Katy Trail

On a whim, Ethan and I headed to Defiance to pick up the Katy Trail there today.  

Elliott is at my parents' for the week, so I thought it would be a good time to try it with just one kid.  

We had so much fun.  

Ethan was all about it to begin with, and then once we got to Klondike Park (about 1/2 way to our destination of Augusta) he decided we should turn back cause he was "starving".  But he kept going another 3-4 miles to Augusta and was glad he did.  He is pretty proud of the 13 miles he trekked, and I will definitely do this again.

I'm thinking maybe it's time I get my own bike, though.  I've been keeping the Katy Trail Bike Rentals in business this spring :)

Lunch at the Augusta Brewing Co.

Shared a turkey bacon wrap.

Picked the tomatoes out.

Ethan was thrilled to hear "yes" when he asked 

if he could have Mountain Dew.

I figured he needed the boost anyway.

Love these bright chairs at the Brewing Co. 

They just look relaxing.

If only there was an ocean in front of them.

We made it!!

I don't know what these are.

They always intrigue me.

Cool place to rest.

There is this huge limestone mass or something (not sure what to call it)

along the trail at Klondike. 

It's really neat.

We stopped there twice.

Another family was nice enough to take our picture there.

Although they obviously did not feel comfortable enough 

to tell me I was posed so awkwardly.

We felt kind of bad for them.

They started out not too long after us and this was their entourage: 

-one teen boy on a bike. 

-dad pulling a daughter maybe 6 or 7 on

some kind of contraption that attaches to the bike and 

it's like half of a bike itself, 

so she was pedaling and had handlebars but 

he was actually pulling all the weight and steering.

-and mom pulling one of those tot tent things with a toddler inside.

When we saw them at lunch they all seemed pretty put out with dad - seems it was his idea to ride today and they were all exhausted.  But they were troopers.  Even after we heard a crash behind us and turned around to see that the girl had fallen off the contraption, I really never heard them complain.  And at the last mile, they all breezed past us - guess they were ready to be done.  Apparently the bike with the contraption got a flat tire half way through, and they still all managed to ride back relatively happily :)  Totally impressed with them!

These bridges were one of his favorite parts

(second only to lunch, I believe).

A glimpse of the Missouri River.

The scene from the back porch of the bike rental place.

Did I mention it sells ice cream, too?

Perfect end to the day.