May 17 to 23, 2008 - The Katy Trail in Missouri

Well this is how this works, kind of neat for this guy. There had been a lot of planning and strategizing going into this trip. Jerry found a rails to trails he liked and emailed it out to his friends to see if they wanted to do it. Then the planning came. When you do rides with this group there is no “I will go” and never show. If these people say they are going, they are going. The planning continued. Jerry put out a date - Memorial Day. Barry jumped on it, “No way. Everything will be full.” The week before is ok, and all of us are retired except one who has vacation to burn. Back to the strategy and planning. Jerry planned the route and got the places to stay (He is my hero. I would never complain even if it went bad, but it never does.)

I have never made reservations for anything. My strategy was coming into play (I have so far done nothing and have a place to stay for the trip. Now for the airplane tickets, the real work of art. This was how it worked: I asked Ilene (wife) “Will you show me how to get the tickets?” She says, “Oh yes, dear, but I will have to sit in the chair to see the screen.” “Ok, Ilene.” “You do this and that and this comes up. I can’t get the right times. Let me work on it a little for you.” “Okay, Ilene. (I am off to the garage to work on my bike) I came back in much later and Ilene said the price went up while I was out there by $200 and I still couldn’t get the right times. Being a good student of my strategy she passed it off to Jerry’s wife, Marilane, who was much better at being a travel agent. Yes, she found tickets for $200 less per person.

Packing is another problem I have worked out. I started to pack and I said to Ilene, “I can’t find this shirt or pants and where are my good shorts?” “Here let me do that for you,” she says. “I have never seen someone fold a shirt like that before.” She said, “I will show you how to do it.” My plan is coming together. Then I get Ilene to take Vellen and me to the airport. They have this quick scan thing and I am digging for my glasses. Vellen (son) has got our tickets and we check our bags and off to the plane. So far, I have not done a thing. Am I good or what? I am not finished. Jerry picked us up at the airport and took us to his house to spend the night and fed us some good Kitcharee (a rice and bean casserole), and then Marilane took all of us to where Barry was waiting for us. Barry drove the 700 miles to the start of the ride. I still have not done one thing on this trip. I am so good and modest too.

On our second flight there were two sunsets - one on the ground and one in the air.

When all is said and done, you still have to pay the piper. There was no one to ride my bike for me and give me the credit. That is in my new plan. I will work that out someday. Yes, I am working on a 31 cc motor to assist my bike. The bad part is no motors on the trail. (Darn, back to the strategy and finagling.)

We got to the first place we were to stay and Jerry paid for it and got all our rooms. I did one good deed as we were walking to the place to eat that Jerry suggested. A little snapper turtle (one and a half inches across the back) had gone over the curb and could not get back so I took my comb and helped him back. It is not good to touch turtles because of diseases and they might bite.

In town as I was riding, I picked up 8 wheel weights and met someone who grew up in Oregon City, Oregon (so did I).


The next day we were on the trail. Two ride up and two take the truck up and ride back. The two who rode up to get the truck go back to pick them up, and then we all go to the Motel. This works but puts a lot of miles on the truck. Plane B: one of us drives to the next day’s place to stay and rides back to meet the others. There were B&B’s next to the trail. Jerry did great at picking the place to eat even though there was only one tavern in the town. We walked to the place to eat on the other side of town, two blocks away.

Yes, it is true. I walked the rail of two bridges, not the big ones or the small ones, but I thought about doing them too. We left our bikes outside and never locked them or our room. Most of the towns had about 70 population and one had 187. It was a big one.

The B&B’s were like night and day; no two were the same. One owner let us in and told us where the breakfast was and where to go to eat and then left. It was very clean and the beds were good. The place to eat was a tavern. On Saturday from 9 to 12 it was all you could drink for $10. There were some things that happened to Vellen in there that he will have to tell you about. Everyone who has heard what he saw says it is too much. There was a guy riding his Quad all over and kids playing in the back of a jeep while they were driving down the road.

Now on to the next place: The Doll House B&B, 201 Lewis St. in Rhineland, Mo. was next to the trail. Amanda, the owner, talked to us for hours and told us some of the history of the place. In the morning she went out and got things out of the garden and cooked a breakfast that was a real spread. It made the cruise ship look second class.

