divtag,

I think, for you, the most important thing is to find an area with lots of interesting places in close proximity, where you can have food, water, and a place to sleep within an easy day's ride each day. This takes away almost all of the anxiety of the first few tours. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, this should be a very easy point to meet! Especially along the coast.

Another idea is to drive or bike to an interesting "home base" (campsite, hostel, B&B, hotel...) and ride out each day in a different direction, returning to base each evening. This way you get to experience a lot of a particular area without having to carry around a lot of gear, and you get a feel for being on a bike as well as the safety net of having a secure breakfast, dinner, and shelter each day.

The first few times out, unless you have your nutritional requirements figured out already, be sure to take twice as much food as you think you'll need. Any money for weird cravings