Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 12,711
Likes: 2,100
From: Madison, WI
Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.
If you are new to this and it sounds like you are, an out and back trip can be a good idea. Then if something is not quite to your liking, it is easier to bail out by turning around earlier.
Katy was my second tour. I started by taking Amtrak from Kirkwood to Sedalia, then to Clinton and back East. And finished up with 20 miles through city streets during rush hour (which was less than pleasant) to get to our vehicle in the Amtrak parking lot at Kirkwood.
I do not know if Sedalia to Kirkwood would exceed your goal for daily distance, but if you wanted to make this a one way trip, Amtrak makes that an option. But this option would not give you the contingency of being to bail out early.