Katy Trail Forum

My wife and I will be spending our honeymoon biking the entire katy trail from clinton to st. charles...what are the best bed & breakfasts' to stay at along the trail? Is there anything else we should know before we leave this friday 10.17.08...

If you don't already have reservations at your planned stops, call and make sure you will be able to as October is a busy month on the Katy. Sure wouldn't want to be on your honeymoon and not have a place to stay!

That said, some of my favorites (although there are many more I've never stayed at). In Sedalia, not a B&B but the Hotel Frederick is very nice, historic and charming. Jeff city...Cliff Manor would get definitely get my vote..historic, very nice, awesom breakfast and Thom is great host. Rhineland...the Doll House is always a good stay....not elegant or fancy, but right on the trail, food across the highway and Amanda is a wonderful hostess with great breakfast.

In Augusta, the Red Brick Inn is super...pricy but worth every penny and even a hot tub in the gazebo out back.

Congratulations and enjoy the ride!

Jefferson City-Briar Rose

Rhineland-Doll House

Augusta-Red Brick Inn



All top notch and run by the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.

The Hotel Bothwell is in Sedalia and its counterpart, The Hotel Frederick is in Boonville....both are nice as is Rivercene just across the Missouri river north of Boonville. Birks in Hermann is a good stop along with Hermann Hill. Hermann Hill B&B or their "cottages" would be good for the honeymooner.

We rode the trail last month, and I would second previous comments: don't miss Hotel Bothwell in Sedalia and Frederick Hotel in Boonville--both beatifully restored hotels from the early 1900's. The Globe in Hartsburg would be a close second. If one of your nights is in the Rhineland/Bluffton area, stay at Randleman's B&B. (Rocheport also has some places that look really neat on the website, but we did not stay in Rocheport so I can't make a personal recommendation).

Forgot to add: there are a LOT of neat places in Hermann, a bit too pricy for me, but you only honeymoon ONCE--so it would probably be worth it!

On your anything else to know question.....many of the businesses are closed on Monday. You may want to use this site to help you plan your stops so you don't find yourself hungry with nothing open. We usually carry food and water to get us by just in case.

thank you all for your wonderful input! we can't wait to start the ride! Friday can't come any sooner! this site is wonderful for planning a ride on the katy trail! kudos to you all!!!

The Sedalia House B&B is also a nice alternative in Sedalia. It is in a quiet country location right outside of Sedalia, but not far from two different trailheads. The owners are very accomodating and even have a special just for us cyclists. I got to their website from the "towns and services" section. Just something else to consider. Oh, and yes, this is a great resourse to go to when planning a trip on the KATY!

Oops...on my earlier post, I did mean the Bothwell in Sedalia. I've never stayed at the Frederick in Boonville.

We just spent our honeymoon in Hermann, MO, at the Heritage Inn B&B. The Gold Room is the way to go - no window but you don't hear the trains at night either. Gourmet breakfasts were delicious.

We rode the Katy last month and two places REALLY stand out. The Hotel Frederick is a beautifully restored hotel. Great staff, gorgeous rooms and right on the trail. The other place I can not recommend enough is the Inn at Hermannhoff in Herman. AMAZING rooms with king size canopy beds, heated bathroom floors, a fireplace in both the bedroom AND the bathroom, a WONDERFUL German breakfast each morning, furnishings that are indescribable AND wine with your room!! Probably one of the best places I have ever stayed!

Some Boonville tips. If you are staying, or might stay, at either the Holiday Inn Express or

Comfort Inn and are coming from the west, don't ride all the way into town. There is a cutoff

at the Boonville Community Services bulletin board about two miles before you get to the

depot. It takes you along a ridge to the motels. We stayed at the Holiday Inn and it was very

good. In the morning we rode back to where we left the trail. In Boonville coffee lovers

should be aware of Taylor's Bake Shop, a block off the trail on Morgan St. Their espresso is

excellent, and I mean really excellent! Riding from Sedalia to Jeff City we had trouble in

September with trailhead water stops being shut off. What's up with services on the trail?

See the article on stltoday.com website regarding the Katy Trail extension between St. Charles and Machens.



http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stcharles/story/54CC3C30E64B8FDE862574DD000C0F6C?OpenDocument

Anyone know if the fairgrounds shower will still be in operation that late in October? I have

looked at the missouri state fair website and in the past the person answering the phone was

short on answers.



