In Paper Guy’s Katy Trail Adventure!, in the The Lawrence Journal-World, Joyce Stevens writes about a trip she and her husband took on Missouri’s Katy Trail.
After driving to Sedalia, they rode the Katy to St. Charles, enjoying overnight stays in bed-and-breakfasts in Rocheport, Hermann, and Defiance. At the end of their trip they took the Amtrak train from St. Louis back to Sedalia.
Accompanying them was a little friend called “paper guy”, created by their six-year-old son, which served as as the mascot for the trip. Paper guy was ferried along by the Stevens’ the entire length of the trail, surviving to tell a harrowing tale.
Harrowing? Yes, the little fellow survived, but not entirely intact. A rainstorm on the second day turned out to be a little more than he could handle. Joyce reports: “Paper Guy lost part of his left arm and his colors were a bit runny. He had to rest and have some chocolate when we arrived at the Yates House Bed and Breakfast.”
The next day brought further challenges, as a bike malfunction led to the trio shortening their ride and taking a shuttle from Jefferson City to Hermann. The following day the old bicycle was replaced with a new touring bike at Scenic Cycles in Marthasville. The rest of the trip went smoothly, and it was over all too soon.
All in all it was a fun trip and, even though he was a little worse for the wear, I think Paper Guy enjoyed his adventure as much as we did!
Thanks for sharing your charming story, Joyce, and please, if you (or Paper Guy) have any more cycling adventures, please let us know!
