Sounds like a fun trip.
I love riding solo, but sometimes I like some company. One thing my stepson, Jerry, and I like to do is take turns being the "leader" of the ride. Sometimes I tend to always take the same route to get somewhere, so it's interesting to see how another rider will select a different route. It's especially interesting to ride a route with Jerry, because he's always getting lost, and you never know where you'll end up.