Thanks,

We found a small store, Missy's Mart, that has been opened for only about a year, located before the trailhead just off the trail along 94. Not a lot of food, but microwave mac and cheese helped my husband get thru till we could find lunch in Mokane.

We found a small store, Missy's Mart, that has been opened for only about a year, located before the trailhead just off the trail along 94. Not a lot of food, but microwave mac and cheese helped my husband get thru till we could find lunch in Mokane.

Missy's was open when I biked into Tebbetts on Saturday, and the sign said it was open "Sun - Sat 6 - 6," but by the time I got cleaned up and walked down to the store, it was closed (at 4:30 p.m.) Per Jim @ Jim's Bar & Grill, Missy's is not open on Sunday anymore. So don't trust the hours posted on the door.

Missy's was open when I biked into Tebbetts on Saturday, and the sign said it was open "Sun - Sat 6 - 6," but by the time I got cleaned up and walked down to the store, it was closed (at 4:30 p.m.) Per Jim @ Jim's Bar & Grill, Missy's is not open on Sunday anymore. So don't trust the hours posted on the door.

Doug is a heck of a nice guy, but his housekeepping is a little lax. If you're looking for a good meal and a bed to sleep in and don't care about the cleanliness of the bathroom, this is the place for you. The shower in the washroom is very primitive.

Doug is a heck of a nice guy, but his housekeepping is a little lax. If you're looking for a good meal and a bed to sleep in and don't care about the cleanliness of the bathroom, this is the place for you. The shower in the washroom is very primitive.

The Depot Store in Sedalia's Katy Depot carry's many of the above books like

the Katy Trail Guidebook, Biking Missouri Rail Trails, Biking USA Rail Trails,

Katy Trail Nature Guide and more.

If anyone in the next few days (beginning October 10, 2008) finds a Castro green "bucket" hat with a red cross on background (yes, like on MASH) can you please notify me. I lost it between Peers and Tebbets on Friday. Thanks. Happy riding.



Chris Buhr

buhrchris@hotmail.com

We were very pleased with the accomodations and service at Birk's Gasthaus in Hermann. It

is under new management and there is a real dedication to satisfy the customers. I think it

may be cheaper than other places, too.

We loved Cliff Manor. And our host and inn keeper, Tom, went out of his way to help us when unexpected problems with our biking arose. Lovely rooms, great food and many "extras" helped make this one of our best stays. A destination in itself to stay and investigate Jefferson City for a few days.

We loved Cliff Manor. And our host and inn keeper, Tom, went out of his way to help us when unexpected problems with our biking arose. Lovely rooms, great food and many "extras" helped make this one of our best stays. A destination in itself to stay and investigate Jefferson City for a few days.

Hello. Sorry if this has been covered, but I can't find anything specific about this. Am

considering a solo trip in early November (starting on the 4th). I've read about how

unpredictable the weather is, and am prepared for that. But what I can't figure out is

whether or not I need to worry about campground and/or water supply closings this time of

year. Do I just have to contact each campground individually, or is there a certain time of

year that all of them close? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Rob

From the DNR website: The state parks are open year-round. Generally, water is turned off in most of the campgrounds Nov. 1 and turned on again April 1. The electric is on year-round.



You should be able to get water at other places though even though you may have to buy it at Casey's, etc.

To my knowledge, most everything shuts down along the Katy after the Oktoberfest activities. I have heard in the past that people have had a difficult time with supplies, as many of the trailside businesses are closed.........so just make sure you're prepared in case. I'm actually soloing this coming weekend and I plan on dropping off some small food items and other things at a couple different places along the route (at hotels) just in case I run short or need anything last minute......might be a good idea for you since the season will be over. My thought is that I'd much rather spend a few bucks and drive half way across the state to drop off some supplies in the event of an emergency or food/water shortage.

We enjoyed a 5 day bicycle trip along the Katy trail and on the 4th day we had a massage booked at Halcyon therapeutic massage & bodywork in Augusta. It was great! Just what you need after a few days of cycling.

We arrived right before close. We just wanted to take a break from bicycling the trail and have some tea. They let us sit on their patio and we enjoyed some nice teas and muffins. The staff was very friendly.

We arrived right before close. We just wanted to take a break from bicycling the trail and have some tea. They let us sit on their patio and we enjoyed some nice teas and muffins. The staff was very friendly.

