Touring - What time of year should I start my tour?

.I am trying to figure out the best time to depart for my tour. I am doing a loop from coast to coast. My biggest problem is the desert and Rockies. The route I would most like to take is from my house in Memphis to St Louis to DC to FL across thru LA, TX, NM, AZto San Diego up to San fran back across thru, NV, UT, CO thru the plains and back home. I don't want to die in the desert but don't want to freeze in the rockys. I am flexible on which direction and which month I leave. Thanks for your

It depends on how long you will be touring. The general rule would be to ride in the southern states during the colder months and the northern states in summer.....but you probably worked that one out by yourself! If you have a whole year, I would leave Memphis in the Fall so that you get to Florida and then travel across the southern states during winter. As Spring arrives, travel north and back to Memphis. That's what I would do.

I am thinking 18 to 20 weeks that’s what has me puzzled; No matter when I leave I am going thru something extreme. If I leave in Feb it would put me through the desert about mid may I don't know if that's to late and that also puts me going thru the Appalachian in march, which might be trouble, but I would be fine for the Rockies

That will be tricky. You definitely don't want to be riding through the deserts during summer and the winter storms would be brutal in the north. You may want to consider catching a cheap flight down to Florida in January, travel across the South until March, then head north from there. Or you could just hop on your bike and see how it goes. If there is extreme weather then either wait it out or catch a flight to the next destination. Good luck.