September 4, 2020
Auf wiedersehen Hermann...Hallo Augusta
Cycling through Missouri's wine country
The fog lifted from the river and the rising sun broke through as I pedaled across the Missouri to the Katy. The miles are winding down as I pedal into Eastern Missouri. Today’s journey continued following the river often veering off across the open river plain farmland. Pockets of shade were welcome as the sun warmed the trail.
It was a quick 18 miles to Trelor, a small town with many interesting buildings. The large grain silos and grain elevators testified to the agricultural history of this section of the river. The towns I pedaled past this week are similar to rural Ohio towns. The KATY Railroad brought prosperity to the towns and provided transportation of their goods to markets in the late 1800s - mid 1900s. The railroad disappeared and with it the many towns lost the hustle and bustle.
I took my turn behind the wheel of the SAG van at Marthasville. I drove into Augusta to await the other members of my tour group to cycle into town. I headed up the hill to Augusta Brewhaus brewery that was adjacent to the trail for a beer and lunch. It was an uphill pedal to Weinstrasse Cabins, our home for the night. Augusta is a vertical town. Getting from point a to point b anywhere in the town involves an incline.
Augusta has very limited dining options due to COVID19 closures. Group vote had us vanning to nearby Washington, a much larger city. I had considered making Washington my overnight. It would have been a better choice with more options for just about anything. I discounted it since Augusta is on the trail and Washington is several miles from the trail.
Tonight is bittersweet. It is the last night on the Katy. It’s a short cycle tomorrow to St. Charles and the end of the tour. There's something about getting in the car tomorrow headed towards home and knowing that the week on freedom and discovery on the bike is behind me.
Today's Route
Follow the tour
No telegraphs need as we trace Lewis and Clark’s journey into the unexplored. You can just check us out on social media: Cycle Blaze and Instagram with hashtags @tombilcze #showmeMO #katytrail.
Today's Trivia
Hermann is the center of the Hermann American Viticultural Area, whose seven wineries produce about one-third of the state's wine. Designated in 1983, it is one of the first federally recognized American Viticultural Areas. The designation recognized the renaissance of an area of vineyards and wineries established by German immigrants during the mid-19th century.
Today's ride: 37 miles (60 km)
Total: 233 miles (375 km)
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