We had lunch at Becky's and really enjoyed it. Everything was fresh and tasted great. Best fries and wonderful blackberry pie. They even refilled our camelbacks. Thanks!

We had lunch at Becky's and really enjoyed it. Everything was fresh and tasted great. Best fries and wonderful blackberry pie. They even refilled our camelbacks. Thanks!

As my knees began to hurt all of the time I decided it was time to give up running and try out biking instead. I have been biking the KT most of the summer and love it! However, as I was not sure that I would enjoy it I have been making due with the bike that I had. I am now sold on riding and I'm ready to purchase a better bike. Since I am new to this I need advise on the brands, styles, etc...of bike to purchase that is best suited for trail riding. Any help that can be given is greatly appreciated!

I ride a Raleigh gruv, its a pedal forward bike and very comfy, 7 speed, 26 inch wheels, perfect bike for riding the Katy. If your interested I have one for sale as I have several of them. 573-254-3744 Thanks, Ron

I'd suggest looking into a Cyclocross bike. If you're not familiar with them, they look like road bikes but have a slightly different geometry and wider, knobby tires. They're very versatile bikes, easy to ride, comfortable, and quick.

I agree with Speedy. You can change the tires out for road rides or touring and run wider tires for the trail. Several even have rack and fender mounts to use for touring. You can get a really nice one for around $1100 new. Then you can go on any rides your friends might want to do.

If by 'trail' riding you are referring to continuing to ride other trails around the country like the Katy, then a Cyclocross bike would be awesome! If by 'trail' you mean going off-road and riding over stumps, etc, I would highly suggest looking more into a hard-tail or full-suspension mountain bike.



Most of your big bike companies make entry and mid-level cyclocross bikes these days from the $400-500 range on up.



If you want something a little more unique, here are a few great companies depending on your budget....



www.surlybikes.com

www.gunnarbikes.com

www.salsacycles.com

www.ifbikes.com (very nice frames, but pricey)



Good luck!!

I have purchased three bicycles made by JAMIS Bikes and have been very pleased with their quality and the level of components offered compared to the purchase price. I suffered a lower back injury in 2006 and knew that my days on an aluminum bike were limited. I have a CODA COMP, which is a 520 Reynolds steel frame with a full carbon fork, and good components and wheelset, for $800.00. I purchased one for my wife also. We rode 50 miles on the Katy the other day and the steel frame and carbon fork soak up the rough stuff with only about a pound more weight than a comparable aluminum bike; and much less weight than a mountain bike with a suspension fork. There is a dealer in Chesterfield that carries JAMIS and I highly recommend both of them(bike and dealer). Check out their website at Jamis bikes.com. My other JAMIS is a self built custom road bike that I have put three thousand comfortable miles on so far this year. Check out this companies machines, they are very high quality.

I ride a Trek hybrid and it has been everything I need for the Katy Trail. I can't see investing a whole lot more in a bike for the trail unless one is into speed.

Yeah, I forgot to mention in my last post that steel frames are great for a nice, comfortable ride. If you're wanting to spend more money, grab a titanium frame since they ride like a steel frame but weigh far less. I also agree with the above post, Jamis bikes are nice bikes. If you aren't getting a mountain bike, make sure you get a cyclocross from their 'roadbike' section on their website.......their streetbikes do not have the bottom bracket clearance that you'll probably be looking for in a cyclocross style bike. Also be aware that they do tend to use some chinsy components on a lot of their bikes to keep the overall cost down. There is nothing more frustrating than being stuck in the middle of nowhere with crappy gear that decides it doesn't want to work for whatever reason.

Robin, My wife and I ride Giant Hybrid bikes and we have found they are great for the Katy. If you are looking for a bargin on Saturday morning Oct. 18 the bike shop in Defiance MO is selling their rental bikes. Every year they sale the bikes they have used for rental during the past year. They are Raliegh bikes that are set up for the trial. They sale them for $150.00. They are sold on a first come basis. They start giving out numbers around midnight Friday night and start selling them at 8AM. I have bought three of them for family members and they really like them. You get a good bike and save a few hundred dollars. If you are interested be sure and get there early.

