We chose the Katy Trail as the finale of our Spring North Tour. Not only would it conveniently return us to St. Louis and reconnect us with our car, but we suspected that finishing with a flat, dedicated bike trail would be a nice way to ease ourselves to the finish.

The Katy trail stretches 240 miles across Missouri and is the longest rails-to-trails project in the country. We started at Clinton, its westernmost terminus, and headed east. Using our normal mileages, we calculated that four days would be enough to complete the trail. But after the first day or so, we quickly adjusted our plans to add an extra day. It didn’t make sense to rush through – the trail is designed so that cyclists can enjoy the many towns along the way. That appealed to me, and even after slowing down I wished we’d left more time to explore.

From Clinton to Booneville, the trail angles to the northeast heading to the Missouri River. Although railroad beds are known for being very flat, we were surprised to find that there was actually quite a bit of elevation change in that section. It was all very gradual, but we did reach the highest point of the trail. Rich seemed to think it was quite a climb!

The trail surface is crushed limestone. For the most part, it is very well maintained and rough spots are very well marked. It makes for good cycling, but it does take its toll. It’s not like rolling over smooth pavement where it is easy to gain momentum and glide along. The rougher limestone takes more effort, costing us a gear or two, and even with 1400 miles behind us we could feel that extra work by the end of the day.

The surroundings of the trail changed frequently. At times it was out in the wide open, surrounded by farm fields and flat land. In some areas they were working to restore the prairie grasses. Other times there were trees lining the trail, which were a welcome wind break for us. Best of all were the wooded sections, with thick undergrowth and trees that stretched to meet over our heads forming a tunnel.

We were still being treated to an abundance of wild flowers, and my eyes were glued to the sides of the trail searching out different varieties throughout the day.

There are still reminders of the Katy Railroad along the trail. Old switch boxes and signals are visible, and the truss bridges now carry cyclists across the frequent steams and rivers. A few of the beautiful old depots still stand, frequently serving as information centers at the trail heads. And caboose cars are also popular fixtures in some of the towns.

It makes for a nice change from navigating the roads, figuring out directions and dealing with cars. But one thing doesn’t change. Even heading down the Katy Trail, there’s nothing like ice cream at the end of the day.

By now it's pretty obvious that we think traveling by bicycle is the greatest. But there are those who worry about us. And the countless folks we meet who are intrigued with our trip always feel compelled to add “Stay safe” to their farewells. While safety is constantly at the top of that our minds, I will admit that there are certain hazards inherent in this mode of travel.

Rumble Strips – I used to think it was great to have this buffer between me and the cars. But I've changed my mind. I don't think I've ever been spared by a rumble strip. To put it bluntly, I hate them. More than once, I've inadvertently ridden over them, only to be shaken to bits and narrowly avoided losing control of my bike. The ones that really fry me are those that infiltrate the already too-small space on the shoulder. Balancing on the fine line between the rumbles and a drop off turns my knuckles white. It leaves me no choice but to ride in the car lane.

Road Kill – We've seen roadkill on our previous trips, but for some reason this tour tops them all for the frequency of such sightings. Most often the extinguished animals are in the middle of the road but we do get our share to avoid on the shoulder. And the stink pervades the area no matter where they lie. The most common and unique victim by far has been the armadillo. We have yet to see a live one. We're beginning to believe they only exist as roadkill.

Speed Limits – We expect fast traffic on big highways. But on the smaller, 2-lane roads we assume there will be lower speed limits. Not so in Texas. There we commonly found 70 mph speed limits on those small farm roads. The ones with hardly any shoulders. That's unnerving.

This pooch wasn't any threat

Barking Dogs – I do like dogs. Just not when they are chasing me on my bike. For some reason, dog owners in rural areas think it's okay to let them run free. The thing is, when they come charging out of the yard barking at me, I have no way to tell if they are just friendly or about to chomp down on my leg. Or get in my way. Nothing gets my heart racing or my legs pumping faster than the approach of a barking dog.

Cars and Trucks – It goes without saying that cars and trucks are the biggest threat to us on the road. But then again, without them there would be no roads. We are, after all, in their space. And we respect that. Given any quarrel, they win. Every time.

Soon we will leave all this behind. Tomorrow we begin our final leg of the trip which is on the Katy Trail, a dedicated bicycle path that extends 240 miles across Missouri. There we can enjoy carefree cycling on the trail and say farewell to the hazards of the road.

Progress to date: 26 days, 1,112 miles

If ever there was a perfect day for cycling touring, today was it. Although we only covered a modest 41 miles, the remainder of our day was filled with lovely experiences.

We were up early and at the door of the local coffeehouse just as it was opening. I was able to have my morning latte and I'd made Rich promise not to rush me over my morning brew. It's just as well, as it was a chilly 46 when we left the motel, and the extra minutes I spent lingering gained us a few extra degrees.

It was another perfectly sunny day with little wind and fantastic cycling conditions. The countryside was at its best, with rolling hills and rich greenery flanking the road. As usual, we attracted the attention of every dog we passed, who came out to chase and bark at us. And we sent the cows in the fields running – a most curious site as they often ran with us, not away. It was the kind of day you couldn't help but feel all was right with the world.

Our initial destination was Eureka Springs, a delightful little historic town where soldiers from the Civil War once spent time recuperating from the stresses of battle. We'd been there once before, so it didn't take us long to reacquaint ourselves with the town full of shops and cafés. We discovered some artists doing restoration work on the town's mural, which we found fascinating to watch. Rarely do we have a real lunch during our cycling days, but it seemed the thing to do. So we splurged on a meal at the Local Flavor Café, eating out on the deck overlooking the town – a delightful interlude in our day.

We'd made reservations at a modest resort in Eagle Rock, just over the border in Missouri on Table Rock Lake for the night. So we moved on in order to have time to enjoy that location in the afternoon. We didn't get away without a good share of rolling countryside and some healthy uphill climbs, just to remind us we were still within range of the Ozarks. With a stop at a grocery store to purchase food and wine for dinner, we arrived at our next piece of nirvana mid-afternoon.

The Lazy Eagle Resort was the perfect finale to our day. We spent the mild afternoon out on our deck where we could see Table Rock Lake through the trees. We eventually meandered down to the lake and marina, where it felt good to sit in the sun and watch the few boats go by.

Dinner was al fresco out on our deck, where we lingered easily over our meal, enjoyed a bottle of Chadonnay and ate too many Milano cookies. Yet another indulgence on this heavenly day.

That rain delay the other morning sure was a blessing. Because we only reached Ozark that evening, it left us with two gloriously sunny days in which to cycle through the Ozark National Forest. The timing couldn't have been better.

We followed scenic highway 23 north, and the portion through the forest is known as The Pig Trail. The name's origins are uncertain, but a leading hypothesis is because the route resembles a wild pig's curly tail. Another harks back to Razorback fans who used the route as a shortcut to get to University of Arkansas games. Regardless, it is a twisty, twirly, steep and winding road through the forested Ozark Mountains.

Although we could have crossed the forest in a day, I hated the thought of rushing through this area. After all, it was one of our major sights for the trip, emblazoned on our jerseys. So we decided to camp in the middle and take time to enjoy our surroundings. The result was that wonderful feeling of having all the time in the world to enjoy a beautiful bike ride on two perfect days.

We knew this was our stretch to go up and over the main portion of the mountains. So we were prepared for some steep climbs. Just how difficult it would really be was in fact not really clear to us. Each mile was an adventure, wondering just what the trail would bring. Fortunately, the road was very good, although the shoulder narrowed into non-existence on the most windy bits. We counted ourselves very lucky to be cycling in the middle of the week in the off-season when traffic was light. Admittedly, we shared the road with a few logging trucks and semis but we could easily hear their noisy approach and hasten out of their way.

