Lauren Bikes the Katy Trail!

Okay, so Lauren didn't bike it, Sean did. But we followed by car. And Lauren was wheeled along the trail a couple of times in her stroller, so I'm counting it. The Katy Trail is the largest rails to trails project in the United States (according to Sean, I haven't fact-checked this one) and stretches from Clinton, Missouri to St. Charles, Missouri (around 250 miles). Sean wasn't able to bike the whole trail because of time constraints and the fact that he wanted to spend some time with his family (which we appreciated), but he did a good portion of it, including an 80 mile first day, which is approximately 75 more miles than I would enjoy doing in a single day.

A lot of interesting things happened on the trip. Perhaps most importantly, Lauren developed an aversion to her car seat. I can't blame her. We were in the car for several hours every day. In the picture below, Lauren relaxes in the front seat on the first day when we cared that she had a car seat aversion and felt sorry for her.

We got over that pretty quickly, as it required multiple and lengthy stops. She eventually realized that we weren't going to stop every time she screamed, so she only screamed for about 20 minutes until she passed out. Awesome.

Lauren also learned how to put her feet in her mouth and suck on her big toe. This kid likes options.

In Clinton, Missouri, I went against my better judgment and visited that store I swore years ago I would never visit again. Wal-Mart. I had no choice, people. I was in Clinton, Missouri and needed an ipod charger, and Wal-Mart was the only provider in town. I think this look from Lauren pretty much sums up how I felt waiting in the self-check line for 42 minutes (it was shorter than the other lines by at least half an hour) while a woman in front of me self-checked goldfish. Not the crackers, the live animals. In a bag with water. IN. THE. SELF. CHECK. LINE. It took hours to get that glazed expression off of her face.

Lauren and I made many stops along the way while Sean biked the trail in 90+ degree heat. Here, Lauren relaxes at a coffee shop/antiques store in the Clinton Town Square (rumored to be one of the largest in the US. Haven't checked that fact, either).

Here's Sean at the end of Day One, 80 miles, from Clinton to Boonville, Missouri. I'm told we almost didn't see him again, after a 24 mile stretch where he saw not one other person, no other towns, and thus nowhere to get more water. Ouch.

The second day Sean biked from Rocheport to Jefferson City. Here he is at the end of Day Two, looking a lot less dazed than after Day One. Each town along the trail had one of these little depots with benches and shade, and sometimes bathrooms (and thus water).

We stayed at a little bed and breakfast in Jeff City, where Sean discovered the best bicycle mechanic in the Midwest. In Jeff City. Who knew? To celebrate, I bought a bike at his shop. Luckily we were the only patrons of the B&B because in addition to developing an aversion to car seats and discovering her big toe, Lauren also learned how to have meltdowns. And I mean meltdowns. It was here where Lauren had her first 60 minute straight screaming fit. I'll always remember you, Jeff City. Here, after the screaming fit, everyone was much happier.

Our next stop was Hermann, Missouri. Confession: I don't think it's that cute. Everyone else does. That's my dirty little secret. Our bed and breakfast, however, was amazing.

We had our own separate house (a necessity after the Jeff City Meltdown of '09), called "Das Landhaus," or the farm house.

One of the owners made the most amazing breakfast, so the Alpenhorn Gasthouse excused Hermann's general unimpressiveness in my book. Lauren even blew some spit bubbles in approval.

The breakfast wore Lauren out. Blowing spit bubbles is hard work.

Sean took off from Augusta on the last day of his Tour de Missouri. All in all a wonderful vacation, even considering the fact that we stayed in a different hotel every night and had to unpack and repack the car about ten times throughout the trip. We have plans to do it together sometime soon. And by "it" I mean about 20 miles of the Katy Trail. I'm not stupid.