Not always. For example, on their Pacific Coast Route, Section One, The flattest, most direct way between Lewis and Clark State Park and Centralia, Washington is fairly busy Jackson Hwy to Chehalis and then Airport Road to Centralia. The Adventure Cycling route, however, is quite meandering because they're using quiet roads with climbing to get between the two. Or, on the section of the Northern Tier that follows the Mississippi River south of Minneapolis, the more direct, flat way would be US 61. Because of the traffic volumes on 61, the ACA route does a lot of steep climbing and descending on the quiet roads that are off 61.