I often stop for a break at the peaceful Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in Starkenburg.
ROLLING HILLS
I ventured 35 miles to Marthasville to connect with SR-94 and took that south past Dutzow to Washington. SR-100 west started me back on my route. The road narrows to two lanes for the rest of SR-100 and winds a bit through New Haven to Hermann. The Pickney Bend Distillery is a local favorite.
Hermann is a fantastic German town with wineries, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and my favourite sausage establishment, The Hermann Wurst Haus, which has over 65 varieties of sausages and other meat products. My favorite bratwurst flavor is the potato, cheddar, and bacon, and I always stop and resupply when I pass through.
The road west of Hermann was worth the wait. The curves and hills are amazing. This is my favorite type of
road with hills hiding part of the winding path as it forms a herringbone weave in front of me. Because I was a lone rider, I slowed over the crest of the hills to ensure safety, but many hills had me nearly lifting out of my seat as the road dropped down to the Gasconade River.
Knowing rain was in the forecast, I skipped riding through Frankenstein( no relation to Mary Shelley’ s monster) and Bonnots Mill, which are interesting towns a few miles off of SR-100.
The western end of SR-100 intersects with U. S. 50, and Jefferson City is 20 miles farther west. After a quick gas stop, I went north on U. S. 54 to connect to the western end of SR-94 just north of the Missouri River. I pulled over for a photo of the state capitol building and then started winding my way back towards home.
SR-94 straightens out for a few miles but starts curving again east of Mokane. Two miles north on Secondary State Route P in Starkenburg is a beautiful church— the Shrine to Our Lady of Sorrows. Crossing SR-19, north of Hermann, the SR-94 curves get serious again. The Katy bike trail parallels the road and there are several crossings, so beware of our human-powered cyclist friends.
Seven miles east brought me back to Marthasville, where I started the day and completed my two-day loop. Secondary State Route D east of Marthasville passes the Emmaus Village, which is purported to be haunted. After a satisfied sigh, I headed 35 miles back home on some other great roads to once again beat the rain by mere minutes. No free bike wash for me that day.
As I rode toward home, I reflected on the changes to some of my favorite roads as St. Louis has pushed westward over the last 20 years. My lesson is to enjoy these roads while they are here.
Once a seminary, the Emmaus Villiage is a snapshot in time at over 150 years old.
Brian Gleason has spent the last 30 years exploring the U. S. on two and three wheels including riding in all 50 states.
48 / NOVEMBER 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM