Sedalia via Washington

June 25, 2020

The run of good weather continues, with temperatures continuing their gradual but steady climb over the last few days. I walked over to a local coffee shop for coffee and an egg croissant and then explored a little of the riverfront park and downtown waterfront district. Hermann was settled in the 1840’s by members of the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia who dreamed of building a city on the Western frontier that would be “German in every particular.” The 11,000 acres purchased by advance scouts was steep and rugged and thought to be reminiscent of the Rhine Valley. Though somewhat impractical for laying out a city, the land proved to be excellent for growing grapes and Hermann gained a reputation for its wineries that persists today. The wide streets and brick buildings of Hermann reflect strongly its German heritage, with more than 150 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

Both freight and passenger trains run through Hermann

Pigeons lined up for another beautiful day

Today was a short day – just 35 miles to Washington where Vivien George and I had tickets on the 5:06 Missouri River Runner that would take us back to Sedalia. We picked up the Katy Trail about three miles north of Hermann at the McKittrick Trailhead and headed east toward Trelour. For the first seven miles, the trail stayed inland, running between the bluffs and bottomland along the Loutre Slough, a runoff of the Loutre River. Along the way, I had a nice chat with Shadow, a young man with green hair on a loaded bike traveling from Tennessee to “somewhere west.” The trail met back up with the Missouri just east of Gore and the next six miles along the river were the nicest stretch since the Rocheport section. Then river curved south and the last five miles into Trelour were again betwixt bluffs and bottomland. I stopped at the Trelour Bar and Grill for an ice-cold Arnold Palmer and water bottle refill. I learned that the trail had been busy this year with day riders – and that the number of long-distance riders was increasing. One of the positive consequences of Covid (along with cleaner air) is the increase in bicycle riding. I can only hope that this newfound enthusiasm is sustained and results in increased biking infrastructure in our cities, towns and countryside.

Shadow, on his way from Tennessee to somewhere west

Crossing Lost Creek as it flows into the Missouri River

After Trelour it was on to Marthasburg where I found a shady picnic table and enjoyed the last of my peanut butter/honey sandwiches, along with a peach I’d picked up at the local market outside Hermann. Although the lunch was more user-friendly than yesterday’s cheeseburger, I idled in the shade listening to the crack of a baseball off an aluminum bat coming from the ballfield across the way. At Dutzow, I left the Katy Trail and headed south on Missouri Highway 47, a busy road with a wide shoulder. A pedestrian/bike path across the bridge was in the final stages of completion and the workers encouraged me to use it, even meeting me to remove the barrier at the south end of the bridge. It had been four dry, dusty days and I found a wonderful little creamery in town where I dove into a delectable root beer float.

It's been a dusty ride and Vincent and Vivien George need a bath

Kutzow Trail Head, my final stop on the Katy Trail

The nearly complete bicycle path across the Missouri River into Washington

The Amtrak station in Washington is a large brick building with old-fashioned benches. The station wasn’t staffed, but the restrooms were open so I washed up and changed into street clothes. It was more than two hours before the train, so I enjoyed the cool empty space and worked on the journal. Eventually, people started drifting in and I moved outside – trying to avoid a loud family altercation that was taking place next to me.

I was a bit nervous about getting the bike on the train – not having done so in the US and reading here about different rules for staffed and unstaffed stations. However, it all went very smoothly. I must say that I was a bit uncomfortable sitting in the train car for almost 3 hours; although Amtrak requires masks, most people removed them and felt free to talk loudly across the aisles. I did get the evil eye when I asked a talker/cougher to put her mask on, but I just kept my head down, reflecting on the last four days and planning my next road trip.

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Today's ride: 35 miles (56 km)
Total: 898 miles (1,445 km)

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