yukiinu

I've done 9,000 miles of cross country loaded bike touring. I have read several books by single handed sailboat sailors who sailed thousands of miles in a single trip all alone. And aside from the bicycle/sailboat difference, what they experienced was exactly what I as a long distance bike tourer experienced: Physically (exhausted physical effort, eating whatever is available, maintaining water supply (Death Valley: water sources 50 miles apart, 105 degrees in the shade in May, NOT FLAT constant up and down) lack of sleep, the physical environment that forces you to keep physically functioning until circumstances are safe for you to rest or sleep, and Psychologically: (your thinking goes on a thousand introspective different paths and you must be constantly alert for and prepared to deal with dangerous conditions that come out of nowhere be they weather, vehicles, road surface dangers (crashing waves). If LA refers to Los Angeles and you are an experienced L.A bicyclest than being out on the open highways and riding in the city are equally dangerous, the difference is the type of danger and the speed (65mph big rig trucks coming at you from behind with with air waves that first blow you out from the front of the truck then suck you into the truck. You should read as much as you can about tourers experience on cross country bike blogs, learn about bike repair, take paper road maps(don't put y our life in the hands of cell phone map apps, people have died on phone map roads that went nowhere), read cross country group touring commentaries, and learn from their experiences. If your dog is small it will be easier for you and it, if it runs next to you remember to be aware of wild animals and country dogs (ranch and farm dogs are not like civilized friendly city dogs, they are highly protective, often run free and will attack both you and your dog and at night they will smell you from a couple of miles away and bark all night long at your smell. Every state has different road laws about bicycles, as a rule if there is no reasonabley available road you can ride on interstates and sections of freeways (look for bicycle prohibited road signs). As has been mentioned. The Pacific Coast Bike Route, Seattle to San Diego is the most cheapest and bike friendly in America. A cross country bike trip is a physical, psychological, sociological and cultural journey that is at times terrible and also wonderful. But should be approached with caution, and prepared for with as much knowledge about ALL it's aspects as possible.