Riding Along The Katy Trail - Hermann, Missouri

As you ride along the Katy Trail, you pass through a lot of small towns, big cities, and communities that are no longer there. At every stop, there is a kiosk or bulletin board that talks about the history of the area, shows you where you are on the trail, what services are available there (like restaurants, hotels, bed & breakfasts, etc). You generally learn who settled the town and how it came to be.

Many of these towns sprung up during the 1800's as a result of the MKT railroad that passed through the area. Some of them were boom towns and were big centers of commerce. This is a real history lesson in itself, and is a lot more fun than Mr. Newbold's U.S. history class (no disrespect intended to a fine teacher at my junior high school). Even people who never liked learning about history often times find learning this way is fun. I have always thought travel was the best way to learn about history and geography.

One of my favorite towns is Hermann, Missouri - which is just about a mile or two south of the Katy Trail at the 100 mile marker. The entire area around Hermann is of German origin. They have a great Oktoberfest celebration here. The town has several wineries and is a great tourist destination.

The town was settled around 1838, when a group of German immigrants scouted out land in what was then known as the Far West (Missouri). They selected this particular piece of land which is located on the Missouri River and built homes, businesses, churches, and more in the foothills along the river.

They chose this area because it reminded them of their homeland along the Rhine river in Germany. They wanted to preserve their culture and heritage as much as possible so they collected money and purchased this land. They purchased about 11,000 acres for a little more than a dollar an acre.

This planned community started out with 17 settlers and in just a little more than a year later in 1839, over 450 people lived in the town of Hermann. This turned out to be the first planned community west of the Mississippi River. Over the years, the town has retained its old-world charm. The town has been awarded "Missouri's Most Beautiful Town" recognition - several times over the years.

The food in Hermann is wonderful, and this is the home of several World-Class wineries.

Hermann is not located right on the Katy Trail. The Katy travels along the North side of the Missouri river, and the town is on the South bank. To get to Hermann, you leave the trail at the town of McKittrick trail head and travel South on Missouri Highway 19 into town. When the bridge was rebuilt a few years ago they had the foresight to add a bike lane for safety. The bridge crossing the river has a fair incline and it is a long hill, so people riding hand cycles might find this bridge a challenge. However, if your arms are strong, you can make this trek. It is definitely worth the effort.

If you happen to be fortunate enough to travel this portion of the trail in the fall, you'll find a great show of the fall leaves, not to mention all the celebrations the German people celebrate in October. Keep in mind, though Missouri weather can change rapidly this time of year, so a 70 degree afternoon can quickly turn into a 40 degree early evening.

A big advantage of riding the Katy Trail is the number of organized rides. I have always ridden alone or in a small group, but to a disabled rider, a group ride may be just the ticket for assistance, safety and security.

The Katy trail is only open during daylight hours, so you want to make sure you have an exit strategy (hotel, bed and breakfast or transportation) so you can leave the trail before nightfall. I recently had a problem with my bicycle tires just East of McKittrick. Both tires went flat and I only had one tire repair patch. At the time, my car was parked in Portland (about 20 miles West of there) and I pushed my bicycle back that distance to the car. I didn't get back to the car until after midnight. The trail isn't lighted and in places becomes very dark. I wasn't well-prepared and only had my cell phone for a light. The battery didn't last very long.

As I worked my way toward the car, I could hear animals tracking me along the trail. At the time I was certain the sounds had to be coming from a bear or wolf - or some other horrible meat-eating creature. After securing myself in the comfort of the car, I decided the pursuers were most likely squirrels or rabbits. Those animals can be terrifying too.

Visit this section of the trail, as always - flat and easy for a disabled cyclist to ride. You will enjoy it.

Kali