Jim from Boston

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cougrrcj

Whatever you do,enjoy the trip and don't worry too much about 'schedule'.

Don't be afraid to deviate from your 'US20 coast-to-coast' route. Some portions may have better alternatives - like for scenery, less traffic, access tocampgrounds, interesting things to do, etc.

Most importantly -- ENJOY THE RIDE!!! Good luck!!

As a former cycle tourist including a cross-country ride, your advice reminds me of a favorite quote I had bookmarked years ago, that expresses IMO the essence of cycle-touring:

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikingshearer

A thought or two, based on personal experience....

Also, what's the hurry? One of the joys of touring is the singleness of purpose and absence of demands. All you have to do is get there: you don't have to get there fast or get their first - and if you are touring with camping gear, odds are you can be incredibly flexible about what "getting there" means on any given day. Embrace that. Don't let your tour become an exercise in trading one rat-race for another.

As a corollary, I recently discussed on a thread about Centuries:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biker395

… I think it's human nature to be goal oriented. And at the end of a long ride,you find yourself counting off the miles as if there is some kind of goal to be achieved. Mentally, that negatively affects your enjoyment.

One day, I got to thinking: I love cycling. I think about it when I should be thinking about other things (e.g. work). I sit around and look at pictures of my friends and I on our cycling adventures. Given all that WHY am I ticking off the last few miles as if I'm glad to be done with it?
So instead, I try to focus on being in the moment and enjoying what I'm doing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

Frankly, I’m a mileage junkie and I like to think of the century as five 20-mile rides …Nonetheless, @Biker395, your comment about being in the moment is well said. I can remember being on long tours thinking to myself that when I get back to work, sitting at a desk, how I’ll wish I was back out here on the Road.

Not to be premature, but regarding the end of this cross-country trip, I consider Rte 20 an OK route into Boston for the last few miles, but outside the Rte 128 beltway, it’s not a favorite. Rather, about five miles north of it is a premier route that includes such sites as Walden Pond, Lexington and Concord, and the popular 11 mile long Minuteman Bikepath that would take you into Harvard Square in Cambridge, past MIT, and into Boston's elegant Back Bay.

So we'll all stay tuned for further details.

Barrettscv 

I would avoid the western suburbs of Chicago, there are few safe roads in the western suburbs. I would also avoid crossing most of Chicago from west to east, it's impossible due to traffic and a general lack of safety. The lakefront is better all around. Travel along the Illinois-Wisconsin border and use these two Mapmyride routes.

This is a safe and scenic route from Wisconsin to Indiana that I've ridden on my bike many times: 70 miles Wisconsin to the Indiana Border in Pleasant Prairie, WI, United States | MapMyRide

And this map takes you from Chicago to Michigan across Northern Indiana, I've also ridden most of this route: 67 miles Illinois to Michigan in Whiting, IN, United States | MapMyRide

I would also recommend avoiding Chicago. Either ride along the Wisconsin-Illinois border and use the Milwaukee to Michigan ferry, see: LAKE EXPRESS - LAKE MICHIGAN'S HIGH SPEED FERRY - Lake Express - Lake Michigan's high speed ferry

...or cross central Illinois and Indiana, but it will be flat and boring.

philbob57

If you start in Newport, OR, I suggest finishing in, or at least riding through, Newport, RI. Then go on to Boston.

I wish you the best of luck on your trip - great health, great weather, and great reliability from your bikes and car.

And congratulations on your grandchild! Grandkids are among the few things in life which are even better than biking.

Jseis 

Great Epic. Forty years ago to nearly today I'd just returned from a 4000 mile Seattle to New York ride mostly through Canada with a slight diversion south of the Great Lakes. Ride safe!

Jim from Boston

Epic (life epic) is a good word for a cross-country bike ride. Back in 1977 my long-term GF, now new wife and I rode our honeymoon from Los Angeles to Washington DC. It was the start of a new life and careers for us in Boston. Now on our anniversary of April 30, I start to recall, almost daily, where we were we on the Road on that particular day, up to July 1.