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SEA TO SHINING SEA: Rolling across Missouri on Katy Trail

The Katy Trail - for Kansas-Texas Railroad - runs west to east across northern Missouri between Clinton and St. Charles.  The crushed limestone surface is fast and smooth.  We averaged 11.5 today. A former railroad bed, the trail rises and falls gradually, and goes through lots of small towns. BY DENNIS FORNEY
dennis_forney
July 6, 2013
The highest point here is a far cry from the 9,600-foot passes we were crossing west of the Rockies.
The Katy Trail is shaded by arches of trees is many areas which makes for nice riding on hot summer days.  But sometimes those trees come down.  We had to unload to cross this downed oak.
Many of the rural roads in Missouri are gravel.  This one, lined with oaks and blooming lilies, caught my eye.
Gary hooked us up with good Fourth of July tickets outside Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City.
Built 40 years ago, Kaufman Stadium was the first of the new generation of more intimate, baseball-only stadiums.  Camden Yards in Baltimore followed in the Kaufman Stadium footsteps.
KC's fans were real happy when Lorenzo Cain sent a Jimenez 3-2 fastball linedriving over the centerfield wall for a grand slam that cut the Indians' lead from 5-0 to 5-4 and put the Royals on the road to victory to the delight of a strong July Fourth crowd.
George Brett's hitting heroics are immortalized with this statue at the stadium. Lots of patriotic photos taken with it on the Fourth of July.
Here are Brett's career stats, carved into the granite base of the statue.
Arthur Bryant's original restaurant in downtown Kansas City.
Becky said she doesn't get the white bread.  "It gets all gummy and sticks to the roof of your mouth."  I straightened her out: "Think of the white bread as edible napkins.  Pick up the sauce-slathered ribs with a piece of bread and then eat everything but the bone.  The bread soaks up all the good stuff and then you get to eat it." This is Becky's plate of food.  I had salad.

DAY 53 - Good air here in Missouri.  A quiet little town along this fine rail trail.  Good steaks at Dino's Bar and Grill.  Man there said the town was named for a grove of trees that served as a guiding landmark for pioneers headed west.

Back in Wyoming we passed a big, distinctive mountain named Pilot Knob. People heading west back in the early 1800s needed these landmarks to help them know they were headed in the right direction.

We made 65 miles today.  It felt good after too many days in hiatus. Our total now is 1,963 miles.  If tomorrow goes as planned, we will cross the 2,000 mark while heading further eastward on this nation's longest rail trail.

KC was good.  We watched the Royals beat Cleveland in a 10-7 comeback victory after falling behind 5-0 in the early innings. After the game we headed down to 18th and Brooklyn for some famous BBQ ribs at Arthur Bryant's. Cafeteria style.  Finger-licking good.

Tomorrow night we hope to be in Jefferson City looking out over the mighty Missouri.  We camped there last in the summer of 1972 on a cross-country road trip after college graduation. City park, just like tonight.  Called the sheriff.  Sheriff said go right ahead and pitch the tent wherever we were comfortable. Sweet attitude.

Time to post some photos, a little Harry Potter, and then dreamland.

Have a nice weekend!

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