Riding the trail or part of it for a novice

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The Sheiks from Okeene, Oklahoma on 1/24/2008 9:14:02 PM:

The wife and I are thinking of riding a portion of the trail this fall, probably late September or early October. We are not true bikers, especially myself. Really don't have a clue where to start to plan this. On top of that, we don't know where we would plan to start or stop. I can envision maybe 20 to 40 miles of the trail and 2 or 3 days to do it. I would like any suggestions on what portions you all would think are the neatest in terms of scenery, road type, etc. Also wandering how we would make it work as we are going to have to get back to the vehicle afterwards. I suppose one option would be to just turn around and head back where you started. Are there other ways of getting back? Generally speaking we would need to stay in a BB a night or two.
Like I said before, just looking for some advise from the experienced.
Thanks in Advance!

Jim from St. Thomas on 1/25/2008 8:07:18 AM:

I think I would do a Rocheport to Hartsburg round trip. That would be around 50 miles but that's a pretty easy two day trip. There are beautiful bluffs and a couple of conservation areas along the trail. You could eat lunch at either McBaine or Cooper's Landing in Easley and stay overnight at the Globe in Hartsburg. Just a warning about Cooper's ..... it gets mixed reviews in here but we love the place.

Trek on 1/25/2008 1:07:57 PM:

I think Jim is right about the Rocheport area.....usually mid October though for fall color. I might also consider Columbia to Rocheport or on to Boonville. The Hotel Frederick in Booneville is worth the trip as well as Glens Cafe, Napoli, etc. There are a few more B&B's in Rocheport also.....that is a busy time due to the fall color, so you might want to book your stay as early in advance as possible. Portland....Rhineland.....Hermann is a nice area too.....maybe not quite a scenic as the bluffs just east of Rocheport, but Hermann has a lot to offer. Hermann is an Amtrak stop too, if you wanted to do Jeff City to Hermann for example. The Plan a Ride feature above is a good tool as well as the Katy Trail Guidebook. Come on up.....its a great trail no matter where you ride!

larryerick from Seattle on 1/25/2008 1:18:25 PM:

I apologize in advance if I misunderstood your goal, but I clearly had a different impression, from Jim's, of what your maximum daily cycling would be. 20-40 miles in 2-3 days would mean less than 15 miles per day. In many areas of the trail, that's not enough distance to get from one town with lodging options to the next. Starting at Rocheport, that would get you to Boonville and back in two days, but not as far as Hartsburg. Without thinking about it too specifically, I would think the area closest to Augusta (or maybe Hermann) would be a better choice. On the other hand, if you really can't make 25-30 miles per day (giving you a lot more lodging options), I'd take an extra year to get healthy enough to ride farther than 10 miles a day and get much more enjoyment from the trail.

Gary from Near Tebbetts on 1/25/2008 6:52:48 PM:

The Jefferson City to Hartsburg and back would get you the 10 miles per day for a two day trip, has a nice stop about halfway overlooking the Missouri river, and if in October you could plan to be in Harstburg for the pumpkin festival (see events).

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