Thursday was only a 12 mile ride from Pilot Grove to Booneville MO.
The relaxed pace was really nice after the pressed schedule yesterday.
The extra time allowed me to talk with local country folk, absorb more of the area, and to visit a couple museums.
With as nice as the trail system is I went out of my way to stop and thank the people of Missouri for making the Katy Trail a reality. I also wanted them to know how nice it was that they weren't charging out of staters to use the trail. That approach seems to be a valid one because I met dozens of riders that were from out of state riding the trail. In fact the hotel I'm in tonight has probably 30 out of state riders here. They are wandering downtown Booneville, eating out and visiting local businesses. Overall, it seems to me that Missouri invested well. They were lucky to get the trail done before turning red in 2016.
So as for the ride, it was mostly over decreasing elevation and typically a green cathedral of trees. The trail itself is probably 4 foot wider than Wisconsin's trails and even in the trees doesn't feel closed in.
I saw dozens of turtles, and several woodpeckers on this segment.
As you enter Booneville from the south, there is the typical information kiosk with all kinds of things to ponder. History, trail features, a business directory and so on.
Just past this one is the Booneville Visitor Center including a nice museum and swag store. They also provide tours for the Mitchell Car Museum which is just around to corner from the visitor center.
Mitchell cars were manufactured in Racine WI in the early 1900s and were highly regarded for their innovation and durability. The museum is owned by the great, great, great grandson of the companies founder. Originally the company was a wooden wagon builder with numerous patents that John Deere wanted, particularly those for their smooth riding suspension. John Deere bought the wagon business to get those patents and Mitchell went on to build cars, motorcycles, and wheels (bicycles).
I am staying at the historic Frederick Hotel in Booneville. It is a beautiful, old, and quirky place to stay with a full restaurant, bar and indoor bicycle storage.
After getting checked in I started washing clothes. An issue for bike tourists is space and weight. So doing laundry in sinks is a necessity. One of the reasons I will stay in hotels when touring is specifically the need to wash clothes.
After getting clothes washed and hung on my makeshift clothesline I needed dinner. All I had eaten today was coffee, oatmeal, and GORP (good old raisins and peanuts) on the trail. The gals at the visitor center told me that Maggie's had the best hamburgers in town and the place was only two blocks from the motel. The burger was top notch and the fries reminded my of Belgian frites. They even came with Mayo for dipping! For me the size of the sandwich and portion of fries limited me to two beers. Damn!
