Katy Trail

A biker commented recently that he was going to store items along the trail as most places are closed in the winter. Towns along the trail are working on Heritage Tourism and are wanting to band together on a Manitou Bluffs Organizationn that would include winerys, delis, bike shops, goat cheese farms, melons, grapes etc. Perhaps an organization such as this could also provide items needed for bikers as they play a large part of tourism for the little towns along the trail. What items are you talking about. Hartsburg is interested in year round visitors. Lets talk.

Don't bike shops, grocery stores, etc. now provide items for bikers? I've not needed goat cheese or melons on any trips on the Katy, but I guess I'm not really sure what you are talking about michael. Although at times a well stocked bike shop every ten miles would be handy, I don't see the feasibility.

In Sedalia there is lots of things open for Trail Riders. Restaurants, grocery stores, bike
shops and Katy Trail souviners. Call for any directions to these places, most are within 6
blocks or less of the trailheads.
Linda

While the average marathon biker wouldn't like an organization consisting of B & B's, cafes, delis, goat cheese farms, pumpkin farms etc we think many people would see us as a destination. Somewhere to go and stay a week and to sample 100 to 200 business in our organization. It has worked well in the area south of St Louis and we are now trying to organize here. Some or all of these business might be willing to have on hand items needed for bikers or hikers or joggers if we knew of the need. The Manitou Bluffs group met yesterday for the first time and are in the preliminary stages of getting organized. Anyone along the KATY Trail or MISSOURI River should be interested as this could increase usage and facilities.

My appologies for my confusion....but I still am trying to understand what it is that you are talking about. What do you mean that the average marathon biker wouldn't like an organization consisting of B & B's, etc.? Why or how so? All bike riders sleep and eat at some point in time. And how are people to arrive at an organization as a trip destination? Is this so called organization a place? What is actually happening south of St. Louis that we should be interested in?

The Missouri Regional Cuisines Project began in Missouri, south of St Louis, as the Mississippi River Hills project in 2003. Future projects will be the Manitou Bluffs (Boonville to Hermann), The Old Trails Region (Boonville to KC), and Missouri River Valley, (Hermann to St Louis). It helps promote and market Missouri wine and food products based on ecological regions in the state. The target audience is regional food producers, wineries, tourism destinations. locally owned B & Bs, resturants and arts and crafts shops featuring Missouri products, and economic and tourism development. By banding together it is our hope that all of the above can pool their resources to help each other in advertising the KATY Trail and the Missouri River and its attractions. By helping each other, through advertising, money and meetings we hope to increase usage of the trail and river which should help riders on the trail. More business could mean more places to get supplies or get a tire fixed or a place to stay that is historically interesting enough to get you to stay there and to find out more about the entire area. For more info you should contact Dr Elizabeth Barham. Leader, Missouri Regional Cuisines Project of the University of Missouri. her EMAIL is http://extension.missouri.edu/cuisines. I think a plan to organize and share will help us all as we try to increase tourism and usage of these two great resources.

I have had the pleasure of riding the KATY on many occassions over the past 4 years including a 3 day through ride from Clinton to St. Charles 2 years ago this week and a 32 mile section of it as recently as a week ago.

One thing I would find helpful is some consistency in when shops and restuarants are opened. I realize it is hard for shop keepers, etc. to be open all of the time as they are most often "mom and pop" businesses, but I have often been surprised that something is closed during what I would consider to be fairly standard/normal times.

I now never leave for a ride on the KATY without calling the places I depend on for resupply to make sure they are going to be opened. That is kind of a hassle, but maybe it is the only option/solution.

My wife is not interested in riding as I am, but is often ready to come along with me to search some of the small speciality stores, antique shops or other shopping adventures along the KATY. She will always be interested in more options in that regard.

The KATY is a phenominal resource in my opinion. Every time I ride it I applaud the visionary leadership that went into it's creation and the work that goes into to keeping it in such good condition.

I wish my state of residence (neighboring Kansas) had leadership that was willing to think in such visionary ways and on such a grand scale. Despite good faith efforts on the part of a few, there does not seem to be the political will to take such bold steps.

Best wishes in your promotion of the trail.

I agree with ElToro on open hours. For the working folk that wants to hit the trail for a few days, a very viable option is to use a couple of vacation days in conjunction with the weekend.

If we burn a Thursday and a Friday we are generally ok finding places open along the trail because we are heading home on the Sunday closed shop day. But if we go Monday and Tuesday, then with Sunday and Monday closings we are bound to find ourselves looking at closed doors for two days in the middle of the trip.

Because we're from Missouri and ride often, we know the Monday closed gig and carry an adequate supply of food and water. And we use this site to find out who is open and when and carry that information with us when we ride. For those that are less familiar with the trail closings it is probably a bigger issue when they get stranded out....and then they post here wondering what on earth the deal is beings they got shanked into being stuck out on the trail without the basics.

There can never be too many stops along the trail. There are stretches that are quite long,
and if one store is closed for the day/season--it can be a long stretch for water or a snack.
We try to pack along as much as we can, but like to stop and grab bottles of water and
snacks/light lunch (ice cream in the summer!) when available. Even installing a soda
machine out front is a godsend. I understand winter is not peak season, but there are still
some of us out there, happy to support the locals. (Our new retirement plan is a house
along the trail, where I can sell snacks from my rocker on the front porch! A box of
cookies and cooler of water on the honor system for days I sleep in!)

The Hartsburg Cycle Depot,now in Jefferson city, is looking into installing a dispensing machine, much like a coke machine, that would dispense tubes, stems etc in Hartsburg. Has anyone ever tried one of these? Would you use it? I guess it could also put out water or ????

If there was a machine like that, I think it would be beneficial to have a credit card slot on it as well. I'm sure a lot of people will have cash with them, but I'm sure most will have debit/credit cards along to save weight......and they are a bit more secure along the trail.