Leaving Katy

Like all true loves, it was time to move on. It was a traumatic experience for us but she was ok with our leaving. Because of flooding we had to leave Katy at Jefferson City for the road. The trail was flat but Jefferson City had many steep hills that punished us as we headed for our hotel. Our next day’s adventure took us to Boonville. To get there, we climbed steep hills for the first 25 miles out of Jefferson City. However, the final 25 miles were fantastically fast with easy grades and lots of flats...we flew.

One of HP’s joys is finding Mom and Pop stores along the way. We had already stopped at several but today’s was extra special. When we walked in we saw a simple menu that read “Monday: salmon patties, tater tots, coleslaw, strawberry cake and sweet tea.” If we wanted a hamburger we would have had to wait until Thursday. So it was salmon patties for all. We were hungry and the food was good. It was served with a smile and lots of conversation. We sat at a long table with the farmers, and other locals. One man told us that he was a retired Missouri River pilot and now farms. He was called “Preacher” and was a grizzled man with lots of tattoos. He also told us that he rode a 3-wheeled motorcycle and just returned from a rally in Arkansas. Furthermore, he told us that at the rally, he saw naked women riding motor cycles. Upon hearing this, Joe wanted to reprogram our GPSs but we convinced him that Nancy (his wife) would object. A little boy sitting next to Jeff was his sole mate. Jeff eats tater tots as excuse to eat ketchup but the little boy (2-3 years old) just sucked the ketchup off his tater tots. If Jeff follows this example he can still get his ketchup but reduce his caloric intake.

All along our journey we have seen abandoned commercial buildings and homes. While sad, these buildings do have charm. The Katy trail has more than its share. Perhaps these communities started too declined with the loss of the railroad. Hopefully, the recreational users of the trail will help rejuvenate these areas.

In Boonville we met another cycling companion of many trips. Carl lives nearby in Carrollton, Missouri and wanted to join us for a few days. Carl always brings a unique prospective to our trips. He is very right brained and cultured. While he is with us he will enlighten us to art, culture, literature, and history. In addition, his slant on some of our past adventures makes us wonder if we really were there. In any event, he is always entertaining.

Photos - 5/3/2009
Photos - 5/4/2009
Map