Ken Bikes the Katy Trail in Missouri

Our biking group at the start of the trail in Clinton, Missouri. From L to R: Ken, Scott and Joyce Seegmiller, Derena, Whitney, Jeff, and Pierce Adamson, Alex and Greg Last.

Ken and his bike riding friends rode the Katy Trail in Missouri the last week in May.  They had quite the adventure.  They rode through a torrential rain storm with tornado warnings and sirens sounding.  They just kept riding because there was no place to take cover.  Ken had his iPhone in the inner pocket of his raincoat and despite its protected position, it got soaked.  Though he put it in rice for the rest of the week, it was fried and never turned on again.  All of his data was lost.  It also was his camera, so all of these photos were shared by others on the trip.  Ken will take you on his trip with him by labeling the pictures:

This was the emergency tornado warning that showed up on our phones as we were riding the trail

Scott and Joyce Seegmiller on a typical forested section of the trail

Resting at one of the many historical interpretive signs/stations that were along the trail every 3 to 16 miles or so.

The KATY Trail is a rail-trail and got its name from the railroad company that used the right-of-way originally--the Missouri, Kansas, Texas (MKT) Line.

The Adamson's enjoying a typical lunch stop along the trail. Ken chose to "over eat" for breakfast and dinner and ate trail snacks while biking throughout the day instead of indulging in the inconsistent lunch meals.

Greg Last checks out the Sedalia Depot's interpretive signs.

One last road-side rest stop, just before arriving at our night's accommodations in Booneville, the Super 8 Motel. 

Our group aboard the caboose at the Sedalia Depot.

Joyce at the Sedalia Depot.

Taking a rest stop on one of the many bridges along the trail. We learned that this type of bridge is a "Pony-truss" bridge.

The Adamson kids standing in front of the flooding Missouri River. We were told the river was about 10 feet above its normal level. We were amazed at the amount of  driftwood floating down the river and how muddy the water was.

A typical open section of the trail.

The Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City (or Jeff City as the locals called it). We stayed that night in a Baymont Inn a few blocks from here.

This picture shows the spiral access for us to get from the ground to the bridge (seen in the top foreground) which took us over the Missouri River into Jefferson City.

Taking advantage of a photo op at the Booneville Depot as we began the third day of our ride. Although we started the ride in a light, misty rain here, the sun soon came out and we enjoyed another beautiful, sunshiny day.

On the bridge over the Missouri River at Booneville, MO.

Ken standing by his bike, in front of the only tunnel along the trail.

Alex, Greg, Pierce, Derena and Whitney.

A typical section of the trail along the Missouri River, with the steep, vertical bluff on the left and the river bottom on the right.

A large rock along the trail that has been used to record the flood level of the Missouri's most devastating floods over the past 100+ years.

A trail rule sign at one of the interpretive stations.

The front view of our only Bed and Breakfast stop, the Shining Hope Guest House. It was originally built in 1806 and the owners have done a beautiful job of restoring it. We played croquet on the immense front lawn that evening and then went to the back patio to watch fire flies (lightning bugs as the locals called them), roast marshmallows in the fire-pit and enjoyed making and eating S-mores.

A small portion of one of the 4 big bedrooms in the Shining Hope Guest House. This was probably my favorite over-night stops on our 6 day ride. We all had a delightful time and the hostess was extremely accommodating.

Starting our 4th day behind the Baymont Inn in Jefferson City, MO.

Crossing the bridge over the Missouri River as we left Jefferson City

Group shot on the Jefferson City Bridge. From L to R: Greg Last, Joyce Seegmiller, Whitney and Derena Adamson, Alex Last, Jeff Adamson. Kneeling in front from L to R: Pierce Adamson and Ken Hinton.

Ken & Pierce on a bridge crossing.

Greg & Alex at the McKittrick, MO. interpretive stop.

Pierce & Ken at one of our periodic rest stops next to the Missouri River.

Ken & Pierce at a rest stop on the trail.

Pierce & Derena Adamson with one of the many KATY Trail State Park signs on the trail.

A happy biker group at the end of our bike ride in St. Charles, MO. Standing in front of the Lewis & Clark Memorial. From L to R: Greg Last, Pierce, Jeff, Derena & Whitney Adamson, and Alex Last.

The iconic St. Louis Gateway Arch, just a block or two from our hotel, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in downtown St. Louis.

Whitney, Pierce & Jeff Adamson enjoy the overpriced food at the St. Louis Cardinal's ballpark.

View of some of the Cardinals warming up just before their game with the Dodgers. The hometown Cards pulled off a win, 3 to 0.

Joyce Seegmiller in front of the Gateway Arch.

