Back over the bridge this morning and back on the trail for the second of our back-to-back 50-mile rides. So far this week, the weather has been gorgeous – sunny and in the upper 70s and low 80s – but today the sky is overcast, with rain in the forecast for later. Wish us luck!
Truckin' through a tunnel of trees
In tiny Tebbetts, we dropped by the Turner Katy Trail Shelter, a $6 per night hostel with 40 bunk beds; BYO bedding. We weren't staying there but still wanted to have a look. It reminded me of church camp when I was a kid.
Budget accommodations
$6 per night, sleeps 40
Tebbetts' former bank and current post office
A few miles later, we took a spin through Mokane to check out their tiny old jail. Most of these little towns we're passing through are so small, we pretty much have them all to ourselves. If it wasn't for the Katy Trail, I don't know if they'd still be towns at all.
Old jail, Mokane
Creating a public nuisance
Further on, we came to Standing Rock, a remnant of bluff that's resisted erosion and now stands alone on the side of the trail. Faint marks on the rock indicate the high-water levels for major Missouri River floods over the past 120 years.
Standing Rock
Rockfall fence
The forecast indicated we might beat the rain if we could get to Hermann by 4:00. We were making good progress until we reached Holzhauser's Bar & Grill in Portland. We'd hoped for a quick bite, but the lunch stop set us back a full hour. The burgers, fries, and onion rings were worth the wait, but we were going to have to book it from here!
Holzhauser's Bar & Grill, Portland
My kinda place
After lunch, we stepped up the pace to McKittrick, where we left the trail and rode south on Highway 19 across the river to Hermann. There's an easy-to-miss side trail leading to a protected bike lane on the bridge. If you miss it, you're gonna have a bad time. We spotted the side trail, but some riders just ahead of us did not and rode right across the busy bridge on the narrow shoulder. We'd tried to get their attention, to no avail. Yikes.
The sky had turned dark by now, and we were in a big hurry. I'd texted Keely, our airbnb host, when we turned off the trail in McKittrick, and she met us at her front door. We beat the rain! To save our seats from getting wet, she helped us roll our bikes right into their living room.
Lodging: Come Be Our Guest airbnb, aka the Pettijohn House. This one was a little different for us. Keely, Lee, and their kids live on the main floor, and the upstairs was our private space, but there was no separate entrance. There was no key or electronic code to enter the house. Instead, we were told, “Just walk on in; the kids are used to it,” so we did. I thought it would be weird, but the family was so nonchalant about sharing their home, it seemed normal. Upstairs, we had a pleasant room with a super comfortable king-sized bed and a private bathroom.
Come Be Our Guest airbnb
Bike parking
Ridiculously comfortable bed
After threatening us all day, the rain turned out to be a non-factor, most of it passing to the west of Hermann. It only drizzled for a few minutes right after we arrived, but it did bring in a one-evening cold front, causing us to pull out our long sleeves and jackets for the first and only time.
Hermann is an old German settlement, with lots of wineries, breweries, and cool old buildings. It just so happened that our visit to Hermann coincided with Maifest, so there was a lot going on tonight. Our airbnb was a mile from downtown, and Keely offered to drive us over in her van. Bonus! She offered to pick us up later as well, but it was a nice night, so we decided to walk.
Historic Hermann
1867 steam-powered gristmill
Private residence, downtown Hermann
After checking out downtown and visiting Turbulence Brewery and the Maifest tent, we made our way to Tin Mill Brewing Company for dinner, only to find out they stopped serving food at 8:00! But the bartender directed us down the street to the Concert Hall and Barrel Tavern, where we ended our evening with bratwursts and a final brew before strolling back to the house.
Turbulence nano brewery
Hermann Amtrak station caboose
Concert Hall and Barrel Tavern
Day 4 mileage: 49 miles. Oops, so our second 50-mile day fell a little short, but we weren't going to ride an extra mile just to hit 50!