Chugging along, Katy day Four

Encore, Encore!!!
We got round two of the Pancake Man this morning and Pancakes it was!!! All the flipping and tossing and fun with pancakes that you can stand.
Off we go with today's ride a bit shorter than we have become used to. About 37 miles to Sedalia.
The ride today was a little different than what we have been doing the first three days. A little more variation of terrain. A bit more in change from just flat to riding some incline and declines.
Some of our riding was under the tree canopy like usual.

But we also had elevation changes. We got away from the river and rode through cuts in the rocks. The uphills were very gradual over a few miles and the following downhills the same. On the Katy due to the surface it seems you have to keep spinning the pedals but as you look at your speedometer that is how you can tell you are going up or down. Same pedaling and if you are going 8 to 9 miles an hour....uphill.....13 to 14 miles an hour....down hill. This was also the first day that I felt the headwind we had all week came into play. Anyway the chage of terrain was welcome....something different to ride as we worked our way over bluffs and rock cuts.

Saw my second snake of the trip. It zipped out of the grass on my right, I braked pretty hard to avoid running over it and then, slither, and it was gone over the other side. Another one of those big glossy black ones. Count for the trip....2-snakes, 5-turtles.
There was also some coal mining history to read about here. Both strip and shaft coal mining went on in this area and powered Missouri in the late 1800's for the industrialization of this part of the country. Those dudes worked hard at their jobs.
When we popped out into the open areas of the trail you had to put your head down and just bust it a bit into the wind

And just like that we rolled into Sedalia by lunchtime. Sedalia has a refurbished train depot and for us they had food vendors set up to choose from. We all goofed about a bit and ate and drank a couple of beers. toured through the depot and I bought a hat as my souvenir of this trip. A bit of a ride through town to get to the city park and our camp.
So many of these small towns I have been to have these great architecturally impressive churches. Usually more than one big, old church building in a town.

This was the first camp site that I felt we were a bit squished together into tent city. I got to giggling a bit because the fellow that set up right behind Rob and Kelley's tent was sawing up some pretty good logs for his afternoon nap and Kelley was a little concerned for the nighttime. I never heard him that night....must have finished his logging duty during the afternoon. Of course I was sleeping pretty good by this time on the trip. You know how it is sleeping on a pad, on the ground, in a tent. The first night not much success sleeping but by the third night and beyond.......out and snoozing as soon as the sun goes down!!!

They gave us access to the big public pool that was right next to our site and that was a great treat. It brought back so many memories of my time as a kid, hangin' for the summer at the pool. Big pool with lots of kids, pool noise, lifeguards blowing whistles. Plus it was so refreshing to get in the water and flop around for a bit and then just get out and relax in your pool chaise lounge and let the sun dry you off. No way that ever happens in cold Estes Park!!!
We had another super dinner in the community center there but I was a little sad knowing it was our last night being out together on our ride.
Up and at em' for our last day tomorrow.