Originally Posted by
questr
Thanks for all the responses so far! I'm leaving from Ann Arbor, MI and want to go to Santa Cruz, CA. The reason I ask is because I'm trying to avoid Nevada specifically. I'll be riding in the Summer and, since I'm new, I'm not sure it would be safe for me to be riding through that heat.
Nevada is a big state. Average temperatures in the central parts (e.g. Ely, Austin) somewhat cooler than southern Nevada (e.g. Las Vegas). Eastern Oregon can get hot too in July.
Nevada:
https://www.maps.com/ref_map.aspx?pid=12563
Oregon:
http://www.maps.com/ref_map.aspx?pid=12684
As far a routes go, I often start with Google Maps but get the Auto directions with "Avoid Highways" setting. That gives me an approximate distance and rough route. I then fine tune a bit more by done some of the following to adjust smaller segments:
- Use google maps again (biased towards auto/no highways)
- In/out of large cities, look at strava heat map find find routes local cyclist use:
http://labs.strava.com/heatmap
- Consult paper maps and state bicycling maps