Saturday April 2nd, 2022
Our plan for the day was to ride from the trailhead in Sedalia. We moved the van to the TH and fixed breakfast. Beautiful breezy warm sunny morning. Nothing on that section of the trail said “come ride” so we went to plan B. Our friends Jill and Tina had recommended the small town of Pleasant Hill. We drove to a parking area on the trail about 5 miles outside of Pleasant Hill and then rode the trail to town. Very different landscape with rolling farmland and cows.
Pleasant Hill was hopping this Saturday morning. There were several small.shops, a large refurbished train depot and a delightful coffee shop. We enjoyed talking to the owner of the coffee shop and heard all about her camping adventures. We shared the different apps we use to find free, off the grid type camp spots. She also told us about the revitalization that was happening in Pleasant Hill. It was a great spot and just the right amount of miles before hitting the road for the day.
cool chicken hauling international truck
The parking lot was also a trailhead for the equestrian portion of the Katy Trail. Two trailers were parked there when we returned and the riders were just returning from an 8 mile ride.
After a great morning we hit the road, heading southwest into Oklahoma. I had found free camping at the Tallahassee Loop Recreation Area on the Overlander app. I will say that Oklahoma has the worst roads of any of the states we travel through. I will make a more concentrated effort to minimize our road time there in the future.
The rec area turned out to be a winner. 10-12 sites along the backwaters of the Verdigris River. It was a lovely evening to enjoy a glass or two of wine. There was so much wildlife to observe and listen to. The bullfrogs were quite vocal and there was a group of white pelicans hanging out on a small island in the backwaters.