One of the main stopping points on the trail is Turner Bend. An old shop that has been there for ages serves kayakers, rafters and campers as well as every other traveler who feels compelled to stop by for a spell. It was easy to linger and swap stories with others as we sat under the shady front porch and enjoyed a break. Their fresh deli sandwiches were also an essential element, being the only option for dinner that night. We loaded up on those, took in the nearby waterfall and checked out the Mulberry River.

At that point we were quite pleased with our progress. We'd navigated the hills without much trouble, enjoyed cycling under the archway of leaves overhead and made good time. We were well into the mountains and had only five miles remaining to reach our campground.

The kicker was that we'd reached the final approach to the pinnacle of the road. Suddenly those switchbacks that we could see on the map became reality, and we faced our steepest challenges of the trip. That section was riddled with hairpin curves, continuous banked turns and amazing inclines. It was also beautiful. Even under the strain, I could appreciate the sun streaming through the trees and deep blue sky beyond. I didn't, however, glance through the trees to any vista beyond. I was too intent on staying on the road. It was a huge triumph to ultimately reach the top, and I prided myself in being able to cycle the whole way! Although in all honesty, I have to say that the Ozarks pale in comparison to the climbs we did in Gaspé. Perhaps that's not such a bad thing.

We camped at Mulberry Mountain, where they hold a huge music festival each June. We happened to meet the director of the festival who explained that the large grassy area filled with “30,000 hippies” for the annual affair. For us, the open space provided panoramic views of the mountains surrounding us. Making use of our extra time in the afternoon, we took a hiking trail down to a creek. And finally we took in the sunset over the mountains.

It didn't take long this morning to complete the Pig Trail. After a bit more climbing, it was mostly downhill. Soon we were shooting out the other side of the forest. While some hills still awaited us, we knew the highest ridges were behind us. We'd conquered the Ozarks.

We're not very good at taking rest days. I in particular want to be on my bike each day, moving on. On an earlier trip, we came up with the idea of “rolling rest days.” They were low mileage days – really low, like 20 or less – when we took it easy and just sauntered on to a new location.

We had our first such modified rest day last week. But it wasn't the short ride that made it relaxing, it was our destination. We were guests of Warm Showers hosts Rodney and Debbie, who have a lovely home on Lake Jackson. Not only that, they have a separate guest house that they turned over to us for the night. It happened to be a beautiful afternoon, and we enjoyed visiting with our hosts while sitting out back overlooking the lake. We had the advantage of both good company and being able to retire to our own space at the end of the evening. The golden sunshine bathed the lake in a beautiful glow which we admired as Rod fed us plentiful pancakes before departing in the morning.

Our next Warm Showers stay started normally enough. We'd just made our way into Oklahoma and had plans to stay with Stan and Misti for one night in Broken Bow. Our timing was very fortunate, in that their church was hosting The Singing Men of East Texas that evening, and we were able to attend the concert with them. Those men had powerful voices and sang with great fervor. When accompanied by their own brass ensemble, they rocked the church! It was a dynamic evening of music.

Our plans to cycle the next morning were quickly scrubbed when we awoke to thunderstorms and pouring rain. I kept thinking we'd find a window for cycling, but Stan and Misti knew better and immediately extended an invitation to stay another night. We felt so fortunate, as all day long the storms regenerated and kept up a constant downpour. So rather than slogging through it all, we had a lovely rest day in the comfort of their home, warm and dry.

An added benefit to our extended stay was the opportunity to see the new bike shop that Stan and Misti are opening. Having acquired an historic old stone building in Broken Bow built by the WPA, they have been hard at work using their own skills and sweat equity to restore it. After months of work, progress on the transformation is astonishing and we could easily envision its possibilities. Their plans are exciting and we can't wait to hear the news of opening their Gear Down bike and trailer shop. Sharing a delicious dinner prepared by Stan with good company and a cycling movie was the perfect conclusion to our unexpected day of rest.

Despite storms continuing into the night, the morning dawned sunny and clear and we were perfectly refreshed and ready to cycle. Thanks to Warm Showers.