Author: russloomis

July 9, 2025

The sunset last night from my campsite.

6:02 AM 

The leader of the kayak racers just pulled in for some supplies. Salli O’Donnell leads the race. Fifteen minutes after she left the second can through, I don’t remember his name.

9:09 AM 

A breakfast burrito from the camp store while visiting and watching the race and I’m ready to go.

11:41 AM 

I can see the dome in Jefferson City up ahead on the right.

11:58 AM 

North Jefferson City.

3:10 PM 

The second tree down across the road

3:32 PM 

The third tree down

4:00 PM

I’ve decided to stay in Portland at the Riverside Campground. The Dooly family is also staying here for the night. A father and two young daughters are riding the Trail to St George. This campground is small, shaded, and has a clean bathroom with a shower. The only other thing in town is a small bar/cafe. The food is good and right next to the campground.

8:12 PM

I am now ready for bed.

July 8, 2025

11:53 AM 

I started a few minutes ago in Boonville. Nancy dropped me off on the Katy Trail at the Missouri River.

1:22 PM 

Coming into Rocheport

Hindman Junction

4:28 PM 

I’m at Cooper’s Landing. It’s a nice little campground. There is nothing for another twenty mikes. This place is great, I am sleeping in a glamper tent right on the Missouri River. It is Taco Tuesday and the food is yummy. It rained about an hour, light and cool with thunder in the distance. The rain ended before arriving and it’s a bit cooler than when I was riding. I have wifi, catching up on the blog.

July 5, 2025

10:27 AM 

Getting ready to leave pilot Grove was slow and relaxed. I have a twenty-four mile ride and Nancy won’t get there won’t get there before 3:00 this afternoon, that is the check in time for this campground.

10:35 AM

The Pilot Grove Depot

11:49 AM 

A little saddle repair

11:58 AM 

I’m now in Prairie Lick. I sit at a shaded bench beside the trail. I have some time to kill and I now have full 5G cell service. I check emails, the weather for the upcoming week, and try to load the last two days onto my blog. Apparently WordPress is down, I can’t get photos to load.  Since Sedalia cell service has been poor at best. I can finally open Google to route me to the campground. I rode past the road that takes me there.

So, I back track the three miles and head to Arrow Rock on rolling narrow shouldered roads in the heat of the day with no shade from the relentless summer sun.

3:00 PM

Nancy and Moe, excitedly barking out the passenger window, passed me one mile from the road into the campground. I arrive hot and sweat drenched looking for shade. None to be found.

July 4, 2025

8:41 AM 

Leaving the campground to get back on route is easy, I’m .2 of a mile from the trail. 

9:12 AM 

Sedalia Depot.

9:57 AM 

I am in Beaman, not much from what I see. Just a road to cross and fields. A woman riding a lightly loaded bike rode by saying, “Enjoy your ride”.

11:00 AM 

This trail goes behind the church where Nancy and I stopped for Moe to walk around and relieve himself on our way to Harry S. Truman State Park. As I rode up to the Clifton City Depot the woman that just passed me was there. I stopped for a photo of the depot and a bite to eat. She was also getting ready to eat.  We began talking about touring, Emily is riding the trail from Clinton up to Machens. She lives in Colorado and is here visiting family. She lives an interesting life which made this chance meeting interesting. These moments add meaning to a tour.

12:45 PM

I just arrived at Pilot Grove City Park. I am relaxing only a few hundred feet from the Trail. I have called to register my stay with the Police Department. I can set up under the pavilion in the shade. There is a nice breeze, tonight I hope to sleep in comfort.

3:30 PM

The park has a pool that is being well used today. I went over and asked if I could take a shower. I was told that cyclists staying here can use the shower but the pool would be closing at 4:00 today. I was also told that it only has cold water. After the initial shock of the cold against my hot skin, this felt so good. I didn’t hurry and left refreshed.

July 3, 2025

8:13 AM 

Coffee and PopTarts at the community center with a nice visit with some local people, I’m now ready to go. I plan to stop in a town to get something better for breakfast.

8:19 AM 

At the start of the Katy trail.