The flood of ‘93 was a bad one. Everywhere we went had been under water. They moved all the houses except the Doll House. The original owner said “no way.” It is the only one left on the valley floor, the rest are up on the hill.

We rode by this big car junk yard that was in a bog and you needed a big wheel truck to get through the ruts. I saw a stuffed doll with a beak and only half an eye. It was in bad shape. Yes, I picked it up but didn’t keep it. I gave it to Barry. At first he didn’t like it, but it grew on him. A name for his new bike mascot was easy, “Junk Yard Katy.” He was not going to wash it for fear it might fall apart. It and Barry just made a good match. It was Barry and Vellen’s first Rails to Tails that lasted for a week.

It was 72 degrees and felt like 90 with the humidity. It was warm. There were lots of people. We saw 33 in two days. One of the days was the weekend and less during the week.

Jerry’s senior moment – He rides street bikes over 90% of the time. He yelled out “Gravel!” So what? We are on mountain bikes – gravel is not a problem.

We are where Lewis and Clark came through.

The day I drove up and rode back to the others was hard to do. Road signs are the size of street signs here and not very many of them. I was not sure where I was but I did just fine. My dead reckoning came through, and yes, I used the map a lot but don’t tell. Guys don’t do that.

There was a farmer digging in the ground with his hands. I walked out to ask him what he was doing. He was digging up the seed from his seeder to see if it was working well. He planted corn last year and soybeans this year.


The last day we rode 63 miles. I usually take too much of every thing. The clouds were high in the sky and it was not cold so a light wind breaker would be good (not). Thirty-five miles and then light rain. No coat yet. More rain and I put on the coat. At 45 miles we did lunch. Jerry picked the tavern there (it was the only one there). It was Vellen’s day to drive. I saw him coming up the trail. It was straight so he looked like a dot. After about two miles he arrived. Off to lunch and then back out to a real rain storm and lighting. I sow the flash. I usually count to see how close it is. “1, 0 BANG 00.” I am not riding now. I found a cardboard box and wrapped it around me and after an hour or so, it slowed and we left. The trail was wet and softer. I had been riding about 12 mph and now was at 10 mph. My shiny red bike was now a dull mud color. What a mess! It was a hard day - 65 miles. The motel let us use the hose on our bikes before we packed them to bring them home.

What did I see on the trail? There were hills with one percent grade. The highest spot was 955 feet, corn four inches high on the right and the left, cliffs, the Missouri River, poison ivy on the right and left, turtles, birds, deer, cows, horses, fields of green and yellow and winery’s. It was a very good ride when you have Barry, Jerry and Vellen with you. There was never a dull moment.

At the end my planning had its last fling. Jerry and Barry got up at 4:00 a.m. and were happy to take Vellen and me to the airport. Was it that they were happy to get rid of me or did they just have a great time?

It was a great time and a lot of fun. We were Jerryized!!!

We got back and left the next morning for the Coast for the 3-day Memorial Day weekend. Ilene had the van already packed. On the way down I had Ilene making cell phone calls for me and Trina (daughter-in-law) typing my story notes on her laptop. Myran (son) was driving and I was still doing nothing – all according to my plan.

At the Coast, there were friends and family, six young ones from 3 to 10 years of age. Matt played his 12-string guitar and led us in beer songs and others. We did belly boarding in the big blue thing, two mile walk to coffee. We have two lots that only have trees on them and a lot of brush and that is the way I like it. There were 20 of us camping, just little tent sites in the brush with trails to them. What a hoot. Our main meals were cooked over the camp fire, then shrimp and oyster pizza and beer on the way home. It’s is a hard life but some one has to do it.

Jerry’s plan A is on down.




