Maine to North Dakota
(Originally Maine to Washington)
The Route
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I'd like to say a few words about my route, it is truly nothing more than a sheet of paper (or a tab in a spreadsheet if you will) used for planning purposes. I may very well veer off at any moment during this trip on a whim to explore some off-the-beaten-path location or I may just feel like changing direction for awhile, and in its simplest terms that is exactly the point of this trip... I won't be tied to a clock, calendar or specific route. (See the "Why?" page for more details) The few certainties in my route are that I will start in
A Note About Cross Country Cycling Routes Typically cyclists crossing the country do so from West to East, mainly because of prevailing winds. I chose to head East to West because I wanted to spend extra time out West at the end of my trip. I’ve lived in Route Map  Route in Yellow is original planned route, Green route shows actual deviation from the planned route.
As
you can see on the map above, I am taking a circuitous route that to a
great
extent follows
the Northern border. I’ve done this because I enjoy the mountains of
the Northeast
and the forests of the Upon leaving Custer State Park I’ll swing back to the Northwest and head for Yellowstone NP, Glacier NP and then into Washington State, eventually ending up on the Pacific coast sometime in mid to late August of 2005. As
a wrap up to the trip I plan on heading South through Post ride update: First Change - I choose to follow Rte 11 in New York instead of going through the Adirondacks mainly because my legs needed a rest after Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Second Change - I choose to skirt around Toledo in Ohio to avoid traffic. (A windy choice but very rural and traffic free!) Third Change - I elected to ride straight across North Dakota instead of detouring through South Dakota and Wyoming, I did this because in each case I extended the time I spent with friends along the way, I was a little worried that I would run out of time. As you have already read I ened the tour in Minot North Dakota, I plan on continuing the tour in May of 2007! If you have built castles in the air,
your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. Henry David Thoreau
from the "Conclusion" to Walden |
