Great American BBQ

While I was riding a bicycle built for three along the Katy Trail, Tim was busy with Jacks or Better BBQ at the Great American BBQ Contest in Overland Park.  For the second year in a row, they were named Grand Champions of Side Dishes.  They got 1st place for beans (no surprise from this girl), 3rd place for potatoes, and 7th place for veggies for an overall 1st place finish.  Their ribs also placed 15th. 

Katy Trail Day 5

We survived the ride, had remarkable weather (especially considering Joplin, MO got hit by a tornado the day we finished) and even made up a song to the tune of Bicycle Built for Two:

Larry, Larry, we need a rest stop, please
Leslie's tired and Martha has got to pee
It matters not where you stop, for Martha can just drop
her pants and pee, beside a tree on a bicycle built for three.

They were having a civil war reenactment at the St. Charles trailhead which was fun to see.  Mom and Dad met us with the van and my car so we could all get home.  It was a wonderful vacation!

Katy Trail Day 4

Day 4 was much shorter (and therefore much easier) riding.  The sun came out which made for much more enjoyable riding as well.  No misadventures or tumbles (except I somehow must get chain oil on myself - see tatoo below).  Larry and I have been thrilled with Martha's planning on this trip - with the exception of our last two B&Bs were at tops of hills.

Our B&B today served appetizers at 6:00 pm created by owner and gourmet chef Alan (wow - talk about good).  We walked to Cafe Bella for dinner (also, very good).  We could have spent days wandering though the house examining all the antiques but instead went to bed early to get rest for our final day of riding.

Breakfast was superb - peach soup, shirred eggs benedict, and pesto stuffed tomato.  If you are ever in Augusta, MO - you must stay at the H. S. Clay House and Guest Cottage!!

Katy Trail Day 3

This trip has had a number of firsts for me - first time on a bike tour, personal record in mileage, first time staying in a bed & breakfast, first time riding a bike in the rain. Today we missed the rain by 15 minutes (yay) but I survived my first bike topple over (and my second one too). I think the first one was my fault as I just couldn't get uncoupled fast enough. The second occurred when we were riding up the driveway to the wonderful B&B we are staying at which unfortunately is extremely steep. We were spinning but the drive got slick and we lost traction. It reminded me of those old roadrunner cartoons when Wylie Coyote goes off the cliff and just suspends for a second before crashing. That pretty much describes what happened although no injuries were sustained. We have showered now and are feeling much better.

This part of the trail was not as exciting as the previous days. Not as many towns to go through and the ones we went through were rather depressing. No deer or rabbit sightings. We are up to 40 bikers. We are off now to Hermann for a steak dinner. I might just might have to have an alcoholic beverage tonight. Martha and Larry are still speaking to me (and each other) so all is good. We will leave McKittrick tomorrow and ride to Augusta (which might be our shortest day). Will keep you posted.

Katy Trail Day 2

Well, we started out in the rain, but it did stop shortly after we started. We rode into Boonville and decided to get off the trail and ride down Main Street (Larry had a hankering for a coke float). Right before we were about to give up and turn around, "eagle eye" Leslie spotted Carrie Lyn's Ice Cream Parlor. Fabulous place! Unfortunately the rain started back up so we rode into Rocheport in a pretty steady drizzle. Luckily it was a warm rain though so it wasn't too bad. Part of the trail is closed for repair so we did have to ride on Highway 40 for a while (only one truly nasty semi driver who decided it would be fun to see how close he could drive to us). We had lunch at Abigails (another wonderful stop) before heading onto our destination of Hartsburg.

Check out the ghost behind Martha

The rain stopped for the last few hours of our ride and we got to stretch our legs by walking to dinner at Big Muddy's Bar (can't get used to all the smoking inside eating establishments - must be a Missouri thing). We ended up riding about 53 miles today. So far, so good. We are up to 27 bike riders, 7 deer, 6 rabbits, multiple herds of cows, lots of dogs, something that looked like the Loch Ness Monster floating in the Missouri River (we decided it was probably a log), 2 eagles, and numerous little blue birds. Martha and I serenaded Larry for much of the ride (Larry would name an artist and we would have to come up with the song). Hopefully tomorrow we will move from the 70's to the 80's. We shall have to wait and see...

Katy Trail Day 1

Martha, Larry, and I started out from Clinton, MO at 9:10 a.m. for my first bike tour. After Shelby's graduation excitement (which will be blogged about when I return home), Martha decided a bike ride would take my mind off my youngest leaving the nest. We are riding the Katy Trail ending in St. Charles, MO.

We did 65 miles our first day (my PR by quite a lot). The weather was perfect, not too hot, and we saw 3 deer, 3 bunnies, a lot of cows and horses, 15 other riders, a number of walkers and their dogs, and some beautiful county. We stopped in Pilot Grove and quickly found our destination, the Pilot Grove B&B - great old house (which is for sale if anyone is interested). The house was built in 1886 and was originally a Methodist parsonage. The owner, Dolores, stopped by to welcome us but we had the whole house to ourselves.

I woke up to rain and thunderstorms this morning but Larry and Martha assure me that it will stop before we get to our next stop, Hartsburg. Dolores fixed us a fabulous breakfast and told us the history of Pilot Grove and this great house. Pictures will follow once I get on a real computer (the iPad is fun but not as easy to use as a word processor as a laptop).