10:31 AM 

Now I’m in Windsor. I just ate yogurt with a bottle of gatorade. I’m back riding towards Sedalia.

1:07 PM 

I’m at the State Fairground Campground in Sedalia Missouri. This is where I’ll spend the night.

3:10 PM

I ordered a pizza with salad delivery. I’m hungry and hoping it will be here soon. The food was very good. It’s a luxury to sit in a campground and have dinner delivered.

I’m in the shade and it’s hot, 92° at 4:43 PM. There is a nice breeze, I hope it cools when the sun goes down.

July 2, 2025

12:19 PM 

We drive through Tightwad, MO.

Nancy just dropped me off at the Clinton Community Center. I’ll spend the night here and then start the Katy Trail tomorrow morning.

6:30 PM

A cyclist came in for the night, Bill. He is touring to Kansas to pick up the TransAm. Astoria is his goal.

The pool hall across the street came up when I searched Google for food. The reviews were promising so I called and placed an order for chicken quesadillas. I walked over to pick up the order and had a nice visit with the owners. The food was very good. 

8:57 PM 

While exchanging stories, the sun went down.

June 30, 2025

9:22 AM 

Having breakfast at the Marshall Family Restaurant.

7:00  PM 

We arrive at Harry S. Truman State Park Warsaw, Missouri hungry and tired.

July 1, 2025

9:34 AM 

Getting ready for breakfast, our day begins. This campground has a laundry so I’ll wash the two loads of dirt clothes while Nancy goes food shopping. 

4:51 PM 

Planning the route upto Lake Michigan in Wisconsin from Elden Hazlet State Park. I will ride the Katy Trail from Clinton to Machens, the end of the Trail in St. Charles, Missouri. Nancy will pick me up there on her way to the State Park Campground. We plan to spend four days there exploring the area.

8:29 PM 

Today was spent doing laundry, food shopping and getting myself ready to head out to Clinton to begin riding the Katy Trail.

June 29, 2025

Sitting by a campfire last night.

11:47 PM

Hiking the SandFord Trail with thunder in the distance.

1:41 PM 

We got back to the car as the rain began. Back at the campsite sitting under the canopy listening to rain. It’s not cooling off much.

The rain stops and we move our chairs out from under the awning. After dinner, spaghetti with locally grown sausage, we cleaned up and built a fire. Tonight is the first time Moe didn’t run into the camper to hide from the flames. We all enjoyed the campfire together. As the fire began to lessen light rain dampened the leaves above. We ended the day as it began with rain.

June 28, 2025

1:23 PM 

Change of plans. I am now going with Nancy to Harry S. Truman State Park in Missouri.

From there I will ride over to Clinton and ride the Katy Trail east to Booneville, Missouri. Nancy has a Campground there, she will visit the Budweiser Clydesdale Breeding Farm. I will continue to ride the Katy Trail east to Machens, MO. Plans to go to Omaha, Nebraska and visit a friend of Nancy have been cancelled. The lemons have turned into lemonade, I now get to ride the full length of the Katy Trail. 

3:21 PM 

We just got back from hiking the Beech Tree Trail.

June 27, 2025

7:29 AM 

Coffee and a pastry for breakfast. I’m not cooking anything here but I’ll make coffee. There are some places to stop along the way so I’ll nibble calories as I ride. It’s only a twenty mile day so hopefully I’ll get to Lincoln Trails before the thunder showers come.

10:14 AM 

I’m back on my route, riding the trail system out of the city.

11:52 AM 

Crossing into Illinois. It’s another hot and humid day.

12:02 PM 

In Marshall, Illinois. I stop at a Convenience Store located at the intersection where I leave my route for Lincoln Trails. I gulp a large Gatorade and eat a cherry pie before riding Route 1 to Lincoln Trails campground.

12:47 PM 

I’m now at Nancy’s campground. I am hot and tired but find the energy to strip the gear off my bike and store it in the back of the car. I cover the bike and hang my sweat-soaked bedding on a line to dry. Now sitting in a chair enjoying the cool air blowing while listening to thunder following this breeze that feels so good. The chairs are under the camper awning that catch the first drops of rain before the downpour.

The rain is here. A moment of cooling.