathrooms, cold

drinks and protein receive a passing grade. (I always laugh at the "best cheeseburger"

posts--everything is the best cheeseburger after a long day on the trail!) Last I checked,

there aren't any Ruby Tuesdays' along the trail.



Thanks Rhys.

Is there anyplace to sit where no smoking is allowed? We may be riding that way this weekend, but our riding buddy can't be around smoke at all.

The Plan a Ride feature will let you find bike related stores.



For bike stories: from the Home page click on this link: "Ride/run/hike reports from other trail bike riders, runners, and hikers"



Other Katy Trail bike stories (journal entries) can be found on crazyguyonabike.com by searching "Katy Trail"

Thanks Trek, didn't know about the crazyguyona bike site. Good stuff.



Looks like the tour of Missouri is going to take place, caught the start of the leg out of Jeff. City last year. Chance to watch and talk with many of the same riders who are on the tour DE France.

As a regular follower of this site over the years, the talk, especially this year has been more about eating experiences and less about trail experiences. It may be just a cheap way to advertise for some owners and knock other establishments. Anyway, love the site.



Tells us about your great experiences on the trail, bike stories.

We try to eat at Abigails at least twice a year if possible. Absolutely wonderful food and people. My favorite!

We try to eat at Abigails at least twice a year if possible. Absolutely wonderful food and people. My favorite!

Bon appetit!

Bon appetit!

this place is AWESOME. would stay again in a second!!!!

this place is AWESOME. would stay again in a second!!!!

Great place, wonderful people and super food - we will stay again.

Great place, wonderful people and super food - we will stay again.

Can someone give me directions to the Katy Trail from Hermann Riverfront Park? Are there any other river accesses in Hermann, and if so, how do you get to the trail from them?

Go south from the Riverfront Park to 1st Street and go west to the bridge.....go north across the bridge.....go just past the grocery store to the trail. There is a path on the west side of the highway that leads to the trail. If you find yourself in McKittrik you've gone too far.

The trail is not very far after you cross the bridge. You can actually drop down to it (on the east side of the hwy) through the grass and a few minor bumps; just watch for the trail to your right below and go for it. You'll probably (I haven't been yet this year)find "paths" down, where others have gone before. Fun, though a short ride.

I just took AmTrak to Hermann, MO on Saturday and rode to St. Charles.

As you head across the bridge, someone was nice enough to mark the bike lane (if you're on the board - thanks). It is written in yellow, and will take you there. As you come to the gas station / convenience store on your right (a BP station if I remember correctly), you will start to go up a hill (an overpass, actually). This is the Katy Trail. Like Trek said, the trailhead is on the left side of the road. There is a path on the right side, but is a little bumpy and steep.



Good luck on your ride.

I guess it should read "like Trek wrote," not "said."

Oops.

"I have wondered if we could somehow get the "regulars" on this forum together for an informal day ride sometime. Rocheport East and back perhaps. I don't want to mention names as I would likely leave people out by mistake but it seems like a fun group. And of course anyone, forum user or not, would be welcomed."

- posted 7/15/2009 6:08:31 PM by MLH , Overland Park, KS



I started this thread because I think "an informal day ride" is a different topic than riding a Century. I've often wondered about this too MLH. I've met several of the business owners along the trail through the years and have enjoyed that.



To take the concept a bit further, I've often wondered about a bikekatytrail.com users group. Other trails have supporing organizations that put rides together as well as benefits to raise money to support their trail. In concept....we could do the same. We could have a benefit ride to support this website....to raise money for a bench or two on the trail.....to give a kid or two a bike and a helmet for Christmas....and so on.



There was a recent post about the Katy Trail Merchants group. Their goal as I read it was to promote the Katy Trail. I'd think that they too could put a ride or two together...perhaps giving the riders a list of member merchants to patronize along the way.....help us out a bit by letting us know who they are. Wouldn't a ride on the trail to see what it's all about be a good way to promote the Katy?



In concept perhaps the website users could work with the merchants group. We all are after the same thing I think. The merchants want to make money. And we all want the merchants there at our next stop.

Your are right Trek. I didn't mean to hijack the Century thread as indeed I was thinking more about a shorter Rocheport to Hartsburg for lunch and back ride or equivalent. Time and right knee constraints limit me to about 50 miles per day on Rail trails this year.



Heck it looks like a great weekend coming up. I plan to be in Rocheport by 0930 on Saturday 7/18 (unless the weather forecast changes drastically) so if any of you see a guy on a black Cannondale cyclocross bike with fenders, come join me.

not a bad idae. good thinkin

Stomping pedals for a cause is all the better. The Katy Trail is a great place to just be out in nature and my most favorite place to ride. It sounds good to me, Trek!



Buy local!

Trek, you have some excellent ideas, and it would be great to get together in "real life" with some of the folks who are part of this online community.



The only thing you said that I would decline is "ride to support this website" - moral support is fine but I would not want a ride to raise money for the website. It's an advertising-supported site, so you all can support the website by supporting the advertisers.



The biggest problem of course is actually organizing the ride. It's ideal if, like MLH's post above, someone says "hey let's meet at some specific trailhead at some specific time" and people just show up. Putting together a sponsored-type organized ride is a much bigger matter requiring someone to volunteer a lot of time and effort. Personally I would not have the time resources to organize something like this, but I think you hit upon a great idea with the Merchants' Association. I will pass along the idea of a Merchants' Assn-sponsored ride to the lady who coordinates the association.



