Good stuff costs money and Adventure Cycling is good stuff. Now, there are a lot of ways to tour by bike, some of them are really cheap, fly by the seat of your pants ways of having fun! I wouldn't say a single bad word about the guy who borrows his sister's old step thu 10-speed, duck tapes an old Power Rangers sleeping bag to the handle bars and heads out tour. Ride what you got where ever you want! But if you have the money, the AC maps are really good. Heck, if you want the ride of a lifetime, get the AC coast to coast map (your choice of route), buy a new touring bike from the LBS, and new light weight camping gear at REI. Sure, you *can* do it cheaper, but the top shelf maps, bike and gear mean less worrying and more relaxing and enjoying the ride.

Jeeze, hating on AC is like hating puppies! Maybe you don't like dogs, but still.....