TRIP INFORMATION – KATY TRAIL
CLINTON TO ST. CHARLES
PLAN A
May 7 - Vellen ships his bike FedEx for $74 and back $92 to Austin (4 business days to get here). American Airlines charges $100 and has a 115 inch (l + w + h) limitation. It arrives on the 15th or so.
May 16 – Barry drives to Round Rock and we pre-load his bike and gear, my bike and gear, Vellen’s bike (still in the box). Byran and Vellen fly from Portland.
May 17 – 5am departure from Round Rock, meet Barry in Georgetown, load his bike and gear, Vellen’s gear, drive 669 miles in 11 hours drive time, ETA 7pm. Off load and get bikes together.

DAY
DATE
FROM
TO
MILES
LODGING
COST

SAT
17 May
Home
Clinton

Hampton Inn
900 Kansas Ave
Clinton, Mo
1 660 885 4488
$78.91

SUN
18 May
Clinton
Sedalia
35.6
Hotel Bothwell
317 S Ohio Ave
Sedalia, Mo
(660) 826-5588
64.99+


MON
19 May
Sedalia
Boonville
37.2
Holiday Inn Express
2419 Mid America IND. DRBoonville, MO 65233
660 882 6882
$77.00+tax

TUES
20 May
Boonville
Hartsburg
39.2
Hartsburg Inn
25 S First St
Hartsburg, Mo
573 657 0071
$60+tax

WED
21 May
Hartsburg
Rhineland
48.6
Doll House B&B
201 Lewis St
Rhineland, Mo
573 619 9623
$50.00+

THURS
22 May
Rhineland
St Charles
65.5
Hampton Inn
3720 West Clay
St. Charles, MO
1 636 947 6800
$112.24


23 May – Early departure for the St. Louis Airport, 15 minutes from the motel, drop Byran and Vellen off, go find breakfast, head southwest for 834 miles, either stopping or not (details to be decided at a later date). Prices are for two. Diesel $447.00 a gallon.Jerry

May 4 – 11, 2008 – Cruise to Alaska

We were up at 6:00 a.m., showered, threw the toothbrush in the suitcase and were out the door by 7:11 a.m. Myran and Trina (son and daughter-in-law) picked us up. It was a good drive to Seattle where we picked up Paul and Marilyn (Trina’s parents)

We parked in the Valet parking. They parked Myran’s pickup for him and delivered our luggage to the ship. What a deal! It was sunny and warm, didn’t have to handle our luggage at all. There was a line to get on the ship and check-in but it wasn’t bad. What a great day and a great way to start a great vacation! I made a call on the cell phone but we were soon out of Seattle then the country and the cost was going to be a lot through the ship. I turned it off.

Day two of our cruise was a day of travel through Alaska’s Inside Passage, and eat all you want. We explored the ship. Ilene found the casino. There was shuffleboard (the six of us tried this and it was a lot of fun), bowling, a climbing wall (I didn’t do the climbing wall), and a lot of other things to watch and do. They said Myran made the climbing wall look easy. Of course there was walking, not necessarily on the track they provided – The beautiful “Norwegian Pearl” was 964.98 ft. in length. Her top speed was 25 knots or 28.75 mph. There was entertainment every night. We saw Garden of the Geisha this night featuring flying circus acrobatics.

We arrived at 2:00 p.m. in Juneau for Day three of our cruise. Ilene shopped in town, Marilyn and Paul did a float plane trip over the glaciers and a salmon feed. Myran, Trina, and I did a bike ride ending with a tour of the brewery. We got off the ship and found the biking tour people. They fit bikes to us and away we went up a little hill to a church where most of the weddings in town take place. The view of the glacier from here was something you just have to see and the guy playing the piano you just have to hear. We got back on the bikes and rode over to the glacier. It was mostly flat and a good trail. We had a snack and were off again to where you could walk to a water falls that went into the lake. We only had 10 minutes before we had to get back and it was a 20 minute walk one way. I almost made it going as fast as this old goat could go. Myran made it there and back. At last we made it to the brewery. There was Coffee, Smoked and Jalapeño and a host of other beers. I tried most of them because they were free. Did I get drunk? YES. When you drink that much, it must come out and that can be a problem. We walked back to the ship. Trina was our designated walker and got us back. The line getting back on the ship was long and I was looking for a place to go. The person in front of me was having trouble with his card. They couldn’t get it to work. (We all had a ship card like a credit card to swipe getting on and off the ship.) It was a good thing our room was only 20 feet from the check-in door. We went to dinner and I was telling this girl about the free beer and she said to say “free beer” fast three times. I couldn’t.