Thanks to all of you who come to the forum to share your ideas and experiences. You are adding value to the Katy Trail itself by helping build this wealth of information for newbies and experienced riders alike. This online community actually feels a lot more like a real community than most.



Happy trails!

thanx should go to you ray for starting this website. and trek did have a great idear for having a ride of all the regulars. i frequent the gosmokies website dailey, and have had the pleasure of meeting some of the regulars in person from that website. hope it works out. it would be pretty neat to meet everbody.



happy bikin and be safe.

I'm in! One day, weekend or more. Trek just put down a date and we'll see who can show. I could at least be there for a day. Would love a longer ride though if possible. If you would like some help email thru my web. Doug

I'm in, Trek.

Great idea!

We ate here last year and found the food to be relatively good--

relative, that is, to what's available on the trail. It's greasy, but

if you're riding 40 miles a day (as we were), you'll burn those

calories and more off anyway. We found that the key to appreciating

the food available along the trail is to keep your expectations low;

do that and you'll sometimes be pleasantly surprised. When some

friends and I took a trip July 13th and 14th of this year (2009), one

friend had to ride a very small, very poorly built Mongoose "mountain"

bike. To make a long story short, we got a flat, "patched" it with

electrical tape (it was the best we had), and rode to Rocheport. When

we got to the bike shop around 4 pm, the mechanic had left for the day

due to the lack of business. The woman working, though, was

exceptionally helpful and found just the tire we needed. We payed $12

for a new tire and $5 for a new tube--not too bad.

We ate here last year and found the food to be relatively good--

relative, that is, to what's available on the trail. It's greasy, but

if you're riding 40 miles a day (as we were), you'll burn those

calories and more off anyway. We found that the key to appreciating

the food available along the trail is to keep your expectations low;

do that and you'll sometimes be pleasantly surprised. When some

friends and I took a trip July 13th and 14th of this year (2009), one

friend had to ride a very small, very poorly built Mongoose "mountain"

bike. To make a long story short, we got a flat, "patched" it with

electrical tape (it was the best we had), and rode to Rocheport. When

we got to the bike shop around 4 pm, the mechanic had left for the day

due to the lack of business. The woman working, though, was

exceptionally helpful and found just the tire we needed. We payed $12

for a new tire and $5 for a new tube--not too bad.

I know you were not complaining. I suppose my tastes (grew up in a trailer house in st. clair

county missouri) are just a little more plain than many folks.



I love the food at that cafe! lol

I know you were not complaining. I suppose my tastes (grew up in a trailer house in st. clair

county missouri) are just a little more plain than many folks.



I love the food at that cafe! lol

Not to beat a dead horse but our experience was bad...down town Rocheport for better food

at the General Store.

Not to beat a dead horse but our experience was bad...down town Rocheport for better food

at the General Store.

The French-fries servings are generally large and freshly made.

The French-fries servings are generally large and freshly made.

Just had a great lunch at the General Store in Rocheport. If you ride into Rocheport don't

limit yourself to the Trailside Cafe. (see my post about the problems experienced there)

There are a lot of other options for you and one is the General Store. If you get off the

trail by the Trail Bike Shop the General Store is just a few blocks away in downtown

Rocheport located at 202 Central Street. There is also another restaurant called Abigails

which has a very good reputation down the street from the General Store at 206 Central.

If your adventurous make the long trip up to the top of the bluffs to the Les Bourgeois

Winery. Awesome restaurant as well. We will be trying Abigails on our next trip and I'll let

you know how it is. Also there are some cute gift shops downtown as well.

We were at the General Store on a Fri., 7/10/09, and they had live music. I think that may be a regular thing for them, and maybe on Sat. night also. It was great. The band was great and the people were friendly.

So if we're on the trail when a storm hits, where is the most protective place to take cover from the lightning if we can't reach a town? Under a tree is NOT an option!

Get away from high ground and open fields. Also stay away from isolated trees. Lightning

generally strikes at the highest point. Go to a low-lying area, preferably a spot with brush

or scrub for cover. Avoid dry stream beds that might flood in a storm, and steer clear of

water, tall trees, and anything metal-wires, fences, pipes, etc. Metal acts like a conduit for

lightning strikes, so puts you at risk. Make yourself small. Crouch down with your feet

together, so you contact as little ground as possible. (Don't lie down. If lightning strikes

nearby, you'll get a jolt through the ground.)



Another old trick is count the seconds between the thunder clap and the lightning. This is

a method to tell whether the storm is getting closer or moving away. Thunder clap quick

flash take cover! Lightning usually occurs ahead of the rain. Hope that helps! Stay safe! :)

Good hamburger and impressive fish sandwich. Take your camera. Service was very

friendly as well.

Good hamburger and impressive fish sandwich. Take your camera. Service was very

friendly as well.

He had fresh pork rinds and Busch long necks! Doesn't get any better than that!

He had fresh pork rinds and Busch long necks! Doesn't get any better than that!

We stayed there on July 7th. Definitely one of the best values on the trail. Comfortable and immaculate. Way too nice for three stinky dudes. She baked muffins in flower pots! Truly amazing!

We stayed there on July 7th. Definitely one of the best values on the trail. Comfortable and immaculate. Way too nice for three stinky dudes. She baked muffins in flower pots! Truly amazing!