Reply to First time riders looking for advice

Hello,

My husband, daughter(10) and sister in law are planning a trip on the Katy trail Thanksgiving week. We wont be camping, but could haul our stuff with us. Is it worth is to hire a company to set up our entire trip? We will need a shuttle, does anyone recommend a particular shuttle? How many days would people suggest doing with kids? What’s the most impressive section of there trail? Has anyone done the trail with dogs?

Thanks in advance for everyone’s advice.

-Carlie

If you are planning on riding the whole trail, keep in mind the following that may affect your enjoyment:
1) all the restrooms along the trail will have been winterized on November 1st, meaning no running water and as far as I know, they are locked.
2) the days are very short, so your ride times must fit into a 10-hour period that time of year. That does not give you much flexibility if something goes wrong
3) the trail surface will not dry out if there is wet weather. You do not want to ride on a slushy surface
4) it's cold and muscles do not like that (but being from Iowa, you already know it will be cold). It is not unheard of to have snow that early, though it will not be heavy.
5) a lot of the B&B's, etc. will be closed for the winter. Hotels will not be busy.
6) on the positive side, you will see a lot more of the bluffs surrounding the trail, since the leaves will have fallen by then
7) you are likely to be the only riders for many miles, so if peace is what you want, it will be there for you

Hope that helps.

Is it worth is to hire a company to set up our entire trip?

With the resources available here if you have the time to do it yourself, why spend (waste) money paying someone to do something that you can do yourself?

We will need a shuttle, does anyone recommend a particular shuttle?

Have never used a shuttle but there are several along the trail. I guess it would depend where you were on the trail which one would be cost effective.

How many days would people suggest doing with kids?

Depends on the kids. It shouldn't be a dreadful experience for them though. Take your time and let your daughter enjoy the adventure. You know her better than anyone else.

What’s the most impressive section of there trail?

Impressive in relation to what?? I think in general the entire trail is rather impressive....different sections for different reasons though. The tunnel and bluffs in the Rocheport area are pretty cool. It's also pretty cool seeing herds of deer or turkeys in the corner of a field in the farmland areas as well.

Has anyone done the trail with dogs?

I've seen several people with baskets and trailers with dogs....so yes. Dogs and kids are just alike.....they're all different. If your dog likes to go with on the trails in Iowa they will probably not notice much difference in Missouri.

Looking for a good route to ride from St. Louis train station to St. Charles. Google map routes don't look that safe especially near the airport.

This will add quite a few miles but the point of it was to: avoid riding through a major city when there is a more scenic option, cross the Mississippi via the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge which is closed to car traffic, to ride The Great River Road Trail between Alton and Grafton, cross the Mississippi via the Grafton Ferry (google it) and to see sites. I rode from Machens to Grafton ferry via very lightly traveled and extremely flat roads. Note that the Great River Road Trail is a highway shoulder for about eight miles and at first was unnerving but there is a rumble strip to alert drivers as well as cyclists. From Alton on and into StL is almost completely trails. Brown Bag Bistro in Alton is excellent for lunch. A link to my route is attached, it is my entire ride so zoom into what portion interests you. That ride was over 5.5 days, it’s saved as one file to reflect my trip as a whole. Also Facebook group Fans of the Katy Trail is an excellent source of information. Happy trails!
https://strava.app.link/8jExA6LkIBb

It is easy to book it on your own. At the outskirts of Sedalia, around ball fields, etc, you come to a trailhead, there are paper maps at the trailheads throughout, but keep going on the trail until you come to the big museum/restored train station. Then turn and ride through city streets to the Hotel Bothwell(I assume you're staying there). Traffic is not bad. But the route winds around through the town.
Small town. Nice Coffee shop for pastries and good coffee in the morning-Ozark Mountain Coffee Company a couple of blocks from the hotel. Check your phone/Google maps. The food at Hotel Bothwell is pricey, but it's convenient, but there are pubs and pizza close by as well. Nice people at the hotel and very vintage, cool neon sign, etc. One of the staff went above and beyond for me to get a tube as I wouldn't get in until after the bike shop closed. Built in the 1920's, the rooms are small as it was in that time and vintage. The big train station, now a museum, is very cool too.

If you are taking the train to get to the Katy Trail, may I suggest getting off in Kirkwood instead of downtown? I have ridden from each location (I lived near downtown for 19 years). If you have the option it is easier to route to the Katy from Kirkwood station.