If you are a people person and you are concerned about feeling lonely out there on your own for 7-10 days, why not choose a route that goes through several smallish towns. From my experience, people in smaller towns are usually very friendly, and seem quite pleased to see new people ... especially new people who are doing something somewhat out of the ordinary, such as cycling through their town.
If you're in a farming community, you can really touch the people's hearts if you start sympathetically asking about how the crops are doing ... that's usually a good opening line, if people seem just a bit cool or suspicious of a stranger cycling into town. But usually simply riding up to the local grocery store on a bicycle will open all sorts of doors to conversation. Everyone will gather around and ask you where you came from and where you are going!! Total strangers will tell you about all their cycling experiences!! If you play your cards right, you might even be invited to supper or allowed to camp in someone's back yard!
linux_author asked: - how intimidating are the first 20, 30, or 100 miles?
Well, I've never actually cycle-toured solo, but I have done A LOT of solo cycling. My longest solo distance in one day was 383 kms (238 miles), and that was fine. I didn't feel intimidated at all ... but then, I did what I suggested above and chatted with the locals all along the way. Everyone was very nice and it was a great ride.
I have also done some solo travelling ... sometimes
with my bicycle, although not
on my bicycle ... like when I'm travelling between places, or for about a week when I was injured in Australia. There were a few times when it was a bit difficult hauling my bicycle and everything around with me by myself, but other than that, I didn't have any trouble and I wasn't lonely. I talked to the people I met along the way and had a good time.