He recommends hybrid bikes with good tread to handle the fine limestone gravel surface of the path. Although it's hard-packed in most places there is some loose sand on top and we found it a bit more challenging than riding on pavement.

You should also be careful about veering too close to the edge of the trail. In many places, there are steep drop offs, in some cases down to the river's rocky edge. And in a few stretches, a spill on your bike could land you in a sea of poison ivy. You should also carry plenty of water.

Although most trail heads have water fountains and toilet facilities, not all do. If you are planning a long ride, try to avoid July and August which can be especially hot and sticky. The best time to ride, we were told, is September and October. Not only is the weather better but the brilliant fall foliage reflects on the Missouri River and you can enjoy the local Oktoberfests.

Or you can go in early June and catch the Scott Joplin International Ragtime Festival in Sedalia. After deciding when to ride, you'll need to consider your route. To take advantage of prevailing winds, you may want to start your trip on the western end of the trail in Clinton, or Sedalia. But if time only allows you to ride half the trail, as it did us, you can pick it up in Rocheport. This section includes the only tunnel on the trail as well as the Lewis and Clark cave which is now the summer roost of endangered gray bats. (You can peak inside but you are not allowed to enter the cave.)

Nearby you'll find weathered red-pigment pictographs first noted by explorers in 1819. Historical sites are clearly marked all along the trail as well as on large maps at every trail head. The maps also illustrate wildlife on the trail. We crossed paths with several animals including dozens of little lizards that scooted across the trail near the bluffs. Also be on the lookout for eagles overhead and the bright blue indigo buntings which fly in and out of the brush.  

Gourmet Breakfast

After a day on the hot dusty trail, you'll be ready to find a room with a shower, and a hearty meal. Despite its diminutive size, Rocheport (population 208) is home to several bed and breakfasts including the spanking new Amber House just two short blocks from the Katy Trail. We didn't know there was such a thing as a gourmet breakfast, but that's part of the package at this Victorian B&B. History buffs and school teachers may prefer the School House Bed and Breakfast, around the corner. Built circa 1914, we enjoyed this 10-room Inn with its restful gardens, brick patios and fountains.

For dinner, head to Les Bourgeois Vineyards on the bluffs overlooking the River. The lobster ravioli, a salad and a bottle of their Solay on the Bistro patio will make for a perfect evening. If you'd rather picnic, bring your own food and buy wine at their outdoor Winegarden which is a favorite of the younger set. The view of the sun setting over the Missouri River is not to be missed. More offbeat and intimate (only 8 tables) is Abigail's in downtown Rocheport. But check ahead for hours, as they advertise “Dinner by reservation or chance.”

If you want to eat without leaving the trail, try The Cracked Crab Seafood House and Oyster Bar or the Trailside Cafe & Bike Shop right at the Rocheport trail head. If you are in Rocheport on a Saturday, head over to Mighty Mo Canoe Rentals and get a guided canoe tour of the river down to Huntsdale. You can bike back on the trail or catch a shuttle. Farther east along the trail just before reaching McBaine, you can take an 8.8 mile trail spur to Columbia, the college town of the University of Missouri. Otherwise, continue on to Hartsburg and then North Jefferson.

The Native Stone Winery in Jefferson City was recommended to us, but was closed the day we passed through. A word to the wise, if you travel Sunday night through Tuesday, you may find many restaurants and some wineries closed. Always call ahead. From here through Tebbetts, Mokane, and Portland, the trail winds though rich Missouri River bottomlands and lush fields of corn. In the little town of Bluffton, five miles east of Portland, you'll see dolomite bluffs towering 200 feet or more above you, some of the highest on the trail. The next trail head is at McKittrick.

Wendy Hammerle is a former television news reporter/anchor and TV commercial writer and producer. She now works as a Public Relations Director and is a member of the Manhan Rail Trail Committee in Easthampton, Massachusetts, where she lives with her husband and children

Read more GoNOMAD stories by Wendy Hammerle: Northwest Florida's Gulf Coast: Abundant Wildlife and Unspoiled Beauty Portugal: Amazing Azores Adventures Quebec's "Little Train" Bikeway: Recreational Cycling At Its Best Snowplowing My Way Through the French Alps

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