Before you buy anything, go to one/two/or however many bike shops and ride as many bikes as you can. The most important thing to find is one that fits. Once you find one or more that fit, go back a few days later and ride them again. Everyone is different, some prefer the straight up position on a hybrid, some prefer the more aggressive position found on cyclocross bikes. Myself, I prefer my hardtail mountain bike with street tires because it will haul a load of stuff and isn't dicey on the sand and gravel left over from the bad weather. Do keep in mind that the Katy Trail is like an Interstate compared to some other rails to trails.

Above missive very important....whatever you get, get yourself "fitted" to the bike as that will among other things perhaps prevent knees from hurting. When in doubt...ride your bike. Mark

Very important note......if you're knees are hurting chances are that your seat is not high enough. I see a TON of people riding that have their seats too low and it will definitely cause knee problems.



Here is a great page with some common cycling issues explained.....there is a good explanation for knee issues linked in the 'knees' section as well.



http://www.sheldonbrown.com/pain.html

Hey...BIG thanks to all that replied to my post. I certainly attained alot of good advise and things to think about prior to my bike purchase! I knew my fellow KT riders would be a great resource and I was right!!! Happy Trails and Thanks again!

I have to agree with Murf....I also ride a Trek hybrid & it seems to me to be a perfect fit to the KATY trail....and it doesn't do too bad on a good hard surface.

My husband & I suggested we try it with our friends (2 other couples) & we were all disappointed with our dining experience. The service was very slow, food was not good and prices were too high for what you got. None of us will ever go there again when we visit Boonville

My husband & I suggested we try it with our friends (2 other couples) & we were all disappointed with our dining experience. The service was very slow, food was not good and prices were too high for what you got. None of us will ever go there again when we visit Boonville

How was your ride on the Katy though??

How was your ride on the Katy though??

Glenn's is the main reason I even ride this section of the trail, which is a little boring. I do like riding over the Missouri River bridge though. The thing I like about Glenn's is the really good seafood/fish, the veggie side choices and just the feel of the old building. My friend and I usually arrange to end our ride at the hotel, because we are wine drinkers. Meals I've tried and loved are the shrimp creole, trout, and blackened redfish.

Glenn's is the main reason I even ride this section of the trail, which is a little boring. I do like riding over the Missouri River bridge though. The thing I like about Glenn's is the really good seafood/fish, the veggie side choices and just the feel of the old building. My friend and I usually arrange to end our ride at the hotel, because we are wine drinkers. Meals I've tried and loved are the shrimp creole, trout, and blackened redfish.

There is a new asphalt paved trail connecting to the Katy about 6 miles west of the Greens Bottom Trailhead (or 4 miles east of the Weldon Springs Trailhead). It has several bridges, stone walls and iron fencing. It looks like it was rather expensive to construct. It ends at a water treatment plant. Does anyone have any details on this trail. Thanks John

Originally planned on camping at the Park. DUMP! No bathrooms - only the remains of what was, at one time, bathrooms.

Hi all. I am prepping for an October ride, and would like to be prepared. I am hoping for great weather obviously, but need to know what people typically do in the event they are caught out in the open or in the woods during a thunderstorm? If I am near a trailhead, I figure being under the trailhead shelters would be the best place. But what about in the middle of nowhere?



Also, other than a rain jacket, what do people use to stay relatively comfy in the rain?

I see from the silence so far that everyone else must have the same plan as I do...pedal like heck to get to something resembling shelter.

Greetings,



Two of us are planning a self-contained bicycle tour of the Katy Trail in early October. What I use during a downpour is my ground tarp for my tent or my tent fly. I suspend it between some trees and get out my ultra-light swing lounge chair and enjoy the rain. If there are not any trees from which to suspend my ground cover (which has gromets on the corners), I place the tarp over the bicycle and myself while sitting in my ultra-light sling lounge chair.

Missouri very seldomly has lightning in the fall. Actually I would not worry about it. In the event you do have lightening, the safest bet is to either stay on your bike and keep riding or find a good structure to take shelter in. Any building or trailhead shelter will work. Just don't run up in the woods and get under a big tree.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with the last poster on this. Being on the bike is not safe at all,

it's not like a car where you're protected but still grounded by the rubber tires. Being in the

woods surrounded by trees of similar size is actually the safest bet. NOT under a lone tree or

under the tallest tree around, mind you.

