River Relief

November 6, 2012

Nov. 13 - Big Muddy Speaker Series - Rocheport 2012

"Discover the Katy Trail"

presented by Hannah Hemmelgarn and Laurel Goodman of Missouri River Communities Network and Missouri River Bluffs Association

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

7 p.m. presentation
lower floor of the Les Bourgeois Vineyards Bistro 
in Rocheport, MO (directions below)
Click here for flier (pdf)»

Presentation is FREE and open to the public! Come early to purchase a great dinner upstairs at the Bistro!

photo on right copyright Brett Dufur

This fall, some of the adventurous Americorps members from Missouri River Community Network biked across the state on the Katy Trail, hosting free workshops, presentations and gatherings at all the great river communities along the way. From beer tastings in Augusta to bike repair workshops in Sedalia, the purpose was to highlight the great resource the trail brings to the communities along it.  They called the expedition "Discover the Katy Trail". Hannah Hemmelgarn and Laurel Goodman will join us to share photos and stories from their trip, while providing a broader look at the history and importance of the state's favorite bike ride.

In fact, the crew will be riding their bikes from Columbia to Rocheport for this presentation. Anyone is welcome to join! Sign up on Facebook for more information.

The Katy Trail is a 240-mile excursion across much of the state of Missouri. The route follows the abandoned railroad bed for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, which gave up service after the 1986 flood. Most of the trail is through the Missouri River floodplain, including stops in many wonderful river towns like Rocheport, Hartsburg and Bluffton and some fantastic views of the river and its towering limestone bluffs. The MRCN "Discover the Katy Trail" crew kept a great blog with photos of their trip along the trail - check it out here.

The trail is often called the country's longest and narrowest state park, and it serves bikes and walkers alike. A new equestrian section just opened this year, from Tebbetts to Portland, giving horse riders their first chance to join in the fun. Whether folks use the trail for a little exercise or a state-wide excursion, the Katy Trail is one of the most common ways that people access the Missouri River and its many fun river towns. See the links on the right for more info.

Last year was the 20th anniversary of the trail, and Missouri DNR put together this video to celebrate it.

 Directions

• Take I-70 to the Rocheport, MO, exit (Exit #115). It's the first exit east of the Missouri River.
• Head north toward Rocheport.
• After about a mile, turn left at the sign for Les Bourgeois Bistro. Follow the signs to the Bistro. You will probably need to park in the lot above the Bistro and walk the trail down.
• The presentations are held in the lower level. You can either enter at the restaurant entrance then go down the stairs to your left past the bar, or you can follow the walk to the right of the restaurant and enter through a glass door into the lower level.
• 14020 W. Hwy BB, Rocheport, MO (click for Google Map)