The food is all you want to eat. We went to see a stand up comic, Bud Andersen. Ship left Juneau at 10:00 p.m.

Day 4 found us in Skagway, Alaska at 7:00 a.m. All six of us were signed up for the White Pass Scenic narrow gage rail trip. It touched part of Canada. It was a lot of fun and had some fantastic scenery. After the ride we went back into town and looked around. They sold more junk here than I have ever seen and jewelry in most of the stores. The jewelry cost a lot, well for me it was a lot. We left Skagway at 9:00 p.m.

The fifth day of our cruise we sailed through Glacier Bay. It was cold, but the sun was shining. The scenery was unbelievable. One glacier was 350 feet tall, but didn’t seem that tall. It was a mile away and looked like we were next to it. The camera could not get it all in one frame. After that one, the other glaciers we cruised by didn’t seem picture worthy. We saw a lot of whales, seals, goats, and others. We went to see Sharkbait that night. It was a really good comedy juggling act.

We docked in Ketchikan at 6:00 a.m. for Day six. We were up at 5:45. They cancelled my bike ride so the group talked me into a salmon fishing trip. (Not a catching fish trip) It was a great day, sunny, no wind and NO fish. It cost just over $200 but a lot of fun. The fish were just not biting. One girl on the bus of 30 or so got a 10 lb. salmon and sent it home for $85 minimum fee. She and her husband had a $500 fish. I don’t even want to think about how much that is a pound.

I would say 90% of the service on the ship was good. The food was good but the service in some areas left a lot to be desired. Ilene and I were waiting for our banana cake. Everyone else left the table and we were still waiting. Paul and Marilyn sent the girl over and she took our cake order again. She brought me back my cake and Ilene said she wanted one too. “Don’t you want to share with him?” She said, “I would like my own plate.” She brought her a plate, but no cake. We shared. Sometimes they would take reservations and when you got there, the restaurant was closed – they would, however, direct you to another. The ship was also VERY conscience about sanitation and preventing illnesses from spreading.

The storm they were predicting earlier in the week caught up with us as we were leaving Alaska. We had a lot of rock and roll. High winds up to 60 knots and rough seas 12 – 18 feet - So they say, I slept through the whole thing.

It calmed down for day 7 which was mostly a cruise day but was still a little rocky. We bowled. What an experience. You can have a perfect strike ball going for you and the ship rolls and the ball ends up in the gutter. It was kind of like watching a drunk bowl. Ilene reminded me of what a friend told me once as I was walking up to bowl, “If I had a swing like that, I would paint it red and put it in my backyard. After that I couldn’t bowl a decent game. This time I improvised and pulled my handkerchief out like a flag. My next ball was a STRIKE. Of course, we all know luck doesn’t STRIKE twice in the same place. My next two balls were gutter balls and I put my hanky back in my back pocket. It was a lot of fun. I got a 98, Ilene a 41. Myran won with a 108. I don’t have permission to give out the other scores but they were right near ours.

We arrived in Victoria, BC at 6:00 p.m. and disembarked. Paul said let’s take a Limo and I said, “W- E-L-L, OK.” The six of us took a limo, yes LIMO, and rode through the town. He was a great tour guide. The ride lasted for about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. The town has really changed – mostly rich retirees live there now. Some of the houses have $45,000 to $60,000 taxes every year. We got back to the ship and nearly froze just getting back to the gang plank. Paul’s idea was a good one.

This was our last night on board. We left the ship and were back in the pickup on our way to drop Marilyn and Paul off at the airport by 9:45 a.m.

We had a lot of fun traveling with Trina, Myran, Marilyn, and Paul. It was so much fun I am thinking about talking them into sailing around the world in a 36 foot sail boat. It would only take a year or so to do. We would be such good friends by the time we got back.

The ship was fun. If you want to put on ten lb’s like I did, put it on your list of things to do. - Be Myranized like I was.