The "Slow Me" Tour: 50 = 80 9/27/2016

Last night’s dinner at the Globe Motel B&B was scrumptious—a lovely mixed greens salad with blackberries, pecans and feta cheese, followed by braised chicken breasts, red potatoes, carrots, and green beans (all the things we like!), and finished with a local vanilla ice cream and delicious home-made chocolate sauce. Our hosts had only recently begun their B&B business, in a home/hotel/boarding house, with wonderful history, including surviving Missouri River floods over the years, the last one in 1993. Conversation was lively and we had a good time.

This morning, again we enjoyed a delicious breakfast—coffee, Greek yogurt parfait: with gluten free granola (Note from Rob: Diane has been carrying two pounds of the granola in her panniers), omelets, sausage links and toast. Eager to tackle the ride, we left our new friends by 8:30 and arrived at The Doll House B&B in Rhineland by 4:00.

The trail was still pretty good, but there were several rough patches (again, properly warned). The area has had quite a bit of rain, and some portions of the trail had been flooded. Although all dry now, the flooding left soft patches in some places and ruts and small sinkholes in others Again, a consistent following breeze, mild temperature, and a slight downhill most of the time (elevation loss was 30 feet).

We met two different couples who were cycling our direction, but not going as far. As we came into the Portland station, there was a busload of middle-schoolers and their chaperones, who were beginning a multi-day supported ride to St. Charles (about 12 miles west of the eastern terminus of the Katy Trail). They were very enthusiastic, and apparently skilled at this kind of riding. We were ahead of them most of the afternoon, but as we approached Rhineland, they all overtook us, going about 15 mph. Such exhilaration!! (And youth must be served.)

No wildlife sightings today – darn! But an interesting geological feature piqued our interest. It’s called Standing Rock—a fine grain sandstone portion from the bluff that has resisted erosion. Over the years, unknown persons have recorded the floods of 1903, 1923, 1935, 1943, 1944, 1947, and 1993, all of which inundated the Katy tracks at this location even though it is more than a mile and a half from the river.

We rode fifty miles today . . . no great feat on pavement. But we are riding gravel and 50 miles seems to take the same amount of energy as riding 80 miles on the highway. Unfortunately we are not in shape to enjoy a fifty mile gravel ride so tonight we will go to bed early and rise to ride another day. Will check in again tomorrow evening. Diane and Rob