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Day 7, Hermann to Augusta - 39 miles

    Larry and Nancy were both dashing about in the kitchen when I went down for breakfast. I mumbled, "Coffee" and Larry pointed me towards a thermos full. I was soon joined by Jeanette and the other guests, a full table of eight for breakfast. Nancy and Larry started bringing the food. Nancy had baked an unusual egg dish that was half quiche,  half French toast and all delicious. Piles of spicy patty sausage, a bowl of country potatoes and a fresh fruit salad were passed around as well. Drinks included juice, coffee and tea. Even with eight of us, there was more food than we could eat and believe me, we all tried. This was, without doubt, the highlight breakfast of the tour. While eating breakfast we discussed more of California and Missouri.

    Jeanette retrieved her leftovers from the refrigerator and packed them in foil in the bike trunk. She asked Nancy where we could buy some rolls and Nancy advised that we would find an excellent bakery on the main street about a block before the bridge. We loaded up the bike, waved goodbye and coasted downhill to the center of town. The bakery was open and busy. They hadn't made any rolls and a loaf of bread was too much food to carry with us. We bought a piece of strudel each for lunch and continued on to the bridge. 

    The bridge across the Missouri to Hermann has a narrow two lane roadway with absolutely no shoulder. To ride the bridge, a cyclist must "claim the lane." The bridge is also a slightly downhill ride when leaving town and that made things easier. Some steady pedaling brought the bike speed up to 25 mph and we were across without holding up traffic. Once clear of the bridge, the highway has a wide enough apron to ride the rest of the way to McKittrick without much concern.

    The weather report the night before optimistically reported that the worst of the storm had passed and that, while temperatures would be about ten degrees lower than earlier in the week, the threat of rain was over. The light wind had come around and was behind us. The trail was a combination of wide open spaces mixed with passages through thick canopy. The open areas exposed large plowed fields between the trail and the river in some places. In others, the bluffs closed in and we rode a narrow strip of land between the river and bluffs as we had the two days previously.

    Although we had an early start we saw no new critters except for more squirrels and a dead deer lying alongside the road, a victim of a high speed collision. We walked frequently with Jeanette looking at all of the trailside plants. She took pictures of what she believed were currants and other trailside flora including small sprays of miniature flowers.

    The ride took us through Trelor, Peers, Marthasville and Dutzow before reaching Augusta. Instead of buying a lunch we stopped at one of the trailheads, shared Jeanette's left over chicken fajitas and ate the strudel. I swear the chicken fajitas tasted even better as leftovers than they did when served hot.

    We kept looking for critters but without luck. Finally, at two locations on the open portion of the trail I saw two dead moles or mice. The carcasses looked fresh. Each looked like it had small puncture wounds but was otherwise undamaged.

    Even with all the walking, we arrived at Augusta at 3:45. I pushed the bike up the hill towards the center of town and found our B&B, the Old Town Agusta Inn, at the intersection. I walked to the side of the house and saw our host, Clyde, sitting inside what was to be our room, waiting for us, a fire in the fireplace. He opened the door, invited us in and showed us our rooms and the dining room where we'd eat breakfast in the morning. 

    The original building that the inn is based around was built in 1864 of stone and mortar construction. Clyde bought the place in 1993 and began, with the help of relatives and friends, a major remodel and reconstruction of the property. A photo book kept in the dining room shows the immensity of the project. Foundations were built, structures framed and finished and all of it married to the original house.

   Our rooms were a suite at the west side of the building. We had a sitting or living room, a bed room, and a bathroom complete with sauna. The bedroom was heated by a fireplace and Clyde had stocked a supply of logs for us. Jeanette said the rooms were obviously decorated by a man but I found them comfortable. The bathroom was paneled in cedar planks with a cedar sauna. Clyde told me to look at the rooms above us if I wanted since they were vacant. The upstairs had been a three room apartment complete with kitchen, however some remodeling was taking place. It looked like a previous tenant had not been too gentle with the place. Clyde had told us of similar problems with a short time tenant in the rooms we were staying. He had abused them, even kicking holes in the wall. Clyde had repaired the vandalism after evicting the tenant. The dining room had some home gym equipment on the floor and some yet to be done work but when finished, would be very attractive. It appeared that, with one more last effort, that the place would be ready for a great 2006 as a B&B.

    Clyde had asked how we had enjoyed our ride. In responding I mentioned the two dead mice/moles. He said that an owl was probably the culprit, had hunted and killed each and had dumped on the road where they'd be easy to find. The owl would keep on hunting until he had killed enough to satisfy himself and would then gather them up and take them all to his home in the woods.

    After dumping our stuff we took off on the now stripped bike to tour the town. The first place we headed was the Augusta Winery. We sampled their flagship labels and picked a bottle of Norton 2001 "Cynthiana" as after dinner treat. We rode up and down the few streets looking for places to eat and at the town's other B&Bs. The Lindenhof Country Inn looked comfortable but the star of the show was the H.S. Clay House. The folks at the winery had recommended the Augusta Brewing Company as a possible choice for dinner. We rode over and looked at the half tent, half building structure and decided the menu and ambience looked perfect for two hungry cyclists. Although the patio was warmed with large gas heaters, we decided that inside might be a better choice on what was relatively cold day with temperatures in the low 50's.

    The Brewery offered a variety of beers so we asked for a sampler. I picked a light beer and Jeanette a darker one. The dinners at the brewery were excellent but a little on the skimpy side considering the cost and the fact that they were supposed to satisfy two hungry cyclists. Another thing I was annoyed with is a current style of presentation where the garlic potatoes and vegetables are placed side by side in the center of the plate with the cut of meat laid over them and a meat sauce ladled over the top. I'm a systematic eater, I like my food separated, not all mixed up.

    We left with it being just dark enough to turn on the tail lights and attach the headlights. It must have been a little darker for a group of six arriving for dinner. They parked their car in the parking lot and couldn't find the paved path through the brush and woods to the restaurant, instead walking in a straight line from their car through the scrub and then through flower beds to the tent entrance, laughing all the way. I suspect they had visited several wineries before arriving for dinner.

    We rode home and after reading the instructions, I fired up the sauna, the first time I had ever been in one. Damn, it was hot inside! Within 15 minutes I was cooking. I took a warm shower while Jeanette took a turn, surprised that I had never been in one before. The room didn't have a TV so I stoked the fire and we jumped into bed with our books and glasses of our boutique wine. Tomorrow would be our last day on the trail.

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Recommended:

The Old Town Augusta Inn
Host: Clyde Stratten
5549 Main St
Augusta,  MO 63332
636-482-4654
www.augustainn.com

Ambience:*** (The inn is in the midst of renovation. Hopefully it will be complete early in 2006)
Bathroom:****
Breakfast:**

Cost: $85

Day 8, Augusta to St. Charles - 32 miles