Today was undeniably the best weather we’ve seen on this trip. The morning started once again with the Pancake Man, this time serving French toast, eggs and sausage. Riders had two options this morning: either a road route or a shuttle to Davisdale Conservation Area because of some flooding just west of the Rocheport tunnel.
While cycling on the trail west of Boonville, riders felt the slight incline on and off for most of the rest of the day. All morning we heard gears clicking in and out of place.
We found a little pie place in Pilot Grove! No one could ride past the Mennonite family selling lemonade and delicious cookies in the shade. Clifton City was also a popular SAG stop run by Ernestine Todd and Debbie Anderson. Ernestine loved sharing stories and trail history.
Our ride ended at the beautiful Sedalia Depot, which is now a museum and gift shop. Some restaurants and food vendors were set up for lunch. Our day ended at our campsite in Liberty Park. Nadlers catered dinner in the convention hall. After dinner we had a concert from the Sedalia Community Band as well as a Sedalia Bombers baseball game. Pitcher Mike Kickham pitched the first four innings. He was drafted this year by the Giants!
Top 10 Reasons to Ride the Katy Trail
1. “The scenery. The river. The bluffs. –Peggy French, 1st ride
2. “I appreciate the historical significance, especially Lewis and Clark stuff.” –Bruce Chulka, 2nd ride
3. “It’s a great family experience! It’s an adventure to come out and experience the nature and the fresh air.” –David Fletcher, 1st ride
4. “It’s a really beautiful piece of country. It’s a good experience.” –Ben Frey, 2nd ride
5. “Good food.” –Brandon Veale, 1st ride
6. “Really cool people.” -Maria Gomez, 1st ride
7. “It’s a way to experience nature.” –Cinthia Eyes, 1st ride
8. “It’s fun, it’s healthy and it’s good exercise.” –Frank Aguilar, 1st ride
9. “To see what your body is capable of.” –Ashi Guzman, 1st ride
10. “It’s the most beautiful trail I’ve been on. The reason I go on this ride every year is not the cycling, it’s for the beauty of nature: the bluffs, the river, the wildflowers” –Anita Philbrick, 6th ride
Rider of the Day
Nick Lance
Age: 60
Hometown: Houston, Tx
Nick is our resident “rocket scientist.” Literally, he retired from NASA and he keeps us updated on the space station’s appearance in the sky. Some gathered with him to watch it pass on Tuesday morning and again tonight at 10:11p.m. (Check out NASA’s Skywatch Sightings Calculator to see when the space station will pass over your area!) Both his bike and his wife’s bike have Texas license plates with their names on them. Nick’s also has another plate that reads KC5KKBO, which is his amateur radio license for talking with the space station.
