ArkyKenny from Farmington, AR on 7/15/2012 8:41:38 PM:
HECK YES it is worth the effort. That part feels like an old early 1900's railroad to me, it's the most sparsely populated part of the trail (which is good), it's where you are most likely to see wildlife, and it just has a different feel than the rest of the trail, as far as I'm concerned.
To me, the trail has 3 main sections: Clinton to Boonville--the old railway section, Boonville to Marthasville--the river section, and Marthasville to St. Charles--the casual rider/wine/Daniel Boone section. (St. Charles to Machens is just extra as far as I'm concerned.)
So if you are rider, and you love the solitude of great long rides, plus the chance to see some rural country, tree tunnels, and if you are a bit of a romatic and can still hear the old trains clanking through the country, how could you even consider skipping this part of the trail?
As a side note, if you haven't been off the trail a few blocks and seen downtown Sedalia, you need to do that too. It looks like a movie set straight out of the 1930's. Those places don't exist in real life anymore, so you have to see it.