Touring - Memphis to New Orleans

Hello all,

So I am thinking about doing my first tour this summer. Id like to go from Memphis to New Orleans. Looks like its a little over 400 miles Has anyone on here done this before? Id like to get some recommendation on roads to take, places to camp, etc. It looks like a lot of the roads google is telling me to take are all really small roads with no shoulder. But there probably wouldn't be a lot of traffic in these places since there really aren't any huge towns between here and there. Thanks for any help you can give!

Kevin

If you are not set on leaving from Memphis try leaving from Nashville and ride the Natchez Trace Parkway. 444 miles with no stop signs and free campgrounds along the way. Alot of information on line and you can have them send you a map. good luck

My experience with Google maps bike routes is that they are usually pretty good. I prefer no shoulder and low traffic to a wide shoulder and high traffic, largely because I really hate traffic noise. Check out the satellite photos and street-view; that should give you an idea of the shoulder. Also see if the states you are going through publish traffic counts for the highways. Generally, an AADT of less than 1000 is very good. Google will also put you on dirt roads sometimes. This is something else to check on the satellite; consider whether or not you want to ride on dirt/gravel roads with the bike (and tires) you are taking, and if you do plan to ride on dirt roads, check the weather forecast for rain.

Another suggestion: it's really effing hot right now. You might think about going north and/or taking this trip in the fall. If you do tour in the South this summer, make sure you have plenty of water, and have some electrolyte tablets on you just in case. I just rode Tulsa-Dallas, and went through 6 liters of water in the 25 miles between Hugo and Paris. That gives you an idea of how much you need to carry.

Check out this book, written by cyclist Bob Robinson, on the Mississippi River Trail. Detailed guide on routing to NO. Should be a great ride.

http://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Guide-Mississippi-River-Trail/dp/0981895204%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJASE6HSSVXTNREYQ%26tag%3Dsmtfx1-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0981895204

Check out this book, written by cyclist Bob Robinson, on the Mississippi River Trail. Detailed guide on routing to NO. Should be a great ride.

http://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Guide-Mississippi-River-Trail/dp/0981895204%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJASE6HSSVXTNREYQ%26tag%3Dsmtfx1-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0981895204
Yep, just completed a tour of the entire river using this book and it is very helpful. For most of the ride the Mississippi River Trail puts you on nice roads for bicycling but every once in a while on the Memphis to NO stretch you do get dumped on some high traffic roads where the shoulder is a rumble strip so be prepared for that. Mississippi has the nicest people but the meanest dogs. Seriously mean packs of dogs. I recommend carrying a small air horn as a deterrent.