Lewis & Clark traveled up the Missouri River in 1804, leaving from St. Charles. Then the Missouri-Kansas-Texas rail line followed sixty years later. And now, the KATY trail, the longest rails-to-trails bike ride in America, has taken this route along the Missouri River.
After checking out old town St. Charles, we had to head to a trail head and bike a segment of the KATY trail. The first day, just 10 miles of biking, but a stop at one of the many wineries along the way, Sugar Creek. We did a wine tasting and then headed back to our RV. Nice biking in the Augusta area with the river and the towering river bluffs.
Once back, we boarded our RV for a windy drive along Rt94 to Hermann, an old German settlement on the Missouri. We camped at the city park for a couple of nights so that we could continue our bikng on the KATY trail. Another 25 miles, and then the highlight.....a walk up the hill to Stone Hill Wineries, the largest winery in Missouri, and at one time the second largest winery in America.
Tasted and bought some Norden wine (unique to Missouri), close to a red Zin. After sharing much of a bottle, we then went to their Vintage Restaurant where we had a true German meal. Good!
Now back to the campground. Good thing we hadn't driven!
Camped tonight at an ACE campground on Marion Lake. What the heck are the DOD engineers doing in Kansas? Damming rivers and creating great recreational areas. So for $9, we camped right on the lake's edge with water and electric hookups.
Continuing our drive across Kansas, we stopped at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Here the prairie was saved from development, 10,894 acres --- where the buffalo roam! In addition to an excellent visitor center, we hiked thru some of the prairie and toured the Spring Hill Z bar ranch house that Stephen Jones built for $25,000 in the 1870s. Quite a house!