The Gateway Arch was beautiful in the city's semi-darkness after the baseball game.

The view northwest of the Mississippi River & into Illinois from the top of the Arch, 630 feet in the air. 

An inside view of the windows at the top of the Arch.

The view to the west from the top of the Arch, including the historic courthouse (the domed building in the center of  the picture).

The St. Louis Cardinal's baseball park as seen from the top of the Gateway Arch, the morning after we had watched the Cards beat the Dodgers in that venue.

Penny From Heaven

Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is an enjoyable young adult fiction that is of historical significance. Without spoiling the ending, I’ll just say I had no idea that what was depicted happened post WWII. I loved the details of the time period and the characters. I loved being part of a very Italian family for awhile. The characterization was amazing. That may be because the author used her own family as models and included details from their personalities and lives, as she explains in the afterword. The conclusion had me weeping. I will seek other books by this fine author.



View all my reviews

The Krispy Kreme Doughnut Diet

Last spring, I was helping Shonna's family in Logan and out of town a lot.  Ken was still working at that time.  One of his partners sells Krispy Kreme doughnuts each spring for a charity.  But you have to buy at least a dozen.  Ken ordered a dozen, and when they came, I was out of town.  So he ate the whole dozen himself in one day.  The next morning he weighed himself and had lost 2 pounds!  So, if you need to lose a little weight, try the Krispy Kreme Doughnut diet.  It worked for Ken!!!

Only Begin

This mantra is so helpful to me.  It seems the hardest part of any difficult project is just getting started.  This mantra is attributed to John Shaw Billings who must have lived by this mantra as he founded the first comprehensive library of medicine.  Now that was a big project!  "Only begin" is so comforting to me:  I don't have to do the whole thing right now; just begin.  Often when I get started, then I want to finish and do finish, but it helps me to tell myself that I don't HAVE to complete it right now, ONLY BEGIN.

For other mantras, click here.

Capitol Reef Camping Trip

Last weekend, we had a wonderful camping vacation with the Prince and Cameron families.  Ken and I left on Friday morning and went through Panguitch and stopped at Ruby's Inn (where we honeymooned) for lunch. We both had the Flat Iron Steak.  It is so yummy.   We then went on a highway we've never traveled, out through Antimony.  You can't tell it in this picture, but it was snowing HARD on that lonely highway.  These beautiful lilacs were in a little town called Loa.  

 We stayed in an RV park that had little cabins- at least ours was little.  The kids and I named it the "Dollhouse."  

Taken from the door.  There was really only room for the bed.  But it was fine.  They brought in a heater and we slept comfortably. 

It was cold and windy, but the kids had a great time playing together.

Gabriella

Caleb

The others had larger four-man cabins

Jaron

 Poor little Kenny was not feeling well, so Saturday morning after we had breakfast, Michelle and Brian took him to Instacare.  Mommy instincts were correct- he had a double ear infection.  They started him on antibiotics.  While they were away, we played with the kids.  I brought the parachute.

The kids fed carrots to our next door "neigh"bor.

Hannah had to demonstrate her new awesome crawling skills.  She's our little miracle baby.

Lily Kay found a happy home on Grandpa's lap and stayed there for about an hour.

Hannah and Blake

Lily Kay

Hiking in Capital Reef

That evening, we went out to dinner at a nice restaurant with a beautiful view- The Rimrock.  The kids were amazingly good.  They used their best restaurant manners.  

Well, all except Hannah.  She doesn't know restaurant manners yet.  But she was pretty good, too.  I don't think we disturbed anyone.

This was the view from the restaurant windows.  I know!

I told my family this chair was the tipping point for me.  I had to weigh the inconveniences of camping with the joy of being with family- about equal.  But this chair was the tipping point that got me to come.  I love this camping chair.

The marshmallow roast that evening was cold and windy, but a booming success!

Gabby was so proud to have roasted her own marshmallows.

Poor little Kenny didn't feel too well that evening, but he was much better by morning.

Ken was champion marshmallow roaster.  Perfection!

We enjoyed the three hour block at church in Torrey on Sunday morning.  Ken and I left after church and lunch (hot dog roast) on Sunday so we could get back to work in the temple on Monday.  The rest stayed until Monday afternoon.  Michelle and Brian stopped on their way home Monday evening and had dinner with us.

We came home a different way than we went out.  We went over the Hog's Back just south of the town of Boulder, which is just an amazing road.  The pictures don't do it justice.  You are on a ridge with valley on either side.  It's just beautiful!

It was a fun weekend!  Thank you Camerons and Princes!  We missed you Mackrorys- a lot!