What a beautiful springtime Sunday! Not surprisingly, there were a lot of day-riders out and about. So after having the Katy Trail almost to ourselves for the past several days, we finally had to share. The closer we got to St. Louis, the busier the trail became, but it couldn't spoil our fun!
Getting close to the end!
Klondike Park boat ramp, Augusta
We stopped for lunch in Defiance at the Good News Brewing Company. This place was hopping! The pizza was good and the brew was great, but we stopped ourselves after one beer each. We wanted more, but we still had some riding to do and didn't want to wobble our way down the trail.
Good News Brewing Company, Defiance
Peaceful path
We arrived at our hotel in St. Charles midafternoon. St. Charles is the last town on the trail, and a lot of Katy riders consider it the end of the line, but it's not so! The trail continues 13 miles further to Machens. There's no public road access to the Machens trailhead, so if you make it to the end, you have to do a little backtracking. We plan to ride the St. Charles to Machens section tomorrow.
Lodging: Country Inn & Suites, St. Charles, MO, located right on the Katy Trail and very bicycle friendly. Our room was on the ground floor, and we were invited to roll our bikes right in the front door. If you're on a higher floor, the elevators have been made slightly wider than normal to accommodate bicycles, though Tom's long bike may have been a tight fit. The room was large and luxurious – all it lacked was some beer for the fridge. So while Tom cleaned up, I took a walk to remedy that situation. We'll be here two nights.
Country Inn & Suites from the Katy Trail
Bike-friendly hotel
Schlafly Bankside Brewpub is just a block from the Country Inn & Suites. How convenient! The draft list was great and so was the food menu. Be sure to try the oatmeal stout!
Schlafly Bankside Brewpub
Something for everyone
It was from St. Charles that Lewis and Clark embarked on their famous journey up the Missouri River. On the riverfront, the Lewis & Clark Boat House and Museum contains full-size replicas of the expedition's keelboat and pirogues. The museum was closed, but we were still able to look inside. It's incredible they were able to make their way upstream on this powerful river. How did they portage such large watercraft?
Lewis & Clark Boat House and Museum
Lewis and Clark Monument, Frontier Park, St. Charles
St. Charles' mile-long, brick-paved Main Street is the oldest and largest historic district in Missouri. There are a number of landmarks among the well-maintained buildings, such as the meeting space for Missouri's first legislature and a statue of Daniel Boone, whose family had a homestead in nearby Defiance. We strolled the length of the street as we made our way back to our hotel, situated at its western end.
Historic Main Street
Snazzy building on Main
St. Charles: Historically awesome since 1769
Selfie with Daniel Boone
Day 6 mileage: 37.5 miles