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Reply to Kids ride suggestions needed
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Oa in USA from O Fallon IL on 3/23/2005 3:52:51 PM:
Hi, I would like to take our children on a short ride along the Katy Trail for our first ride to try out the experience. I was thinking staying overnight and then riding back the same route the next day. I thought Weldon Springs to Augusta; would anyone have some better suggestions? The children bike to school regularly and the youngest travels in my bike trailer. Thanks.

 
Anonymous on 5/12/2005 10:36:43 PM:
For a first time out I would stick to a shorter day trip rather than an overnighter with kids the first time. Be sure to take lots of water, gatorade or something similar as there is none on the trail. Snacks, sandwiches would be good, too. Remember kids tire out sooner than adults, usually. I've seen more than one group get on the trail, not figuring out how much energy they may not have for their return trip to the car. Know your limits and the kids. I don't know the kids' ages, but I do think starting off on an overnighter is way too much.

 
Anonymous on 5/12/2005 10:40:23 PM:
I would stick to a day trip rather than an overnighter the first time. I don't know the ages of your children, but I"ve seen plenty of groups get onto the trail and not figure out how much energy they needed for the return trip. There is no way to know if this trip would be too much-as in soreness-with needing to ride again the next day. I'd take plenty of liquids, snacks, sandwiches, etc. Then pace your trip so that everyone is not too exhausted to bike back to the car. AFter biking a few times to check everyone's endurance, perhaps then see if the kids are up for the overnight stay.

 
ET from Columbia, MO on 5/21/2005 8:35:56 PM:
We have been doing 2-3 night trips with our kids since they were 4 1/2 and 6, and they have been fantastic. The first two years they were on trail-a-bikes, then there was a year that they shared one trail-a-bike and one bike, and last year (ages 7 1/2 and 9), they were on their own bikes. Our longest day was about 30 miles, and that is too long to do very often. A couple of suggestions: the kids really like the train, if you can work that in, for example we have ridden to Jeff City, then taken the train to Sedalia, and then ridden home. It is a challenge getting across the bridge at Jeff City, though. We used the taxi service there, and they do have bike racks. Some of the more kid-friendly places we have stayed include Rendelman House (he let the kids stay in a funny little attic cubby, which they loved!)' The Globe in Hartsburg; The Little House in Marthasville(?), because you have it to yourself; and Cruce's Cabooses, which is off the trail a bit, but a great adventure for the kids; and the Doll's House in Rhineland.

 
D & K from Blue Springs, MO on 6/11/2005 7:08:21 AM:
We only have experience with the trail from Clinton to Sedalia and that is probably the farthest from you, but we did Windsor to Clinton and back one day and Windsor to Sedalia and back another. The camping is good at Farrington Park in Windsor. No showers, but portable John and regular facilities for bathroom near the lake. It is a pretty scene. We saw a striped bass jump out of the water. Three herons flying about. Bats at night. There are large trees near the camping area. It was our first experience camping together. I think you could do a one day from either Clinton or Sedalia to Windsor, camp there, head back the next day. We are late 40s and we did the Katy 78 miles in two days.