Fine point note: Rubber tires do not ground a car. Rubber is actually an excellent insulator. The realitive safety from lightning strikes inside a car is provided by the metallic body that is a excellent conductor. Electricity takes the path of least resistance, so when a car gets struck by lightning, it goes through the car's body and not you.

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/vehicle_strike.html

It's best to not be touching anything metal on the vehicle while you're inside. If the current flow finds a path to earth ground its best to not be part of that connection.

Thanks, Paul, glad to know that.

So again...if I am in the middle of miles of open fields, what should I do? Get off the bike and sit in the rain until it passes? Ride on til I get to something that offers cover?

On the Katy there is a town every 10 miles or so. So theoretically the most miles you would have to ride if there was such an event, would be 5 to 6. If you keep your eye on the weather and any pending storm you should not find yourself in a situation where you were in the middle of nowhere with lightening bolts pelting you. Usually when we are going any distance we carry a battery powered weather radio. It can be set to receive the wave from the closest station no matter where you are. Its a handy and inexpensive way to keep track of the weather in effort to avoid a lightening storm. Although we've riden in the rain, we've never tried riding through a lightening storm and have cancelled trips when the weather wasn't favorable.

Just like the workplace, driving, or anything else in life, identifying/avoiding/eliminating hazards is always superior to protective or evasive methods. But if, for whatever reason, you find yourself in an open field during a lightning storm, ASK.



AVOID: Avoid water. Avoid all metallic objects. Avoid the high ground. Avoid solitary tall trees. Avoid close contact with others - spread out 15-20 ft. apart. Avoid contact with dissimilar objects (water & land; boat & land; rock & ground; tree & ground). Avoid open spaces.



SEEK: Seek clumps of shrubs or trees of uniform height. Seek ditches, trenches or the low ground. Seek a low, crouching position with feet together with hands on ears to minimize acoujstic shock from thunder.



KEEP: Keep a high level of safety awareness for thirty minutes after the last observed lightning or thunder.



http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/ploutdoor.htm

"Seek a low, crouching position with feet together with hands on ears to minimize acoujstic shock from thunder."



If there are three of you in this position, the person to the right of you should be covering their eyes and the person to the left of you should be covering their mouth.

Does anyone know how far Les Bourgoise Winery is from School House B&B? How far is School House from the trail itself?

Les Bourgeois is a mile or two by road from the B&B. Uphill by road and by trail if you walk up from the Katy. The B&B is probably 3 blocks to the trail.

Its probably one mile from the winery to the School House B & B (all down hill). The trail is 2 blocks from the B & B.

Article noted by my son in today's (10/09/08) St. Louis Post-Dispatch:



Eastern Katy Trail Extension won't be open this Fall

By Tim Bryant



ST. CHARLES COUNTY — Cyclists and hikers who had hoped to do some leaf peeping this fall on the new eastern tip of the Katy Trail will be disappointed.



State parks officials wanted to have the trail's easternmost 11 miles open this fall. But waves of summer showers softened the levee over which dump trucks loaded with gravel must operate to complete the trail project.



Quinn Kellner, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' superintendent for the trail's eastern section, was unable to say when the job will get under way but said the project will take about three months once it starts.



He said the work will begin when the levee becomes dry enough to remain undamaged while bearing heavily loaded trucks.



"We need to allow for some pretty dry conditions to set up before they haul rock," he said. (Paragraph cut out here)



About $350,000 in state funding for the work came through in July. Katy Trail State Park officials had hoped to do the work last year, but funding was not finalized.



Pushing the trail to Machens has been a department goal for years, but the floods of 1993 and 1995 delayed completion. Floods created two large areas of standing water on the trail.



One of the areas, a 600-foot expanse called a scour hole, presented too costly an obstacle for a bridge. The state then pursued the option of putting part of the trail on a levee maintained by the Consolidated North County Levee District.



(More on alternate levee path details removed here - see online Post for full content and pictures as well)

Is there a parade at the Pumpkin festival on Sat Morning? If so what time does it start?

Is there a parade at the Pumpkin festival on Sat Morning? If so what time does it start?

The parade starts at 9 a.m. Full details available at the website: http://www.hartsburgpumpkinfest.com/ Click on "2008 Festival Map" for a map and schedule of events.

The parade starts at 9 a.m. Full details available at the website: http://www.hartsburgpumpkinfest.com/ Click on "2008 Festival Map" for a map and schedule of events.