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The Katy trail is a multi-use path through northern Missouri, along the path of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad (MKT or M-'Katy').
The crushed limestone along the trail wasn't too bad to ride on, even with road tires, but it got a little goopey when it rained. The trail was very flat, as advertised, and riding for 3 days without worrying about traffic was pretty pleasant.
It passed by the Missouri state fair, which was another cultural experience. First, we bought some overpriced corndogs and fried dough. Then we poked around the stalls. The most interesting part of the fair, in my opinion, was the livestock.
I spent a good 15 minutes watching the pig display. Pigs would get put into these holding pens outside an open area with a chaperoning child, maybe 7-12 years old. The child would be equipped with a little stick and a brush. With the stick, they would tap the pigs shoulders to turn it. With the brush, they would push or pull on its back to speed it up or slow it down. Somehow, based on watching these pigs driven about, an announcer and judges would evaluate them. "Look at that full body, those wide haunches! Isn't it magnificent!"
After the fair, the Katy trail took us to the Missouri river. One of it's tributaries is pictured here. The forests, cliffs and farmland along the Missouri were lovely, and the presence of river water was really pleasant. The last river I had seen was the Rio Grande in southern Colorado.
